The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[sunflower4you]

Hey guys and girls. I'm new to natural chicken keeping. Just thought I'd stop by and talk and learn

Welcome to the thread! I'm new, too, and this is my favorite thread so far.

 

[sunflower4you]

Seriously.... I got out the dog bowls again with the little chick waterers on them and they are working like a charm.


Put grit into a heated dog bowl deep enough to to form a stable base and raise the waterer up to the rim level; put water in the grit to conduct heat. Place one of these 2 kinds of waterers on the bed of grit depending on which sizes you have.

Quart size heated bowl fits the canning jar sized water bases which cost about $2 and can be used with any regular mouth canning jar or a 5 lb honey jar which holds 1/2 gallon. This photo shows the 5 lb. honey jar (apx. 1/2 gal. water). (I used this size all last winter successfully with all age birds.)




The 5 quart larger dog bowl fits a 2 gallon waterer:
Photo by @hoosiercheetah

Hoosier Cheetah is trying this size this year and so far has kept thawed. Watching to see how it does in negative temps.

Maybe this is an obvious question, but why the heated dog bowls? Why not just a waterer with a heated base? This is what I have:

http://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/farm-innovators-3-gal-heated-plastic-poultry-fountain/0000000069031

 

[armorfirelady]

Maybe this is an obvious question, but why the heated dog bowls? Why not just a waterer with a heated base? This is what I have:

http://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/farm-innovators-3-gal-heated-plastic-poultry-fountain/0000000069031

I had looked at those but the reviews I saw on multiple websites said they had some problems so I went with the heated base.

I havent had problems with the heated dog bowls in the past. Plus I only have 8 hens.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Multi purpose and easier to clean as the water bowl never has to be unplugged. I was originally going to use the bowls a different way but found that I could use them with what I already had to keep the water from freezing. I have several of the screw-on water bases so when the jar needs to be refilled, I just carry a new one out, take off the old one and put on the new one. Done. The used jar is then in the house to be washed and ready to re-set whenever it needs to be switched.

I had read several reviews of the plug-in waterers not lasting long too. Not sure if that's the case, but it sure does make it easy for me not to have to unplug something and bring the whole apparatus inside to clean and refill and then take back out and re plug.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Welcome to the thread! I'm new, too, and this is my favorite thread so far.

That's because we're the prettiest.

 

[armorfirelady]

Not sure if that's the case, but it sure does make it easy for me not to have to unplug something and bring the whole apparatus inside to clean and refill and then take back out and re plug.

Thats why I thought the heated base would work great. I could pull the waterer out to refill it without having to unplug anything. Especially since its tight quarters where their food & water is

 

[ronott1]

Welcome to the thread! I'm new, too, and this is my favorite thread so far.

It is great to have you here!

That's because we're the prettiest.

Did you see my member profile? Two pictures of me there....

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: Of course he did. That's why he said it.

 

[sunflower4you]

That's because we're the prettiest.

Thanks for the laugh. Makes it sound like voting for homecoming queen.

 

[ronott1]

Thanks for the laugh. Makes it sound like voting for homecoming queen.

Here is the link to the interview. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/939208/byc-member-interview-ronott1#post_14395258

My Oldest daughter gave me heart failure while she was a Teenager.

She turned out fine though.