Heated water???

[Leahwog]

Hi...newbie here. I have four ladies in a 4x5x6 coop and the weather has dropped below 32 degrees a few times in the last week or so. I bought a standard heated pet waterer and put a smaller plastic jar waterer down inside of it. My thought process was that they would quickly fill the pet waterer with the coop shavings. Problem is that the chickens don't seem to be drinking as much. I'm worried a bit. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[sparkles2307]

Quote:
We bought an actual heated chicken waterer....

 

[Fred's Hens]

I like the dog dish type, personally, but putting a plastic waterer inside of it did not work for me. I just set a small plastic bucket, like an old ice cream pail inside and it works like a charm. The birds love drinking out it. Two or three can gather round the ol' watering hole and make believe they're drinking out of a nice puddle or lake somewhere.

 

[justbugged]

I think it shouldn't be a problem with what you have. Chickens will drink what they need. They may just need to get accustom to the change in water temperature. They can be funny about even minor changes, but they will get over it.

 

[sparkles2307]

Fred's Hens :

I like the dog dish type, personally, but putting a plastic waterer inside of it did not work for me. I just set a small plastic bucket, like an old ice cream pail inside and it works like a charm. The birds love drinking out it. Two or three can gather round the ol' watering hole and make believe they're drinking out of a nice puddle or lake somewhere.

I used a heated bucket but it gets so cold here in MN that it would freeze solid even pluged in 24/7 so now I use heated fount waterers with a heat lamp off to the side.​

 

[Fred's Hens]

Nothing is fool proof when it is minus 30, trust me, I understand.

But the fact is this. I'm gonna be out in the coop a few times a day in that kind of weather anyhow. I'm going to be bringing a jug of warm water with me on every trip and refreshing the water, lifting off ice, if need be. Hydration is tough in those temps, and I take no chances. Besides, I have to gather the eggs before they freeze anyhow.