Plastic vs Galvanized Waterers

[Chickie'sMoma]

Quote:
i think the thread was something named 'cookie tin water heater'. my dh has it bookmarked for making me one.

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

Well I ended up buying a 2 gallon galvanized waterer by little giant. The gal at the feed store mentioned using the heater on the plastic was not a good idea and I was leaning toward the galvanized anyway. As to the galvanized rusting, I assume I'll get at least a couple of years out of it before it's a problem.
Can someone tell me how a 3 gallon plastic waterer can cost $ 35 ?

The 2 gallon galvanized was $15 cheaper.

 

[chickenlady08]

Wow! that is expensive!! I buy the 5 gallon waterers and I beleive they are under $40.

I don't understand why they charge so much more. I guess it is like trying to eat healthier they charge more. Kinda stinks that they get us at all ends doesn't it?

Good choice on galvanized, you should be happy with it even if they have to be replaced every few years.

 

[Ohhhdear]

My father in law offered me a couple older galvanized 3 gallon waterers (I think they're 3 or 5 gallon, they're huge) he has in his barn. They are OLD and mostly in good shape, not rusted out. They were used when he was growing up and his folks had 200 RIR cockerels they raised for 3 months for meat birds, that was before meaty hybrids were developed. He said all the old waterers needed was a leather flap valve replaced because the old leather had dried out.
Except for the fact I don't want to haul around a sloshing, heavy, galvanized waterer in a freezing Michigan winter for only 12 birds I'd take him up on it. The girls are only going through half their plastic gallon waterer a day now and it's been in the 90's.

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

I have both types in all sizes.

My main complaint with the 5 gallon plastic waterers is the lid. It can be extremely hard to remove and must be screwed on very tightly to keep the waterer from leaking.

I'm going to try a lubricant of some type on the seal. Maybe that will help.

My largest galvanized waterer is 8 gallons. it developed a hole at the top by the handle. A little plastic caulking fixed it right up.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
You and I are thinking about the same thing except I chucked the plastic waterer because it became too hard to screw/unscrew the top to keep the vacuum tight (I stuck a broom handle through the handle to get leverage). My galvanized, double walled ones last, on an average, of 8 - 10 years before they get too rusty to use. I can live with that.

 

[birdicus7]

When I was younger, (in the late 70's into the 80's) we raised chickens and homing pigeons. Our waters were cut off plastic 5 gallon buckets and you could buy a round wire frame that went over it and it had a pointed metal top. They froze every night but it was easy to flip it over and dump out the block of ice because the buckets had a small taper to them. I haven't seen them since. Later we had waterers that were 2 metal cylinders that slipped together and had a reservoir on the side for the water to come out into. These had a round double wall platform for them to sit on in winter. It was about 6" tall that took a light bulb in them to keep the water from freezing....haven't seen them anywhere either!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

It's a lot easier cleaning and refilling bowls or buckets than fussing with poultry waterers, that's for sure. I love the warm weather for the ease in watering the chickens. A quick swish with the scrub brush, a rinse and refill with the hose. Nice weather and no annoying carrying heavy water through knee deep snow. Just pull the hose over. Ahhh....

 

[birdicus7]

Did a quick search for the waterers and heater I was thinking of and here is one that is very close.

www.scottsdog.com/hoodwatfoun.html

 

[lilchick]

I use the 3 gallon plastic waterers and like them very much. Cost approx. 18.00 to 20.00 ea. The type that you flip over and fill and place the bottom back on. Then flip back over to carry.. To get thru the cold months I just empty and bring them into the basement each night and refill and carry out each a.m. Alot of work yes but if you have several to water this is cheaper than heated bases!

I have tried the little giant with screw on lid but they are hard to get the seal right. I ended up turning them on their side with the lid still on and fill thru the water hole.. Use a hose and it works pretty well. Just remove lid when you needed to clean insides...

And when the tray wears out I just use a shallow feed pan to set the waterer down in. This works great for the messy ducks cause it is deeper than the original tray and they cannot slop the water out!