What is the best heated water bowl?

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black_cat

♥♥Lover of Leghorns♥♥
May 21, 2020
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It is cooling down and I am starting to look at options to use to water my chickens in the winter without freezing. I need one that is pretty deep and also heavy enough that they can't knock it over. Battery operated would be great but I can run extension cords.
 
We use a heated dog bowl as well. The biggest issue I can attest to it is that feces and dirt get in it because they will try to perch on it to get a drink. The water stays clean for about 2 days and then we have to change it out.

Two days? I grew up dumping & refilling chicken water every morning and evening, whether it needed it or not--that's just the way my family cared for animals. The idea of going two days without dumping it seems strange to me!
 
Two days? I grew up dumping & refilling chicken water every morning and evening, whether it needed it or not--that's just the way my family cared for animals. The idea of going two days without dumping it seems strange to me!
It really depends on if it gets dirty or not. If I notice anything in the bowl other than water I dump it and wash it. Just my observation. Honestly I would like to switch to something that doesnt need cleaning as frequently like a gravity fed waterer but Ive seen horrible reviews. I'd like to make my own if anyone has plans posted for one
 
We use a heated dog bowl as well. The biggest issue I can attest to it is that feces and dirt get in it because they will try to perch on it to get a drink. The water stays clean for about 2 days and then we have to change it out. We bought one at tractor supply several years ago. Get the warranty if you go that route. We had a particularly harsh winter with a couple of days dipping the -20 degree range. It was too much for it and it shorted out. Took it back with the warranty and got a brand new one. No problems for the rest of the year or the following winter. The warranty is still good too.
 
We ran an outdoor electric line in conduit out to the coop, and set up outlets with GFIs. Then, a few years ago, we had a licensed electrician get everything up to code out there, with more outlets, all lines in conduit, and a buried line to the coop. We love it, our farm insurance company loves it, and it's as safe as it can be done.
Mary
 
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Ooh, that's a good idea! Do you think I could use it in a gravity fed waterer?

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Yes that is what i used to have the only thing you can't use it in is medal it will boil the water literally we did an experiment when we first got them and put one in a medal dish and one in plastic the medal dish heated up to boiling point with bubbles plastic it was fine
 
The only parts of that paragraph that I understand are 'outlets' and 'licensed electrician'. Yeah....I don't think that my parents are paying anyone to make our chicken coop electric. I wish!
GFIs are Ground Fault Indicator outlets. By building code you are required to have them within so many feet of a water source. If you walk in your bathroom you will probably see them by your sink. Theyre the plug in outlets with little buttons. Essentially what they do it that if there is a short circuit for whatever reason they shut off power to that outlet instead of tripping the house breaker. You ever bern running the hair dryer and it just stops working? You hit that little reset button and it works. Otherwise you'd have no power in your bathroom and have to go find the breaker box and flip the switch.

Hope that makes sense. My fiancee is an electrician :thumbsup
 

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