Suggestions on keeping our water from freezing...update

[BayCityBabe]

newchickmom: How did you construct your heated base?

 

[digitS']

I'm thinking of getting a heated dog bowl, filling it with sand, and putting the waterer on top of that.

Does that sound like it might work?

In the insulated part of the coop, it usually doesn't freeze the birds' water unless the outdoor temp falls to nearly 10 degrees. Each year, there are 3 or 4 weeks where I need to pay really close attention to their water.

Steve

 

[mksenoj]

I purchased a water base heater at Tractor Supply Company and it works great. It's $46.99

 

[mjdtexan]

I cant remember the last time I saw water freeze around here.

 

[jbanducci1]

I also am using a heat lamp (the red bulb) over my waterer to keep it from freezing. Can I use this as my light source for encouraging egg production in the winter? Is this too much light? Or is the red color not helpful?

My second question...My hens are only 4 months old so when do I start giving them oyster shells and change them to a diet for laying hens?
Thank you.
New chick owner!

 

[ChickaD]

 

[Jayare's Chicks]

Jband welcome to the BYC.
Your chickens should start laying any day now. You can use the rest of your starter feed then switch to layer feed when the chick starter runs out. OR if you have other little chicks you could save the starter for them and switch to the layer feed now for your 4 month olds.

I used a red heat lamp in my coop last winter to keep my water from freezing and it worked just fine. Granted our winters down here in Alabama are not as cold and harsh as yours up north but you could try it and it's probably one of the cheeper routes to go to keep the water from freezing.
Good luck.

Jayare

 

[newchickmom]

I used a cookie tin with the lid. cut a hole in the side for cord, put a stick-on heat resistant liner inside, used a lamp repair kit for the bulb fixture inside, and put a 25W bulb in it.
Somewhere on here is where I got the instructions with pics and all.

It works great!

I tried the heat light over the waterer and the chickens got singed.

 

[ChickaD]

What a super cool idea...and it sounds like our kind of price range! I hadn't heard of that kind of stick-on heat-resistant liner...is it hard to find?

 

[lucky cluckers]

Quote:
I bought this base heater too; however; it is labeled to get "very hot to the touch" and is so much larger than the fount I'm afraid the chickens will contact it and get burned. Anyone have any ideas for making it safe so I can use it to thaw my frozen waterer? thanks much for any thoughts!!