No more freezing waterers this year

[mdbokc]

Here is how I set my heated bowl up for winters. Does not get tipped over or pooped in either.

 

[slightlyscrambled]

I made the cookie tin heater and its working great so far! We are -3' here this morning and there was just the tiniest little bit of ice starting around my water bowl. I dont use the big waterers though, just a rubbermaid lid from something that is about 2" deep and fits perfectly on my cookie tin.

 

[urbanolive]

Quote:
well I went and got one ! working great for the no freezing part but I still have to dump it daily. How could you go a week without changing it ??? Mine is up on 2 cinder blocks and still getting dirty. I wish we had thought to install a dump water drain when we built the coop, it would have been tremendously helpful.

 

[LynneP]

urbanolive- just take a bucket and dump the water in it, wipe the bowl and refill with a water jug. You can add a tiny bit of apple cider vinegar too, so when you wipe it, it is squeaky clean. I do this daily.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
well I went and got one ! working great for the no freezing part but I still have to dump it daily. How could you go a week without changing it ??? Mine is up on 2 cinder blocks and still getting dirty. I wish we had thought to install a dump water drain when we built the coop, it would have been tremendously helpful.

Mine goes for about 3-4 days before I dump it. They stir up dust/shavings when they dust bath in the litter, but they don't poop in it.
I just dump it outside the coop door, use a bit of fresh water to swish it out again, and then refill from a big plastic pitcher.

 

[New2Peeps]

I have had that same heated dog bowl for 2 years now and it is plenty of water for 3 or 4 days for my little flock of 7. I had it inside the run last year on a landscaping paver, but this year it is outside about 15 feet from the coops and it certainly encourages them to get outside. It has, however, frozen over one time this winter. The actual temperature outside was 1 degree but I imagine the windchill was a lot colder. It just had a thin layer of ice on top and was easy to knock off.

I also use a big plastic dog bowl as a regular waterer the rest of the year. They seem to like it much better than the chicken waterers and it sure is easier to keep clean.

 

[chookchick]

Quote:
That's interesting--I noticed that mine like to drink out of the bowl a LOT. I wasn't sure if it was just because it was a bit warmer, or if that big expanse of sparkling blue water made them thirsty.....

Urbanolive--get the bowl up as high as you can, to a point where they can just dip their heads in and drink out of it. Concrete pavers, an upside down saucer, whatever it takes.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
That's interesting--I noticed that mine like to drink out of the bowl a LOT. I wasn't sure if it was just because it was a bit warmer, or if that big expanse of sparkling blue water made them thirsty.....

Urbanolive--get the bowl up as high as you can, to a point where they can just dip their heads in and drink out of it. Concrete pavers, an upside down saucer, whatever it takes.

Mine prefer the dog's bucket, so now it's just the "everyone bucket"

It's a flat backed Fortiflex 8quart bucket. I said screw the "chicken faunt" thing coz they are hard to clean and there's the fill and flip over inconvenience....we just use the bucket now. Easy to dump, easy to wipe out, easy to fill, easy to carry. I hook it to the fence coz my rooster likes to tump smaller buckets, but honestly I don't know if he even could flip this one. It's the right height that they just stick their heads in, and they don't seem to roost on it either. I dump and refill it every couple of days in the summer, but in freezing weather I have been just adding hot water until I can bust it out, then topping it off with the hot. Like I said, it stays pretty clean.

 

[2txmedics]

OH GOSH, I WENT OUT AND MY WATERERS WERE ALL FROZEN IN ALL 4 COOPS!!!!! any ideas? very low on cash, out on work related injury and they stopped paying, am appealing this...so any ideas to keep water from freezing???

and I dont have elect. running out that way either as of yet....

 

[amazondoc]

Hey guys --

I'm also using the heated dog water bowls with great success.

I just wanted to add one suggestion. I had to run looooong extension cords to get power to the pens, and I'm paranoid about water plus electricity = electrocution or dog teeth + electricity = electrocution. So I also bought "ground fault circuit interrupt" (GFCI) outlets. These automatically cut the power when an electrocution-type accident occurs. You can buy GFCI outlets that either replace your regular outlet, or simply plug into your regular outlet. You can even buy ones that are incorporated into extension cords. I got mine at Lowes. They ARE a bit pricey (the cheapest I found was around $15), but the extra safety and peace of mind is worth it!