Heated Waterers---the freezing factor

[wyododge]

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[jmc]

some use aquarium heater--fully submersible.

avail. at walmart for under 20.00

and since you don't use it 24/7 like you would in an aquarium, the fact that that it is working more in the cold weather shouldn't make it burn itself out right off the bat.

If you were to use an aquarium heater 24/7 in 5 degree weather and wind chill, it would probably burn out in a week!!

But who waters their chickens 24/7??

 

[wyododge]

Quote:
I do, but only cause I'm lazy... and its FREAKING COLD OUT THERE!!!

And as far as heaters are concerned, it is actually best to keep it on all the time. High loads followed by no loads are what stress heating elements and lead to premature failure. Nearly without exception, electrical devises run longer and more efficient with a balanced, constant work load. Which is why I chose not to use a fish tank heater, as the ones I saw kept the water to warm. I was not sure, but it seemed to me that a bucket, kept at +/- 50* in a -20* environment could have a pretty significant evaporation loss. Definitely less than a bucket at 35*.

 

[JackE]

I use a cookie tin heater powered by a 40W bulb. We can get temps here under 20F. The waterer is about 6 ft from the open front of the coop, and it keeps a galvanized 2.5 gal waterer ice free. Best thing, it didn't cost me $5 to build.
Jack

 

[BellevueOmlet]

I would recommend using a bucket heater designed for the outside. I use one that has a cord the chickens cannot chew on and is specifically designed for 5 gallon buckets.

 

[Cindy in PA]

The one I had for 17 years kept it completely unfrozen to 0 or less. Sometimes a ring of ice would form at the top where the water level was. My new one got ice on it every time the temp dipped below 15 degrees. It is nothing like the old one. Luckily we don't get below 15 too often.

 

[jmagill]

I use an aquarium heater in a bucket with nipples.. It is on all the time 24/7 because I am almost always below freezing. No burn out here. Using the same ones three winters in a row.

I also find that my chickens drink more water when it is warmer( in the winter). I think because it is less of a shock to their systems. I actually tested this last winter and found they drank more from the bucket with warmer water.

 

[goldnchocolate]

Quote:
This is what I use, also. It has a thermostat that turns the heater on when the temp reaches 50 degrees (I think). I've been using the same heater base, in their outside run, for almost 12 yrs and it's still going strong. Every couple of years I plug it into a new heavy duty extension cord because even though the waterer is under a roof, the extension cord is plugged into an outlet that is out of the chicken run. It has always kept the water 100% ice free. I probably bought it from McMurrays.

I have a half dozen hens that decided, a couple of years ago, to live in the barn stall. I don't want to put any type of heater in there so instead of frozen water I make sure their gallon sized plastic pan is filled with clean snow. When I go out in the morning the snow is mostly gone. Of course, this only works if you have snow to put in it...

They also have access to the other heated waterer, in the run, if they want to walk over there.

 

[Hawkeye95]

I use a cookie tin heater also! It was really so easy to make and it's been working great! We've been in the low 20's at night lately and everything else is freezing up. But their water is open and drinkable.

I just set their water on top of the cookie tin and leave it on.

 

[ChickInDelight]

I have 2 cookie tin heaters running under buckets too - but mine are not as fancy as Hawkeye's. I put 100 watt bulbs in mine. We have been pretty mild here in Virginia, so I have yet to really test.