Winter Water for Javier?

[Farmgirl1878]

Okay, I'm just gonna come right out and say it - my bird's got big... wattles. Right now he's locked in the Cock House, otherwise known as "juvie." He has a nice, well-ventilated, cozy coop all to himself and a smallish run that he paces. All day. Every day. While peering intently at his ladies...

I have two questions: First, will he be warm enough by himself in his little 4' by 3' coop? And second, what do you guys do for water for your roos? His wattles are long enough that I'm concerned about frostbite if he drags them through the water...

 

[Grits&Eggs]

I use a watering cup system, I don't think that would cause a problem, it is a rain barrel watering system, feeding four cups attached to pvc pipe (that only fill when pecked), but -- it doesn't freeze often in Florida!
Handsome bird!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I use a watering cup system, I don't think that would cause a problem, it is a rain barrel watering system, feeding four cups attached to pvc pipe (that only fill when pecked), but -- it doesn't freeze often in Florida!
Handsome bird!

I like that too but what works in Florida doesn't work in an Ohio winter.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

I like that too but what works in Florida doesn't work in an Ohio winter.

True enough! We are in waaaaaaaay Southern Ohio, but we do have periods of freezing and below-freezing weather.

I have a flat panel heating plate brooder that I used with the chicks that I can put in his coop when it gets below freezing. Do you guys think he will need it since he's living the fancy free bachelor life with no ladies to warm his bed?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I don't think the heat plate will serve your purposes. I think you're looking for a means to keep water thawed that he can't dip his wattles in.
A heated water fount is your best bet or a bucket with a bird bath heater and horizontal nipples.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

I don't think the heat plate will serve your purposes. I think you're looking for a means to keep water thawed that he can't dip his wattles in.
A heated water fount is your best bet or a bucket with a bird bath heater and horizontal nipples.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. The heat plate is for in the coop. The waterer will be in the run. Two separate issues...

 

[NoFlyBackFarm]

Hmmmmm... I honestly don't know.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

I use a heated dog bowl in the winter. 2, in fact, for my flock.....I have never had a problem with my big wattled chickens.

If you are concerned about frostbite, coat his wattles and comb with Vaseline in extreme cold weather.

 

[aart]

I doubt he'll need a heater, I kept a rogue cockerel alone all winter and he was fine.

Ditto the heated vessel with horizontal nipples, will definitely reduce wattle wetting.
Tho I've found that they love to nosh on the snow banks, which wets and chills wattles.
Even the hens with small wattles get some mild frostbite from that activity. SMH.

 

[Firefoot]

If you do find that he gets cold, I had good luck this past winter with putting in bottles of hot water and also baking a large brick in my fireplace and putting it in the coop. I don't have power out there and at the time it was 4 birds in a shitty coop in below zero temps.

My Australorp roo that I had last winter had a huge comb and wattles and he had no problems with frostbite on his wattles. He did get frostbite on his comb once and I coated him in Neosporin so it didn't get infected. They drink out of regular vacuum water founts.