Ways of Heating Water?

[CityChicker]

Hey Everyone,

I am looking for some ideas on heating a large number of waterers. I am able to position my duck and chicken pens so that the feed and water sections are under a pretty securely covered area and I do have electric outlets there.

Has anyone used gutter heaters? I saw some at Lowe's and thought it might be an option. The other thing that might be a good option is an infrared heater of some sort, like one of the ones that are 3-5 feet long. I would position it (or them) above the waterers and use them only on the very cold days.

Has anyone tried either of these things before? Thanks!

 

[LynneP]

Be careful with infrared- don't want scorched poultry...I use electric dog bowls, but I have only a few hens. Some good threads below if you scroll...

 

[spottedtail]

Heated dog dishes work great.
You'd need to make a wire barrier around it so the hens can only get their heads into the bowl.

spot

 

[Snakeoil]

I use this,

or this for ducks,

 

[patandchickens]

A gutter heater or infrared heater are going to use A WHOLE BIG LOT more wattage, thus put a much larger dent in your monthly electric bill, than making individual heated bases. I think you'd most likely be better off that way.

Also, is it possible for adjacent pens to share a waterer through a hole in the dividing wall, which would mean you only need half as many heated waterer bases. I've done this successfully with adjacent chicken pens; you do need some arrangment for closing the hole when the waterer is removed for cleaning/filling, but as long as you remember to do that

it works fine for me.

GOod luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[CityChicker]

Thank you for all the input! I will check into a couple of options. My main concern with heated bases or bowls was the expense. Of course, it all depends on how many I would need after I sell off some more birds.

 

[Fanny]

Someone from BYC made a water heater out of an old cookie tin and a small lamp kit. If you search 'cookie tin water heater' you should find it. I'm going to try it this year - it's only a couple of dollars worth of materials, and you can choose what wattage of bulb you want to use.

The downside is that you have to be more careful than with a storebought one to make them firesafe.

 

[patandchickens]

Yup, there are cheap DIY versions using cookie tins or cinderblocks or similar materials that can be made about as safe as the commercial ones provided you use them with the same common sense and prudence as you'd use the commercial ones. So it needn't be much of an initial investment. And individual bases will almost certainly run you less total wattage, thus less total electric bill, than some single large thing like a cable or big lamp.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat