Heated Waterer DIY

[Ted Brown]

I had a Farm Innovators 2 gallon heated waterer that I paid about $70CDN for. Last week one of the birds flew into the electrical cord and dislodged it from the plug. Water froze and seized one of the horizontal nipple caused the plastic container to split vertically about one inch+. Unhappy me.

I looked around at the various options including the galvanized waterer pail with heated base (~$100CDN). While looking I found a water de-icer on sale at a local store for $35.87CDN (usually ~$67CDN or $50 US).

http://www.farminnovators.com/C-50P sell sheet.pdf

I will use this in a standard 5 gallon pail with lid (~$5 or free if you are good scrounger) and some horizontal nipples. Will mean a larger water capacity and easily, cheaply replaced if it happens to freeze again.

Nipples mean I can keep the water in the coop and not increase the humidity level.

Happy me!

 

[Tre3hugger]

I use that exact product with a 5 gallon bucket and horizontal nipples. It works great.

 

[aart]

BUMMER!

Cover the plug

 

[Ted Brown]

@aart it is one of those live and learn things.

The new waterer will be relocated to one side of the coop and off the end of the nest box. I will add a plug nearby and lower on the wall so that the six foot cord length plugs in with some slack, will also use a staple to secure the cord to the wall. The new location will also get the waterer out of the center of the coop and therefore out of the "flight path.

In retrospect I should have figured out thaat the ooriginal location was not the best but you will know about getting inside a chicken's mind...

 

[Dingleberry]

 

[aart]

Makes no logical sense.

 

[Dingleberry]

Salt lowers the freezing point of water. So, it will freeze lower than 32...so that means it stays liquid

Makes no logical sense.

longer. Water loses heat as it cools, so the freshwater from the outside is picking up the heat from the salty water inside--- from a chemistry teacher

 

[aart]

Salt lowers the freezing point of water. So, it will freeze lower than 32...so that means it stays liquid


longer. Water loses heat as it cools, so the freshwater from the outside is picking up the heat from the salty water inside--- from a chemistry teacher

Salt keeps the bottle water from freezing(well, will freeze but at a lower temp) but it doesn't create heat.

 

[Happy hen lover]

Salt thing didn't work for me. I have a heated 6 gallon jug with circulating pump attached to pvc loop with horizontal nipples mounted coop wall. Nipples leaked a little finally JJ Welded them and no problem now. I do store jug on storage side of coop and feed it through chicken wire separating wall it works like a dream.

 

[Folly's place]

What can help in occasional barely freezing weather won't do anything when it's actually cold!
We use metal waterers with the heater bases, and this year we have a heater base that works for a plastic waterer. At least two waterers in separate locations all winter, so if one fails, the other one will be fine.
It's more electricity, but still not as much as the 150 gallon horse water tank takes to heat! And one bill for a horse with colic because she hasn't been drinking enough covers the whole winter's water heaters.
Just sayin'; chickens are cheap to care for, try big critters!
Mary