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

[2468Chickensrgr8]

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

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

If possible, I always separate my ducks from my chickens in the winter, so the chickens don't get wet and sick from the mess. I use wood chips to help keep them dryer and just use a rubber pan, if you water them twice a day they get plenty of water before it freezes, I have always had good luck doing that in the winter. We have long harsh winters here in North Dakota
And they always come out no problem and I never use any heaters for the ducks. My lawyers lay through the winter so I use an under fount heater for that on a timer, run it all night from about 5pm to 10am then have it off the rest of the day, or yes it makes the water too hot and the chickens don't want to drink it. Chickens also love eating snow so I will throw a few snow chunks in there too for them. Not too much as if they don't eat it it will make them wet. Hope this helps!

I know this thread is old, but you have some good points. The only question I wonder about is that ducks need water when they eat their feed - so do you only feed twice a day as well in the winter?

 

[Flower84]

I know this thread is old, but you have some good points. The only question I wonder about is that ducks need water when they eat their feed - so do you only feed twice a day as well in the winter?

Yes they really do, but I have not had a problem with them eating. I assume that they may not eat much when there is not any liquid water around. But no I don't take the feed away. There is usually a half a pan of it in the water pan ice cube though when I give them new water!

 

[PeggiB]

I use a 20 quart heated bucket that I got at Tractor Supply. It cost about $36.00. I've used it for 4 years now, works great. I will be purchasing another one since my flock has increased.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I use heated bucket also.

 

[PeggiB]

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/search/heated bucket

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yep the blue one is the ones I use. I even place a piece of wood over half so they can't climb inside and use as their personal hot tub.

 

[Denninmi]

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.

 

[TurtleFeathers]

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!

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Quote:
Yes good point ...hm?