Homemade duck waterer ideas?

[DuckyDonna]

Thank you for letting me know! I could always ask my mom if we can use the laundry detergent buckets we currently have after they're used up. I think they're fairly big and sturdy. I agree: where I am, we've gotten maybe 3 days where it got down into the 40s this winter? It was cold enough for a little frost on the roofs the last two days, but now it's back up into the fifties this morning.

I use 5 of those buckets for my 11 ducks. I've got them scattered all over their run. They are deep enough for them to stick their whole heads and necks in too. I always clean and refill them at night so if I know there will be a hard freeze I just put the covers on them and put them between my 2 pens which are under a tin roof. That helps a lot to keep the ice from forming.

Not the best picture but my water bucket is against the post. I put the blocks of wood there so they can reach better.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

@aart why don't you want ducks?

I was actually asking @WannaBeHillBilly if he set this up for winter watering. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/almost-self-cleaning-duck-waterer.75269/

I use heated bucket in winter but am always interested in other way to take care of watering.

@Miss Lydia - I have installed a 12' pipe heating cable, wrapped around the faucet, the rubber hose and submerged the end in the water. - However i am hesitant to show this on BYC as the heating-cable is not certified as fully submersible. I tested it for weeks in a bucket of water and it holds up, but if somebody else buys the same device and it electrocutes their ducks after some weeks i may have a problem…
Look up for aquarium heaters! Those are considered fully submersible, but my experience is that even those must be replaced after 2-3 years because the plastic/rubber/silicone parts become brittle.

 

[Skye'sDucks]

I use 5 of those buckets for my 11 ducks. I've got them scattered all over their run. They are deep enough for them to stick their whole heads and necks in too. I always clean and refill them at night so if I know there will be a hard freeze I just put the covers on them and put them between my 2 pens which are under a tin roof. That helps a lot to keep the ice from forming.

Not the best picture but my water bucket is against the post. I put the blocks of wood there so they can reach better. View attachment 1997215

Thanks for the pic!

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Miss Lydia - I have installed a 12' pipe heating cable, wrapped around the faucet, the rubber hose and submerged the end in the water. - However i am hesitant to show this on BYC as the heating-cable is not certified as fully submersible. I tested it for weeks in a bucket of water and it holds up, but if somebody else buys the same device and it electrocutes their ducks after some weeks i may have a problem…
Look up for aquarium heaters! Those are considered fully submersible, but my experience is that even those must be replaced after 2-3 years because the plastic/rubber/silicone parts become brittle.

That’s fine I will continue to use my heated buckets till they stop working

 

[Duckfarmer1]

View attachment 1996921 View attachment 1996922 here is my winter water solution. I use a bird bath heater in the bottom of that cement mixing tub. It still needs changed frequently but at least they can't splash the water out and get as much poo in it. This works good for the call ducks since they are short. I do the same thing for the Cayuga ducks only for them I just put a couple boards over it with bricks to hold them in place.

My solution is very similar..I just put the wood the other way, just so they can dip more? We do also have GP heat tape in one watered against the wall...but those darn ducks ruined it twice! They beak it!! Yep..they bite on it..but somehow don’t get hurt...and it shorts it out. The barn is hardwired to blow ...oh, I also put a bottle with a 1/4 cup of salt to float in the water. Apparently salt water freezes slower...but my friend on BYH explained the physics...something about the oxygen in the bottle, compared to the waters oxygen....and the salt does help the water around it from freezing. Mostly, what I’ve found...it moves in their water...so it doesn’t have as much tim3 to freeze. It does work pretty well. It is very cold up here...and my water tubs have never frozen completely solid. They are in a barn...but..try it, see if you like it. I put duct tape around the cap of the bottle.

the breaker if something happens, so everything just shuts off before they can get hurt...hubby used to be contractor..he knows this stuff..anyways...so, it’s in there for a third time...but even when they nibble again...they won’t get hurt...it get blows the breaker. Dummies!

 

[Duckfarmer1]

That’s fine I will continue to use my heated buckets till they stop working

So, @WannaBeHillBilly , you’re probably just using heat tape then? Just watch out for when they nibble it and make sure it blows the breaker....we love our heat tape! The only other animal that destroyed it was our feeder pig..didn’t last a day...

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

So, @WannaBeHillBilly , you’re probably just using heat tape then? Just watch out for when they nibble it and make sure it blows the breaker....we love our heat tape! The only other animal that destroyed it was our feeder pig..didn’t last a day...

I need to make some pictures of my "invention" today, have to clean the whole duck house anyways. So many people are asking about it! - But beware: If you copy my "solution" you're on your own. The pipe-heating cable i am using is not certified to be submerged, only for outdoor use. - Not sure what the difference is, because it has to be water-tight for outdoor use. Important is: Use only devices with a three prong plug! Only those will trigger the "faulty earth switch" when they are damaged.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

OK, that thing is called am "Earth leakage circuit breaker" or in more modern installations you will have what is called a "residual current circuit breaker". Make sure that your electricity installation is equipped with such a safety device before you try what i did.
I added a section to my article »(Almost) Self Cleaning Duck Waterer« with the instructions how i attached the pipe-heating-cable.
Unfortunately the link will drop you at the start of the article, there's no way to create a link into an article (yet?). Just click on the link, then press CTRL-F and let your browser search for "Update". That should scroll you straight to the update-section.
Here is the Link: (Almost) Self Cleaning Duck Waterer