Official BYC Poll: Which type of waterers do you like best and why?

[MGG]

I use 3 gallon plastic buckets. The heater rings I use fit great inside. And they don't run out.

 

[Eelantha]

I use 3 gallon plastic buckets. The heater rings I use fit great inside. And they don't run out.

What kind of heater rings do you use? (Brand name? Pictures? Price?)
Do you use poultry nipples, cups or other means of access for your chickens to drink their water?

 

[MGG]

What kind of heater rings do you use? (Brand name? Pictures? Price?)
Do you use poultry nipples, cups or other means of access for your chickens to drink their water?

I use the Farm Innovators 250 watt heated ring. It's around $45 locally. I just set it in the bucket.
Nope, they just drink right out of the bucket. I've seen those nipples and cups get clogged way too many times. I like my good old fashioned buckets, lol.

 

[Eelantha]

I use the Farm Innovators 250 watt heated ring. It's around $45 locally. I just set it in the bucket.
Nope, they just drink right out of the bucket. I've seen those nipples and cups get clogged way too many times. I like my good old fashioned buckets, lol.

You mean the horizontal nipples actually froze up in your area? o.o

 

[aart]

To add to my original post way back when, lol - this was my cheapskate solution to using what I already have for the chickens for winter.... I like the cups for summer but no way they’ll stay thawed here for winter; they’ve been frozen for the past week already. This is literally a 25w thermostatically controlled dog bowl, with a 5 gal pail lid with a hole cut out... easy to fill, keeps most of the poo out; it’s on a block so they can all still reach it (mixed sizes of birds here) but not kick too much crap into it. and it’s away from the ducks so I don’t have to worry about those guys making a huge mess. This bowl was pretty awesome last year in the duck house; it just got too messy too quick with them playing in it constantly. But it was cheap (I think I paid $30 on amazon?) and reliable and easily repurposed for the chooks. there were a couple of really cold (like close to -50C with the wind chill kind of cold) nights last year and this sucker only had a bit of ice on the top.
View attachment 2389307

Brilliant cover for an open bowl!!

 

[BigFuzzball]

Would you mind posting a few pictures of them in the original state - before you modify them.... That way we - across the pond - "know what to look for." Sound reasonable?

Hi, sorry it's taken so long, visit to relatives plus school half term meant we haven't been in to take any pics until today.

 

[BigFuzzball]

That is a very neat idea. Even acknowledging the potential fire hazard, it's still a very simple solution. And from what I recall typical "retail" rice cookers are on the small side. Max of a gallon capacity?

Having seen 2 fires started/caused by those, (one in a shared flat, other a shared house) one by a 'cheap' model, one by a quite expensive one I definitely wouldn't leave one on or even with a live mains supply unsupervised anywhere...... they're for cooking rice in and that's it.
Sorry but my conscience wouldn't allow me to risk leaving one even just connected to the mains electricity alone with my chickens

 

[electrycmonk]

Hi, sorry it's taken so long, visit to relatives plus school half term meant we haven't been in to take any pics until today. View attachment 2389473View attachment 2389471View attachment 2389475View attachment 2389474

/Tangent question
Aviation history buff? Fan? Veteran?

 

[MGG]

You mean the horizontal nipples actually froze up in your area? o.o

I meant get clogged with dirt and such, but yes, they would certainly freeze here too. I've never personally tried them but our neighbor uses them. They have a heck of a time in the winter. It gets down to 30 below easy each winter. In fact, there's 9 and a half inches of snow on the ground here. My water rings have been plugged in for 2 weeks now. It's 12 degrees atm, and gets down around zero at night.
Edited to add, I took my avatar pic last week.

 

[aart]

I meant get clogged with dirt and such, but yes, they would certainly freeze here too. I've never personally tried them but our neighbor uses them. They have a heck of a time in the winter. It gets down to 30 below easy each winter. In fact, there's 9 and a half inches of snow on the ground here. My water rings have been plugged in for 2 weeks now. It's 12 degrees atm, and gets down around zero at night.
Edited to add, I took my avatar pic last week.

They need a heater, but work very well with one.