Need advice on frostbite and nipple waterers.

[Lilion]

Need advice on frostbite and nipple waterers. How hard or easy is it to get the chickens to change to them? My poor new boy has frostbite. I think he had a tiny bit when we got him a few days ago, but it's gotten much worse. I've always used a heated dog bowl in winter, but my girls don't have big, dangling wattles.

Trying to decide if a simple heat pad beneath a "regular" waterer or a nipple waterer would be better? Leaning toward the nipple, because that'll keep his wattles drier, but worried they'll have difficulty figuring it out.

Also, what's the best thing to do to his comb and battles now? Tonight its getting down to about 5°, but we'll be 25° or more after that. Our coop is well ventilated and dry, but not heated. I really cant bring him into the house.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have always used the heated dog waterers in winter and had some frostbite on wattles of roosters. I would not trust him to learn nipple waterers suddenly, taking away the open waterers. I would wait until warm weather, where you can have both types of waterers so that all chickens can get used to them. He already has some frostbite, and it will result in smaller wattles in the future.

 

[CBDean]

I have a 5 gal bucket with a lid and nipples in my coop. (-7 today) I placed an aquarium heater in it attached to aThemocube outlet. Only had 1night when it started to ice up so I put a smaller 2nd heater in the buck and have not had any icing. Nipples stay open because of the heat from the water. I have the heaters laying on the bottom of the bucket.

 

[Lilion]

I have always used the heated dog waterers in winter and had some frostbite on wattles of roosters. I would not trust him to learn nipple waterers suddenly, taking away the open waterers. I would wait until warm weather, where you can have both types of waterers so that all chickens can get used to them. He already has some frostbite, and it will result in smaller wattles in the future.

Is there anything I can do for him right now? I had someone tell me to use a crock pot instead, so the water would be actually warm, but wet is wet, right?

I could go buy a different waterer, one like this...would he be less likely to get wet with it?

 

[CBDean]

My roo started getting some frostbite but it cleared up on its own. I will go out to the coop in a little bit and take a picture of my set up and sent it to you. In am located in NE Missouri about 35 miles west of Hannibal, MO

 

[Lilion]

My roo started getting some frostbite but it cleared up on its own. I will go out to the coop in a little bit and take a picture of my set up and sent it to you. In am located in NE Missouri about 35 miles west of Hannibal, MO

I'm about an hour north Springfield and an hour east of Kansas.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Is there anything I can do for him right now? I had someone tell me to use a crock pot instead, so the water would be actually warm, but wet is wet, right?

I would agree that wet is wet. What's warm initially will freeze once he steps away. I also can't get behind people that suggest using crockpots outdoors. It just seems like you're asking for an electrical fire.

How hard or easy is it to get the chickens to change to them?

I've found it's chicken dependent. Some take immediately, others struggle. There's no harm in picking one up and seeing how the flock responds (keeping their usual water source as well). Premier 1 makes a very nice heated nipple waterer.

 

[CBDean]

Here is some pictures of the set up I was discussing in my post early.. Heater keep water warm and in return water keeps nipples open.

 

[debid]

I switched my parents' flock when they were unexpectedly away with freezing weather coming. I installed it and took the galvanized drinker out. I did the rest of the stuff around the house that needed done, probably took an hour or two. Went back out and saw a couple of them tapping. I decided they were good and I left, that's how confident I am in the concept. Did I kill the chickens that they'd insisted couldn't use these because they'd tried to switch before? No, of course not. The barrier was their confidence, not the chickens' abilities.

I will say that I have only used the kind that hangs vertically, simple for them and inexpensive for me. So, I am speaking only of those.

I use a 250W de-icer to heat the water. Protected from wind, it keeps the nipple thawed at least as cold as it gets here (down to zero).

I start my chicks on a nipple drinker as well. Never saw a chick struggle with it.

BTW, in case you were unaware... Chickens see a wider light spectrum than we do. To a chicken, water shines brightly. They will have NO trouble finding it.