Water heater is heating to 105 F

[NetherLeeFarm]

Looking for advice on if this is okay for my chickens...

I've always used a 2-gallon heated poultry waterer in the winter that works fine, but I have to refill it about every couple of days. So this year I bought a nifty heated belt that goes around a 5-gallon bucket to keep the contents from freezing, and it maybe works a little too well because it keeps the water at around 105-degrees F.

This seems too warm to me and I'm concerned about bacteria growth at this temp (can chickens get Legionnaires' disease???) and also if the chickens will avoid water this warm and struggle with hydration. I can easily unplug it when our outdoor temps are above freezing, but when in use, the water temps will still hover around 105. Plus, we constantly swing in and out of freezing temps throughout the winter so even if water this temperature is okay, I'm trying to decide if this belt is even worth it.

Does 105 seem too warm to you all? I'd love to hear your experiences on heated water temps. I don't think the water in my 2 gallon gets close to 105 because it's not nearly as warm to the touch, but I can test it next time it's plugged in. According to the weather forecast, we'll be back into the 20s by Monday.

 

[azygous]

If you drink tea or coffee, it's normally 130-160F. So water at 105F is barely lukewarm. It's definitely not too warm for chickens to drink. If the water is in a covered container, bacteria shouldn't be an issue. If the water is in an open container, I would play safe and change it at least once a week.

 

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

My chickens have definitely eaten hot food scraps over 130°F enthusiastically. Their bodies run 102-109 degrees about, so 105 is definitely not too hot.
I would worry about bacteria growth because this temperature is the best for that, though.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How much are you spending on electricity to heat that water? I'd expect you to see a bump in your electric bill to maintain it at 105 F.

I don't know if 105 F is a risk or not to the chickens. It is a great temperature for bacterial growth. If you want to keep that belt, could you rig up a thermostat to turn it off at a certain low temperature (like 50 F) and turn back on as you get below 40 F?

 

[NetherLeeFarm]

How much are you spending on electricity to heat that water? I'd expect you to see a bump in your electric bill to maintain it at 105 F.

I don't know if 105 F is a risk or not to the chickens. It is a great temperature for bacterial growth. If you want to keep that belt, could you rig up a thermostat to turn it off at a certain low temperature (like 50 F) and turn back on as you get below 40 F?

Oomph I hadn't thought about the power bill. The wattage isn't listed so I have no idea about the electricity usage, but we have to heat water here regardless of the cost. We have days and weeks on end where it doesn't get above freezing.

A thermostat might work, but the strap already has an internal thermostat that maintains the water at a regular temp. I think that I might be the thing to shut it off and on at 40 degrees.

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

Oomph I hadn't thought about the power bill. The wattage isn't listed so I have no idea about the electricity usage, but we have to heat water here regardless of the cost. We have days and weeks on end where it doesn't get above freezing.

A thermostat might work, but the strap already has an internal thermostat that maintains the water at a regular temp. I think that I might be the thing to shut it off and on at 40 degrees.

I haven't used them, but there's an outlet (plug it into a regular outlet) called "thermo cube". One of them is supposed to turn on at 35f, off at 45f
From the reviews, seems they aren't all accurate. So that's a concern

I'm sure there are many options

 

[Debbie292d]

We have several thermo-cubes, and that's what I'd use for your situation. I usually go with the name-brand Thermo-Cube, but they went up, so I just ordered these. Four for less than one name brand, so we'll see. To get this deal though, it's taking two weeks to ship. Not sure what's the difference.

Also, we use RV water freshener in our 5-gallon nipple buckets. We got it at Walmart by the humidifiers. It doesn't take much but keeps the slime and teal colored floaties out of it. We're on a well so not sure what those are lol.

 

[K0k0shka]

Get a large heated pet bowl and you won't have to worry about temperature going up too high or bacteria buildup. It doesn't sound like the belt you're using has any kind of temperature control. You want something with a built in thermostat, so you're not wasting electricity or growing bacteria. The pet bowl's sensor doesn't let the water go above 34 degrees or so - so basically it doesn't let it freeze, but doesn't actively heat it up beyond that. That's all you need. Easy to use, easy to clean, it's perfect! I've been using a 1.5-gallon one for years, and never had a problem with it.

 

[NetherLeeFarm]

Get a large heated pet bowl and you won't have to worry about temperature going up too high or bacteria buildup. It doesn't sound like the belt you're using has any kind of temperature control. You want something with a built in thermostat, so you're not wasting electricity or growing bacteria. The pet bowl's sensor doesn't let the water go above 34 degrees or so - so basically it doesn't let it freeze, but doesn't actively heat it up beyond that. That's all you need. Easy to use, easy to clean, it's perfect! I've been using a 1.5-gallon one for years, and never had a problem with it.

Thanks for your comment, but I'm committed to nipple waterers. I've tried about every waterer out there through the years, and IMO nipple waterers are the best. thing. ever. I even train my brooder chicks on nipple waterers. Love love love them!

I'm pretty happy with my 2-gallon heated nipple waterer EXCEPT for the small size. The belt does have a temp control that keeps the water at a steady 105-degrees, but I'm just not happy with water that warm. You're totally right in that it's a waste of electricity and is perfect for growing bacteria. My 2-gallon one keeps the water at around 55-degrees, which is great.

I may try the thermo-cubes that the others recommend. Appreciate your input! Really glad that works for you but an open water container would drive me batty lol!

 

[NetherLeeFarm]

We have several thermo-cubes, and that's what I'd use for your situation. I usually go with the name-brand Thermo-Cube, but they went up, so I just ordered these. Four for less than one name brand, so we'll see. To get this deal though, it's taking two weeks to ship. Not sure what's the difference.

Also, we use RV water freshener in our 5-gallon nipple buckets. We got it at Walmart by the humidifiers. It doesn't take much but keeps the slime and teal colored floaties out of it. We're on a well so not sure what those are lol.

Thanks to you and @Not-so Slick Chicken for recommending Thermo-cubes. I haven't heard of it but will definitely look into it. It sounds like it may solve my problem.

I should have mentioned that I'm using this belt with a covered, 5-gallon nipple waterer (I just DIY those with food safe buckets), which is a bit different than an open container. Even though they're not insulated, the lid likely seals in some of the heat.

I tested my 2-gallon waterer and it keeps the water between 50-60 degrees F, and I'm much more comfortable with those temps. The added electrical usage and bacterial count of 105-degree chicken water seems concerning, if not downright unsafe.

Thanks for everyone's input! I'll see if I can adapt this belt to work more efficiently. If not, I'll keep using the 2 gallon heated waterer.