Heated waterer? How do you keep your water thawed?

[digbychris]

I've been using heat lamps, yesterday afternoon I noticed that both lamps burned out at the same time or on the same day. That's kind of weird, they weren't purchased at the same time or used the same amount of hours. After reading on here some horror stories and how other folks were nervous about using heat lamps, I thought I'd ask how you keep your water thawed in the winter?
I use pans for water, like old feed pans. I tried to get them to use nipples but they never took to them. I'd like this to be an "as cheap as possible yet still safe" scenario, meaning I'd rather not buy a small, heated $60 waterer. I have around 18 birds total. Do you think a small tank livestock element for each pan would be ok? The cords would drop down from the rafters, not lay on the ground. pic attached is what I had in mind, for reference
thanks for your input!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Heat lamps are dangerous. I use rubber pans and buckets which are smashed out daily and replaced with warm water. I do it twice a day. Otherwise you may want to try a heated dog water bucket or bowl or one of those heated bases you set a waterer on.

 

[Folly's place]

That heater looks unsafe to me for that dish. I use the heated bases under metal waterers. OldHens' system works great if you can get out there often enough, early in the morning, and later in the day. Doesn't work for me!
There are plastic heated waterers, but I don't like the one I have. It's emergency backup only here.
Mary

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I just change the frozen water out 2 times a day and replace it with warm water.

 

[Grey's]

First time this year I bought a heated bucket off of Amazon, love it, they always have water now and my girls love water. I sit it in an old tire and they can get up on the tire out of the snow, its great.

 

[R2elk]

They sell heated dog bowls, heated buckets, heated bases for waterers, bucket heaters, etc. I use the non electric way that has served me well for the past 30 years. I dig a hole and partially bury a bucket in a mass of fresh manure. It has been down into the single digits so far this winter and I have not yet had any frozen water. I do have a dirt (sand) floor in my coop which makes this possible. I have used this method outside in an unprotected area with equally good results.

Alternate method to prevent water freezing.

 

[tigger19687]

Heated dog bowl ontop of 2 cinder blocks.

YOURS IS DANGEROUS !!

 

[RonP]

All my winter worries resolved in my signature links below.

 

[tigger19687]

@RonP
I don't see any links.

maybe I don't have signatures turned on

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

@RonP
I don't see any links.

maybe I don't have signatures turned on

Those light blue words at the bottom of his posts are links.