How warm is your cookie tin water heater? Looking for

[Em Ty]

I'm in Ontario, Canada and I've used a cookie tin heater the last two winters. I use it with a 5 gallon waterer and I found that I had to use two 75 watt bulbs in order to keep the water from freezing. Both winters were pretty cold and the water froze if one of the bulbs blew.

 

[eagrbeavr]

I just started using one this season. Works perfectly! I dont know what that actual temp is, but its not hot. In fact its barely warm. I use a 40 watt bulb. To be sure I wouldnt have to worry about it getting too hot, I bought a metal waterer. Theres just no way that bulb or tin will get too hot with all that metal and water to disperse heat too.

 

[eagrbeavr]

I should add its an incandescent bulb. and its plugged into a temp sensitive outlet. Turns on at 32 degrees

 

[eagrbeavr]

Jack your remark did come across snarky, and I'm not thin skinned at all. Just sayin

 

[aart]

Jack your remark did come across snarky, and I'm not thin skinned at all. Just sayin

Yeah, it was a bit snarky......hard not to do with the blanket statement he was replying to tho.

 

[Hholly]

I have my cookie tins in my coop (20 watt candelabra bulbs)with temps recently around -3 and water is good. And no frostbite either.

 

[lazy gardener]

When temps stay below 0*F for days and weeks at a time, there is no option other than putting the water in the coop. I know "they say" that the water should not be in the coop. In warmer climates that is an option. But up here... not so much. There are so very many things that "they say" regarding chicken keeping that make absolutely no sense to me. When it makes no sense, I work through it with trial and error. Thankfully, there is more than one way to keep chickens. I highly doubt that an open waterer in cold weather would evaporate more moisture into the air than that produced by any single chicken in a 24 hour period. They exude water vapor with every breath, not to mention their wet poops!

 

[Robeenop]

I worried the past two winters using a homemade heater for my waterers. This year I switched to btrite taps, using 2 gal thermos containers. Dump at night, and take in tepid water at 5am each morning. No water in my coop. I just received my 2016 Premier1 catalog, they have this awesome "new" heated waterer. I love the design. For 54.00 I think it worth my 30 chickens and 5 ducks..I am ordering! The standing homemade drew mice, they like the warm too. And mice chew cables. I don"t care how clean your coop/run is...mice will come.

 

[Robeenop]

Also, you definitelycould see the useage on my electric bill! The 25 to 40 watt bulbs blow quickly, and iI have changed everything to LED. Use after Christmas sales to by LED lights for my runs, Looks cute, lasts a long time aand the flock can spend time after dark in the run if they want, and put themselves to bed.

 

[eagrbeavr]

mechanics, thats the size tin I use and the base of the waterer happens to be the same diameter. Use an incandescent 40 watt bulb. Those are the bulbs with the heat. I found them at Home Depot. To put your mind at more at ease. Try it out somewhere where you can see it, with the water on top. Put it outside where you know its safe either overnight or after work til you go to bed. You'll see for yourself then how warm, or actually how barely warm it gets with the water sitting on it. I also happened to have a pizza stone I never use and I placed that underneath. I'm scared sh&tless of fire also. Mine is working just right. I also just added a seedling mat underneath the nest. I did a dry run with that on the deck, to see how warm it really got. Barely anything. I worked perfectly today. 3 eggs and all cool, not frozen

Good luck