For those of you who have a nipple-waterer setup: how do you deal with winters? Our winters get quite cold here in Minnesota and it is not uncommon to be below zero for several days in a row. It is also well below zero for months on end so we just can't plan on a thaw. We built a new coop and it is insulated. It is not wired. I want to build a gravity fed nipple-waterer, but I need to figure out how to keep it thawed in the winter. Any of you clever folks have a solution for this one?
Mine is "not wired" as well, but I bought two 100' extension cords that I'll run off of my shed. I also plan to use the nipple system but I think I might have to get the electric water heater system for the northern ohio winters
Someone else had stated using packing peanuts at the top of the waterer insulates the space and keeps the water from freezing....but I don't have first hand knowledge of that.
I toss a birdbath heater into the supply bucket for the cold season. Built like a tank. It cycles on and off according to the temperature. In winter, I use a supply bucket with nipples in the bottom. I don't use the tubing with nipples because I fear that the tubing will freeze so far from the supply bucket. Chris
