Show me your WINTER duck waterers!

[jesudduth]

This is Scooter's winter water, the bath tub. He gets a warm bath twice a day.

 

[Miss Lydia]

This is my heated bucket 5gal for my geese I have 2 gallon heated ones for ducks and chickens. Covered half way to keep the ducks from using as a private hot tub.

 

[Ratchnick]

western WA so it doesn't freeze too hard, here's what I've been using and plan to use year round:

-Float valve (~$10)
-10 gallon tub that the birds can reach easily and bathe in (~$10)
-Automatic water timer on the tub to drain it (~$20)

The key to this system is the water timer. I tried several times and couldn't get it working until I found a timer with two important features:

1. Must be able to operate frequently. Some only go every 6 or 12 hours. I have mine set to run every hour for 5 minutes. This keeps some movement in the hose and has kept it from freezing so far. It also keeps the water relatively clean.
2. -MOST IMPORTANT- The timer must function at low water pressure. Most timers need at least 15 psi to work, so they can't drain a tub unless its at the top of a big hill and the timer is at the bottom. The kind of timer you need is one meant for a rain barrel. They can operate at zero pressure. They aren't much more expensive but they are not the default so you need to seek them out.

Can you show a picture or link of the timer you use. Does it not take power?

 

[mosseater]

Can you show a picture or link of the timer you use. Does it not take power?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0746BKXZ6/?tag=backy-20

It takes batteries. I've had to clean it now once since my last post - too much sludge was clogging it up. Still very happy with the system.

 

[Ratchnick]

Thanks i have been planning a system like this!

 

[MimiDuckMomma]

Hi mosseater, I'm not understanding how the automatic water timer drains the tub. Do you have a pic of your system? It sounds like it would be great I'm just not getting how it drains the tub. Thanks a bunch!

 

[Tmarshall7]

western WA so it doesn't freeze too hard, here's what I've been using and plan to use year round:

-Float valve (~$10)
-10 gallon tub that the birds can reach easily and bathe in (~$10)
-Automatic water timer on the tub to drain it (~$20)

The key to this system is the water timer. I tried several times and couldn't get it working until I found a timer with two important features:

1. Must be able to operate frequently. Some only go every 6 or 12 hours. I have mine set to run every hour for 5 minutes. This keeps some movement in the hose and has kept it from freezing so far. It also keeps the water relatively clean.
2. -MOST IMPORTANT- The timer must function at low water pressure. Most timers need at least 15 psi to work, so they can't drain a tub unless its at the top of a big hill and the timer is at the bottom. The kind of timer you need is one meant for a rain barrel. They can operate at zero pressure. They aren't much more expensive but they are not the default so you need to seek them out.

Can you let us know the brand of the timer you found. I've tried multiple that are supposed to work at zero pressure and have no luck.

 

[mosseater]

Can you let us know the brand of the timer you found. I've tried multiple that are supposed to work at zero pressure and have no luck.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0746BKXZ6/?tag=backy-20

It worked for a few weeks and then it broke. I'm not really sure why. Usually I would have taken it apart and worked on it more but I was too busy for it. Most of last winter I was back to keeping a hammer by the water tub and breaking up the ice every morning. I still have faith that the system could work and I might even try the same timer again in hopes that it was a freak defect.

 

[ILoveDaffy]

Please check this thread out ASAP, she needs help!
Help!! Duckling has hard time breathing and weezes

 

[thepetprojectcanada]

That's a cool idea actually but the holes look big enough those tiny calls could still get in..

This is all I have come up with keeps my Muscovy's out but you'd need a wider board for your Calls.

Thank you for this. I've been trying to figure out what to do after getting a similar bucket but I put the board on with no stone and they knocked it off. One got in and couldn't get out. Luckily she was ok. I have another smaller unheated bucket that hadn't been an issue and I thought that it was too small for any of them to get in but sure enough one did today and was stuck in there totally I don't know how long. It's winter so it was quite cold. She seems ok but her back is raw. I don't know if it was from the other ducks or her trying to get out. They were all just sitting there with her. It was very sweet that they didn't leave her there alone. I'm sure it would have been a lot more traumatic. I may build a square wooden grid type thing to set over so that they can access the whole bucket with no chance of getting in but at least the weight of the stone will keep the wood on top. Maybe I can incorporate that as well by keeping the middle solid and putting the stone there. I haven't read anywhere about ducks doing this and getting stuck in the bucket.