Heated Water Bowl - Fire Started in Indianapolis, killed 6 chickens and 60k damage

[wantedman66]

im pretty sure chickens survived for centuries with no heat lamps or heated water pans.

I don't know how many chickens you have I have 30 and a little water bowl would not be nearly enough I have 2-3 gallon jugs that get filled every couple of days I don't have time to run to the coop every 15 min.

 

[wantedman66]

Your set up sounds extremely unsafe. You can continue doing what you are doing, but the risk is there. 

I think I'll take the risk. Been using mine for years it's checked after every season.

edited by staff

 

[wantedman66]

YEP! That's how they drink now. Rubber dishes so I don't have to even think about a possibility of a fire...

Whatever works for you. I'm just not running back and fourth to change water all day. edited by staff

 

[schnebbles]

Are outdoor cords deemed unsafe? I had one long one, until I needed to put the electric bowl out there, that's when I got the 3 prong outdoor cord and hooked my initial outdoor cord to the light and just the orange, non-outdoor to the bowl. I guess I thought the outdoor were ok, I do realize the orange one is not and have gotten another outdoor one.

How long does it take for the rubber bowls to freeze? I'd get a small one b/c my chickens are small and the silkies get wet heads.

 

[acman]

I water them daily. thats winter and summer. having more chickens means carrying more jugs not making more trips. i was giving advise based on how i keep my chickens watered without electric. maybe when i come up with a very safe design i may have a heated water container.

 

[wantedman66]

I water them daily. thats winter and summer. having more chickens means carrying more jugs not making more trips. i was giving advise based on how i keep my chickens watered without electric. maybe when i come up with a very safe design i may have a heated water container.

Sure that can be done with a small flock but it's not feasable with the amount I have,with two 3gallon waters it's not easy to lug back and fourth all day to keep them from freezing.

 

[stilltexx]

if you have one close to home go to pet store and get heated dog dish.works great

 

[aoxa]

Are outdoor cords deemed unsafe? I had one long one, until I needed to put the electric bowl out there, that's when I got the 3 prong outdoor cord and hooked my initial outdoor cord to the light and just the orange, non-outdoor to the bowl. I guess I thought the outdoor were ok, I do realize the orange one is not and have gotten another outdoor one.

How long does it take for the rubber bowls to freeze? I'd get a small one b/c my chickens are small and the silkies get wet heads.

If in the insulated coop, even at -18 yesterday it didn't freeze all the way through. Outside it can freeze within a few hours. It really depends on how cold it is, how deep the water is, and how often they are drinking. With my ducks and geese drinking really frequently, they keep a hole in the ice for them all to get a drink.

My silkies have a smaller one in a different coop and it was not completely frozen yesterday either.. just the top. I use a heated dog dish for their fermented feed, which is saturated in water. They really don't need a whole lot of extra water on top of that, so I can get away with it.

I have 30 outlets in the barn so I won't ever have to use an extension cord again. I know this isn't possible for everyone - so if you MUST use extension cords, get the contractor ones. They are made for high dust locations.

Sure that can be done with a small flock but it's not feasable with the amount I have,with two 3gallon waters it's not easy to lug back and fourth all day to keep them from freezing.

I have a WAY larger flock than you. I have 170 birds. I fill water twice a day. All it takes is one five gallon bucket of water to carry down from the house if you don't have running water, which I do.

Extension cords used to plug in any heat source is unsafe when left unsupervised. PERIOD.

If you must use extension cords, like acman said, 5 feet or less. Check them often for any little defects. Someone on my fire safety thread just told me they had a electrical fire from an extension cord!

I really hope people are listening to the advice of those who have had fires.

 

[Hokum Coco]

My chickens have been eating snow for years and are healthy. I live in Alberta, Canada where we just had some very cold weather, temps around -30 C. The chickens are doing fine just like all the wild birds, foxes, coyotes, deer, moose, rodents and numerous other wild animals who eat snow.

I must confess I done this a time or two when temperatures were in the -40º in New Brunswick Canada. Water would start to freeze over by the time I got out to the coop or loft. I shoveled in a few blocks of snow during the Arctic Vortex which is the new buzz word now for Canadian winter..

 

[aoxa]

I must confess I done this a time or two when temperatures were in the -40º in New Brunswick Canada. Water would start to freeze over by the time I got out to the coop or loft. I shoveled in a few blocks of snow during the Arctic Vortex which is the new buzz word now for Canadian winter..

Why confess?? Nothing wrong with that at all I have done it for the baby barn a couple times without any issue at all, and snow is the only water my rabbits get in the winter. This is their second winter with the same management, so I know it's not a bad way to do things!

I do feed them of course, but rabbits knock water over so easily I find. They drink from my chicken dishes in the summer.