Heated Waterers

[Kinney's Urban Ranch]

Hi there!
We are starting our flock and are just picking up all of the finer points of the care for the girls. I have taken a few classes, etc. and so far the hens are doing really well. However, as it is beginning to get cold here in Colorado, I am thinking a lot about heated waterers. I'm finding it rather silly to buy a 50.00 heater base for my waterer, and I am wondering if anyone has ever used a regular heating pad for the water inside the coop.
Thanks.

 

[rungirl]

I think a heating pad might be a little dangerous. They aren't meant for outdoor use and I'd be afraid of burning the coop down. You can buy a heated dog water bowl at WalMart for about $15.

 

[gootziecat]

I made a homemade heater from a tin with its lid and 40W light bulb. I haven't used it yet. Do you think it would put out too much heat sitting a plastic waterer directly on the tin's top?

 

[gavinandallison]

heated dog bowl from Walmart, $15, thermacube from TSC $12, external extention cable and you are made.... this is my plan, power only comes on once temp drops to below 35 degrees!

 

[stretchc1]

I second the heated dog bowl suggestion above. I live in Connecticut and we had a pretty tough winter last year with lots of snow that stuck around for a long time. I put a heated dog bowl up on two cinder blocks laid flat and ran the cord alongside the coop and up through the roof of the run--all the way to the house. I don't have electricity in the coop itself. My 5 hens spent as much time as possible outside and had no trouble with the waterer. It was probably the equivalent of a cappuccino machine to them!!!

My defenses against the cold weather--besides the dog bowl--were hay bales stacked on the west side of the run to block wind (the house is on the north side and close enough to the run to redirect the worst of the cold wind. There is one part of the run where they could face south and be almost totally out of the wind. They seemed to appreciate that. I put a piece of plywood over the roost-end of the run so they could still rest outside, and I shoveled snow in the run when it got too deep. The hens didn't like to step out of the coop into snow, but once they were out, they didn't seem to mind the cold too much.

The other thing I tried hard to pay attention to was ventilation in the coop itself. I followed Patandchickens's advice about the need for air flow very carefully when I built the coop. My 5 hens came through their first winter with flying colors--and laid regularly the whole time!

Chickens are so awesome!

 

[True Grit]

I was talking to a guy today who had to look after the chickens when he was growing up. They had the metal double walled fountain like I do and wound heat tape around it. He said if it does short out it blows a little fuse. I think I will try that.

 

[Carrie Lynn]

cozywinters.com has heated dog bowls too. I purchased a large one and will put my 1 gal. waterer in it for my small backyard flock.
It has a protected cord, I like that.

 

[SassyKat6181]

This is what I just purchased at my feed store.

http://www.jefferslivestock.com/heated-plastic-poultry-fountain/camid/LIV/cp/5F-H4/cn/3503/

 

[cackler]

So far (this is my second Fall/Winter with chickens) I have gotten by with no heater. I'm in Kansas where we seem to experience all kinds of weather. I worried about the heated waterer going dry - so what I ended up doing is just pouring hot water in a feed pan and changing that twice a day. That got me by last year with my girls when temps were below freezing. I'm hopeful that'll work this year too.

 

[bigoakhunter]

Like gavinand allison and stretchc1 I use the heated dog bowl. It has a protected cord and is half the price or less of heated bases and chicken waterers. I live in Michigan and used them all last winter with no freeze ups!

Dave