Just Wondering....for a winter waterer has anyone tried.....

2468Chickensrgr8

Songster
12 Years
Nov 7, 2007
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Ontario
This will be my first winter with ducks and geese ....For my chickens I use a heated dog dish during the freezing cold months. My ducks and geese naturally love their water dish in their duck yard and enjoy making a slippery mucky stinky mess....I have been searching out solutions for a winter waterer that will help keep it dryer in the coop yard ....they usually free range during the day ....but I dont know what they'll do in the winter months ...
I was wondering if anyone has used a large plastic container ....I was thinking a blue barrel cut to size ...either making a lid for it or turning it upside down with holes made in the sides for the duck/geese being able to drink/clean their nostrils from a heated dog dish ...
What do you think?
any other ideas ?
Thanks in advance
2468
 
That sounds like it would work OK as long as the bowl keeps the trapped water underneath warm enough that it doesn't freeze to the outer container, making it impossible to clean.
 
I use those black rubber feed/water dishes for everyone - the small runs have 3 gallon size dishes, and the free range flock has a 6 1/2 gallon dish. I want to get one of the 15 gallon ones, but the feed store hasn't got any new ones in. Those things are tough as nails, and when water freezes in them, it pops right out like an ice cube. We had almost 4 feet of snow in the coops last winter, and those dishes worked perfectly!
 
Quote:
Yes I use the rubber containers to feed them they are tuff as nails and easy to clean ....
But I was looking for something that I could set up and leave for the day knowing they have drinking water during a cold day ......
 
There's a couple bucket element-style heaters you can buy, you just pop them in the bucket and plug them in. They keep the water thawed using your own bucket or bowls. There's also some under waterer cookie-tin type heaters, but I haven't had as much success with that style. Good luck!
 
Would that be along the same line as what we use in our horse troughs in the winter? What if they touch it with there beak/mouth?.....
I wonder ?
If I did use a big Blue plastic " rain" barrel and cut it down to size and then place a lid on top and holes in the side ...if i could place one of the water heaters in it ?....Make a notch so the electric cord is secure and the element is down at the bottom .....HM ?.....
 
What part of the country do you live in ?
Dont they make a slippery mess around their dog dish? I am worried about them freezing their feet in the icey water ...
I have 5 geese...two Embden and 3 production Toulouse
16 Muscovies
1 runner
relatively all the same age
 
I have used the aforementioned bucket element style heaters for my horses, to get the water warmed before making a mash for them. I have left them in the water too long and it actually got the water boiling hot. Be VERY careful with them for the ducks. I also know of an incident where they caused a barn fire in NJ years ago. The exterior gets very hot too, might burn a duck. That is if we are actually talking about he same thing.
We put our heated dog dish in a large rubber feed pan, it catches a lot of the water, but they still make an icy mess. I just live with it for the winter.
 

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