Heated Waterer.... anyone using this product?

[M.sue]

After having 2 full spills the other day after I lugged it out to the coop completely filled

( it wasn't my morning) I decided it was much easier & faster just to fill 2 gallon jugs with water, haul those out to pen & refill. Much less frustrating.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I have it - I'm not that fond of it because you have to flip it over to refill. I like my hanging waterers that you open at the top. However with freezing temps I needed a solution so I purchased one at TSC. It's worked fine. Again my biggest beef is the flipping. Because I have mine outside in the run, flipping it leads to sand getting into it when I rest it on the ground to refill. I guess I'll need to put a block in there to rest it on instead. I plugged mine into an extension cord outside leading to a GFCI outdoor outlet.

Also be careful when you flip it or it will open and go all over the place! That happened to me the first time. I'm very careful now about flipping.

Oh and I take 2 gallon size milk jugs filled with warm water and Poultry Protector out there when I got to change the water - that way I don't have to lug it around.

The water hasn't frozen - but I don't see this as a long term solution. It seems too flimsy for long term. But I needed something quick and this is working so far.

 

[RoosterRanch]

After further review.

This thing is a pain in the bottom side for sure. I cannot understand why someone has not designed the obvious upgrades to a good idea, but we have what we have. Good idea really poor design

 

[petdr96]

I have the same waterer pictured in the original post. I have not had it through one of our Chicago winters...so dont know if it will really work OK. We get below zero, but not usually for a long stretch. It does say right on the package that it is not really designed for really cold weather like that...and it needs to be kept out of the wind. I have ours set up on the patio so its easy to carry inside to take apart to clean. It has gotten cold enough a couple times this year to freeze the water in the normal waterers we had left out. So far the water in this one did not freeze. I'll see how it does as it gets colder!

 

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

Quote:
Spend the money for this set up and your problems are over!
I got the 2 gal. size at Tractor Supply with the heater on the bottom.

 

[gale65]

Quote:
Spend the money for this set up and your problems are over!
I got the 2 gal. size at Tractor Supply with the heater on the bottom.

Have you had good luck with it? I've read (here) that the heater element doesn't last long on these.

 

[audioguy]

Now that we have had a few nights below freezing, I am happy to report that the water stayed liquid! This was the test of the system I designed using help from this forum. Using the nipples found on Ebay + all the supplies (PVC, hose bib, 15' hose, heated wire, insulated tape, wire ties) cost less than the 3 waterers I tired.

I was really tired of cleaning the tray out at least once a day. I was definitely worried they would not drink from the new system since they would now have to reach up to get the water. But after 30 minutes they walked up to it and tapped it and tasted water. I was relieved, and no more dipping and fouled water.

 

[CARS]

Do I need to say what I think of these heated founts??

 

[kelidei]

Quote:
I am in the northern Chicago area and I was using the same waterer... it did what it said... never froze even with subzero temps but as mentioned here it was a ROYAL pain to fill and clean. This year I am using plain old large sized heated dog water dishes... I am much happier... I fill them in the am and in the pm. They are outside as I didn't want open water in my coops... inside I still have my 5 gallon nipple buckets hanging... last year I had bird bath deicers in them but our water must be really hard because they corroded and made the water yucky...so this year I am not using them...worst case scenario the buckets freeze over night on the worst nights... I figure the birds don't drink much at night anyway

I do have insulation on the coop ceilings and I use the deep litter method and that generates a little heat as well as radiant panel heaters over all my roosts and this has so far managed to keep the indoor temp just above freezing.... but then we haven't had any really cold weather yet... and I am praying that the forecasters were wrong and this weather will last through spring.... I know I am a dreamer!!!

 

[kelidei]

Quote:
Yikes!!!