Water Buckets in Winter

[seaneduck]

This summer I bought some "chicken nipples" and attached them to a 5 gallon bucket to hold my ducks drinking water. They took to it immediately and all of them use it for drinking (and man do I LOVE that the water stays clean!)

They have a little garden pond for swimming also, so I mostly use this for their drinking water (though that doesn't stop them from drinking their bath water!)

My question is whether anyone has tried putting the chicken nipples on a heated water bucket in winter time. I wondered if the wiring for the heated buckets is in the bottom or the sides, and would therefore interfere with installing the nipples. Anybody tried this? In the past I have used a heated dog dish in the winter, but it gets so messy so quickly, even when I try to cover all but a head-sized opening to the water.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Kevin565]

1. Yes I've heard in the chicken section that people have used heated poultry nipple system.

2. Are you using the poultry nipples when you feed your ducks? Ducks really need to be able to clean their nostrils and dip their beaks in deep enough to help prevent choking.

 

[seaneduck]

Yeah, I planned on still using the heated dog dish for nostril cleaning purposes, just wanted a "clean water" option as well!