Heated water dish (or other methods) reviews wanted!

[PirateGirl]

It's almost winter. I was reminded this morning of this fact when I went out to the coop to take care of the girls and their water had frozen over night for the first time. For now I know if I bring the water in at night and give them fresh in the morning they will be fine through the day, but the warmer days won't last long. I figured now is a good time to spark the discussion of fresh water in winter and how to keep it thawed.

What method or product do you use? (provide a web link to product page if possible)
Pros: What do you like about it? Why does it work for you?
Cons: What don't you like? Features that are lacking that you wish you had?
How many seasons has this heater lasted?
Do you have an alternative technique that does not require a power source?
Do you use an economical alternative power source? i.e. small solar panel
What is the size of your flock? (I'm throwing this in because what works for someone with 6 chickens might not be practical for someone with 60 chickens and vice versa)
Do you put the water in the coop or the run?
Average day/night temps/geographical location/any other pertinent weather info??

Thank you all in advance for your insight!

 

[R2elk]

The heated dog bowls do work and I even use heated 5 gallon buckets. I have created an article on my Alternate method to prevent freezing. This method does not require electricity and in the coldest weather I normally get (-20° to -30°F) it only requires removing the ice from the bucket once a day. This method is based on the principles of a hot bed that gardeners use.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I've never had my bowls tip. I do raise them up onto broad, flat, board stacks to keep the bedding out, which really helps. (Could be anything...raised bricks, pavers, whatever is flat and stable and above bedding level).

As to wattles, that may be an issue. I don't get long, hard, cold winters, so I can't speak to that.

I tried a nipple water system, but I had a horrible time with those freezing, so I went back to my dog bowls.

LofMc

 

[BantyChooks]

I use a high tech method called "smashing ice several times daily".

I like R2elk's idea, especially for those of us that have a hard time running electricity to the coop safely.

 

[Laurel Meadows]

We also use the large heated dog bowls for our LF breeds and home made cookie tin heaters for the bantams (we have small tins for chicks and larger tins to set the gallon waterers on with a 40 watt appliance bulb in each.) Since we have 8 coops and a free range group too its been a big help to run everything on Thermocubes. I highly recommend these no matter what heat source you're using! They save wear on the bowls' heating elements and make the bulbs in the tins last longer. Any help on the electric bill is a good thing too!

 

[Laurel Meadows]

In addition to an increased risk of tipping over and getting filled with bedding material, it's more likely the wattles will get wet when the chickens drink and then freeze during really cold temperatures.

In MA my chickens never had a problem with their waddles in the winter, it's was their combs that occasionally got a touch of frostbite, and just the very tips which would heal over come spring.

X2 Impatient's comment. Here in Ohio we see frequent sub-freezing temps throughout the winter days and teens and single digits at night- sometimes much colder. I've never had frozen wattles due to waterers or the heated pet bowls. What we have to watch here are the "warmer" days with rain/ drizzle when the birds go out of the coop and get wet and then those combs and wattles freeze at night when the temps drop below freezing.

 

[sharkerbaby]

I like the horizontal nipple water so I got this heated version which has a temperature sensor so goes on and off dependent on the ambient temperature.

https://www.amazon.com/Premier-Heat...kmr0&keywords=heated+chicken+waterer+2+gallon

I also ferment my feed so also got a heated dog bowl for that purpose. It also has a temp sensor and has a wider base so even when my girls stand on the edge it does NOT tip.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y8GQ56/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y8GQ56/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y8GQ56/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
both work quite nicely for me

 

[PirateGirl]

What part of the country are you in PirateGirl? I'm in WY and we got several inches of snow last night. Took my girls a few hours before they worked up the nerve to come out of their coop, lol.

I'm in Colorado, your storm just blew in from the north this morning! 60 degrees yesterday and in the teens this morning! We have had a few inches of snow a few times so far, but this is the first we've had the cold with it. The last few times we got snow it melted out by afternoon mostly. I don't think that will be the case today.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Has anyone used a heated dog bowl? I've noticed at Murdoch's they are considerably cheaper. I'm wondering about potential drawbacks to this...

Yes. I do, and they work wonderfully well even during awful cold snaps. (I get mostly rain in Oregon where I live, but each winter we usually get 2 or 3 weeks of horrible cold, below freezing, sub freezing weather).

I bought 2 cheaply off of Amazon (one for the first winter, then bought another the second winter because I liked the first so much. They have lasted years.)

I got these.
https://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovat...id=1505772245&sr=8-1&keywords=heated+dog+bowl

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I suppose with the dog bowl if a chicken stands on the lip it may flip the whole thing. Just a thought. Also the volume is less so if you have a large flock it might not be enough water.

I've never had one flip. I've had birds (smaller pullets) roost on a filled bucket without flipping (however I have had younger chicks drown in them...so beware).

I keep 2 for my flock of 15 to make sure everyone has access. They are easy to set up. Shut off at the correct temp. Only come on when they need to. Easy to kick over and then fill. I love them.

LofMc