keeping water unfrozen in winter

[Cetawin]

I have two 250 watt red heat lamps over the waterers in the coop. It keeps the water from freezing and keeps the coop comfortable for the girls. My coop is split into two sections because of age groups. I just got my electric bill and it only went up 6.90 from the month previous. So the two heat lamps are not adding that much.

 

[mksenoj]

I as well have my two heat lamps on all the time as it's been very cold here all the time. I also added a water heater plate and my electric bill only went up 7.00

 

[Chicken of the Sea]

Where we live electric is expensive, 16 cents per kilowatthour (kwh). Two 250 watt lamps would = .5 kwh x 24hr x 30 days = $59.79 per month. Just out of thequestion for us. We use the galvanized heat base with galvanized founts.

 

[chick_newbie]

I am goning to get the heater base for the waterer here soon. We are just now starting to drop below freezing here so I will need it sooner than I thought.

 

[LynneP]

We invested in a 3 gal double-waled galvanized waterer and heater plate- haven't used it yet...

 

[patandchickens]

A heat lamp is the most expensive and inefficient means possible to heat your water. Heat RISES, remember, so you have to run a lot of wattage thru a lamp to keep your water warm, as compared to if the heat was being produced *under* the waterer.

Heat lamps are also one of the more frequent causes of barn fires. You might be surprised what accidents can occur to people who were sure nothing bad would ever happen. Heat lamps should probably only be used if there is really no alternative, and then, they should be hung by two separate suspensions, going to two separate points on the lamp and two separate attachment points on the coop ceiling, and make sure the heat lamp's guard is in place (it does not necessarily prevent fire if the lamp should fall onto bedding, but it gives you a little longer to find the fire while it's still just smoldering; also reduces incidence of chickens flying into heatlamp and burning selves etc)

There is a LOT to be said for a good heated waterer base. Other alternatives exist too (heated buckets or heated dogbowls, the 3 gal waterer with the built-in heater in its bottom, manually replacing the water as many times a day as required, etc).

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Sylvie]

Thank you to all who replied!

I have a 2 gallon galvanized metal vacuum style fount.
From the ideas supplied here I could go several ways on this.
I think I will either buy/build a heater for the existing fount or buy a heated plastic one. If I were to use the hanging heat bulb I would need to buy a new brooder lamp and bulb which costs $24. With an extra $10 I could have a new setup with 3 gallons.
We are regularly in the low 30's temps now and I need to act soon!

 

[mikefromnh]

I just got a heated water bucket that has a thermostat that turns on at 40 degrees or so and added a couple of poultry nipples to the bottom. My 17 week old birds made the switch from a typical fount easily.

Plus there is a lot less cleaning to do.

http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplie...01&langId=-1&division=FarmTek&productId=17662

 

[winniegirl]

mikefromnh

Could you describe how you attached the nipples??

thanks!!

(did I really just ask that...)

 

[jubylives]

Quote:
Yes. Yes you did.

As far as the heat lamps, mine are also the heat source in the coop so it is not there strictly for keeping wateres from freezing. Pat is right you need to use common sense when using heat lamps or bad things can happen.

jeremy