Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[1muttsfan]

If you put sand in your heated dog bowl you can set a waterer on top of the sand, you may have to put an insulating sleeve over the top part if it is really cold out. I used a plastic waterer. Used to have a picture of that setup on here, but can't seem to find it, but it worked great in my small coop.

 

[robyn8]

Do you have a thermometer in water?
Are your negative temps with windchill?
Is waterer outside or inside?
Is bucket insulated?

No thermometer in water, negative temps are without windchill. No insulation, bucket in run which has a thick tarp on all but one side.

 

[aart]

No thermometer in water, negative temps are without windchill. No insulation, bucket in run which has a thick tarp on all but one side.

Insulation would help, not sure if being outside makes a diff.
Mines inside coop but it's about as cold out and in.
My water stays at 68F, has been good down to -12F.
Was the water in bucket frozen or just the nipple pin?
Do the nipples hold water in the lip?

 

[robyn8]

If you put sand in your heated dog bowl you can set a waterer on top of the sand, you may have to put an insulating sleeve over the top part if it is really cold out. I used a plastic waterer. Used to have a picture of that setup on here, but can't seem to find it, but it worked great in my small coop.

I used to put my bucket in a heater and for super cold nights I'd bring it in the house to keep the nipples from freezing. The chickens kept the nipples from freezing by pecking them regularly as long as they weren't frozen solid from over night. So you say I can fill the bowl with sand and then the heat will travel they the sand and heat the bucket enough? I like this idea cause then I can bring the bucket on at night like I used to. Is this the set up you still use?

 

[robyn8]

Insulation would help, not sure if being outside makes a diff.
Mines inside coop but it's about as cold out and in.
My water stays at 68F, has been good down to -12F.
Was the water in bucket frozen or just the nipple pin?
Do the nipples hold water in the lip?

The bucket was totally thawed and not icy at all. The heater days it heats to 78 and I'd guess the water was close to that based on how it felt with my hand in there. The nipples were just frozen. I think they just got too cold with them not using them. The problem is probably just that my chickens are whimpy and don't like to leave the coop till late am on really cold days so it sits there unused.

 

[1muttsfan]

Actually I used a regular waterer, not a bucket with nipples. Something like this:

I made a sleeve with that foil/bubble wrap insulating that fit over the top part.
It was easy to fill, did not freeze, and I did not have to worry about frozen wattles.

 

[1muttsfan]

In my main coop I use a heated base with galvanized waters, and would not trade it for anything.

 

[robyn8]

So is the regular upside down bucket less of a concern with frozen wattles than the dog dish?

 

[bigmrg74]

Actually I used a regular waterer, not a bucket with nipples. Something like this:
View attachment 1220759
I made a sleeve with that foil/bubble wrap insulating that fit over the top part.
It was easy to fill, did not freeze, and I did not have to worry about frozen wattles.

That's about what I have in my coop. slightly different model, but the same concept.

So is the regular upside down bucket less of a concern with frozen wattles than the dog dish?

Hasn't been an issue for my girls. What I did with mine because some of them had a habit of kicking straw up into the waterer that I eventually built a table out of a pallet to put in my coop and sat it up there. I just have it on an upside down hog pan so that when they get up there they're not angling down quite as much, think it makes it a little easier on them to drink without dunking their wattles into the water.

 

[bigmrg74]

@bigmrg74 Metal roof on my very old barn. The last owners put shingles on it and they blow off in the yard. It is a very old barn that needs other foundation work too.

Congrats to you and Amy When is the date?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Michigan Thread!!!!

No dates set as of yet, gotta look at venues and whatnot first. But as for dates, she's kinda leaning towards May 4, 2019. I would have thought that she might have wanted to get it done a little sooner than that.