Keeping water from freezing in -degree weather

[neetabeamie]

Hi! I have a 5 gallon bucket with nipples in the bottom with my chickens to drink out of. My question is how do I keep it from freezing in negative degree weather. I live in Idaho where the weather in the wintertime gets below -20.
I've heard that heat tape placed around my bucket might work or a aquarium heater. Does anyone have experience with using heat tape?

 

[HumbleHen207]

I provide my hens with a fluorescent light during the winter, they don't really need the extra heat unless they aren't a cold tolerant breed. Heat lamps don't have a long life, and tend to jack up the electric bill. As long as you have well ventilated housing your birds should be fine without extra heat. The only reason I provide any light is to keep them laying.

 

[Beer can]

I provide my hens with a fluorescent light during the winter, they don't really need the extra heat unless they aren't a cold tolerant breed. Heat lamps don't have a long life, and tend to jack up the electric bill. As long as you have well ventilated housing your birds should be fine without extra heat. The only reason I provide any light is to keep them laying. 

A fluorescent light will not keep their water from freezing. A 150 watt bulb will use .60 cents a day, half that if I use a timer. A heated water dish is 60watt. I won't be using much more electric than a heated bowl, and keep the chickens laying, earning their keep as well.

 

[MeepBeep]

So I bought an aquarium heater for my 5 gallon bucket, when I received it I noticed it had strict instructions that you can't plug it into anything but a wall outlet. There were also warnings about washing your hands after you used it because the chemicals could cause things like birth defects and things like that. So I didn't feel comfortable putting in my chicken water.
my question is, is there a type out there that doesn't have warnings like this? is there a battery-powered or a type where I can just plug it into an extenchion cord?

Those warnings are for liability, I doubt it has anything toxic on it or else it wouldn't be fish safe either (but pretty much everything is toxic according to California so every manufacture puts out liability paperwork) it can be run off and extension cord as well, again it's a liability thing, they don't want someone running it on 500 feet of extension and then suing when something goes wrong... There are drawbacks to fish heaters, they run a lot hotter, are usually made of glass, and they honestly don't always have a long service life, they fail regularly unless you spend a lot on them... If you are going to use a fish heater turn it all the way down, keep it from touching any plastic in your water dish using say a wire mesh holder, make sure to always have it covered and submerged in water aka never let the water bowl empty and get yourself what they call a 'Thermo Cube' at Menards or Home Depot and plug it into that, so that it only turns on when necessary... Personally I would recommend against the fish tank heater, dollar for dollar its penny wise and dollar silly over say a bird bath heater or already made heated bucket...

http://www.menards.com/main/plumbing/water-systems/deicers/thermo-cube-outlet/p-135290-c-8647.htm

 

[HumbleHen207]

A lot of those warnings refer to the cord I have discovered, not the element itself. Same deal for my heat lamps that I use for brooding chicks.

 

[NTBugtraq]

Does anyone use automatic watering solutions, and if so, how do you keep them from freezing...including the hose from the tap to the place the chickens get the water?

 

[LindaB220]

Ha!! Guess I'll skip the battery idea. I'm in NC and this will be my first winter here, so we'll see how cold it gets in the mountains. A friend in WI told me he tosses a hot rock into the water and that helps. I'm thinking of wrapping a bucket of water in insulation (like for a water heater) filling with warm water and a hot rock. Figure that'll do the trick. When I try this next year, we'll find out

Let us know how that works for you. Good luck

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Try putting a bird bath heater and circulating the water. <--- that's what I would like to do, haven't tested it yet

Not sure on the tape tho.

 

[HumbleHen207]

I live in Maine where -20 (or lower) is the norm in the height of winter, I have a large flock and have heated water successfully for many years. I use rubber bowls with a submersible heater (many are sold as bird bath heaters). Circulating the water is not necessary. I have found it to be the best solution as heating bases don't hold up or warm large amounts of water efficiently. I would steer away from the heating tape method.

 

[Beer can]

I kill two birds with one stone, Lol. Big plastic bowl with a heat lamp just above it. Use a regular flood lamp bulb, the more wattage the warmer. The light also keeps the hens laying all winter. I think I will use it on a timer this year to give the hens a short break.