water not ice

[jeff buerck]

Hi everyone, im new to byc and this is my first year raising my girls, I have 6 and average 5 eggs per day, I've done a lot of research and am doing very well, I built my own coop and pen and reused old siding lumber,Windows, and some hardware from the families old coop that dates back to the 1920's anyway I wanted to share an idea I had, I haven't seen this before but I'm sure its been done, anyway I have a 5 gal bucket with 3 valve nipples for drinking, i tried several things to keep it from freezing and no luck, then I put my old 10 gal fish tank heater in it and problem solved, submersable and ez on the electric, cheap to buy and out of the way. Just wanted to share that, thank you.

 

[sourland]

Jeff, welcome to BYC. Fish tank heaters are definitely one way of assuring a water supply in the winter.

 

[jeff buerck]

Do a lot of people use them, I've done a lot of reading and talked to a lot of people, in all of the tips people gave me I have never heard any mention of them, but it works great for me.

 

[jmagill]

I have been using mine for 4 or 5 years now. Just search aquarium heater on here and you will get lots of posts. Every year we get a few people who say they will shatter or electrocute your chickens but I have had no problems.

 

[jeff buerck]

I have a big fish tank and its full of big crabby fish that hate the heater in their way, they up root it, and bang it around to the point that it stopx working, but never breaks, been dealing with the same problem for 20 or so years now and never a break or electricuting of the fish, so i'll keep doin it. Thanks.