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Wow!!! That sounds like a really good system. Got a million questions...
How many chickens does that provide water for over 40-50 days?
we have 26 large breed cold hardy, astrolorp, giants, wyandots, NH red
I assume you have a bucket heater in the nipple bucket then right?
yes a bird bath de-icer
Any problems during the low temps with water trying to freeze in the pipes or tubing going from the big tank to the nipple bucket?
the pump from the tank does not have a check valve so it drains. The hose is always running uphill, or down hill so the sytem drains when the pump turns off
I read somewhere on the forum that the nipples will sometimes develop a real fine coating of ice over them in the coldest of temperatures, but that the chickens just peck at the nipples for water, that the ice that forms easily breaks, and the water flows with no problem.
yes they will, but they thaw when 'tickled'
Do you have ice forming on the nipples, or do the nipples stay totally free of ice from the bucket heater?
no the nipples will have a little ball of ice at the end, when the chicken tickles it, it falls off
Dragging a hose every 40-50 days wouldn't be too much of an aggravation. How long does it take you to fill up the tank?
our well runs at about 5 gal/min, so about 30 minutes
What kind of heater is inside the tank, Size, Type?
750 watt, H&K or K&H I believe, they are either submersible or floating, I chose to have it sink. The element is enclosed in a cage so it is safe for all types of tanks. It has a little floating ring that unscrews if you want it to be submersible.
I assume you're using the submersible pump to keep the water circulating to further inhibit the water from freezing in the tank, and for pumping it out when need be?
we don't use it to circulate, that will cause heat loss, we just use the pump to pump water into the bucket. we turn it on/off with a standard light switch that powers a GFI outlet at the pump
Did it come standard with the heater and the submersible pump, or did you have to add them yourself?
we had the tank. They are white and have bungholes pre-installed (which we dont use everything comes out of the top of the tank) and a large lid. The H&K heater was the only one that would fit through the lid at the top.
I assume the spray tank you have is the same kind you can get from a place like
Tractor Supply for insecticides, fertilizer, etc..., correct?
yes
Yeah, upload the pics when you get a chance. Sounds like a really cool system!
Here are some pics...
This is the tank inside the 'cooler' as we call it. The grocery bag has potatoes in it. The extra space doubles as cold storage.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/108101_img_0009.jpg
This is the tank all buttoned up withe the fill hose in it and the pump hose going up to the ceiling. The foam boards are 2", we got them for $5 each at the lumber yard because they were 'damaged'.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/108101_img_0008.jpg
This is the water bucket, at the time of this picture, we did not have the bird bath de-icer installed yet. The chord runs right next to the garden hose. the dunce cap (appropriately named by my wife for its creator) keeps the chickens off the bucket, sheds feathers dust and poop so it does not get in the water. I made a little hook at the top to hang the dunce cap from the hook in the ceiling when filling the bucket or removing it to clean so it does not fall all over. They are made with wire fabric and wrapped in cellophane and clear tape to keep the cellophane from coming unravelled. They are really hard to wrap. Worse than a football. But they work very well and were essentially free. The one over the feeder is two small and is slated for rebuild.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/108101_85.jpg
Hope this helps ya out!!!
I guess I should start a whole new thread instead of hijacking this one... (SORRY)
Thanks so much for posting the photos, and for answering my long list of questions! Your system seems to be working really well in a very tough environment...
With regard to the dunce cap you said you need to replace, I saw where a guy on You Tube used automotive funnels as a plastic dunce cap on his waterers, and he raved how successful that idea had been for him. He was able to suspend the waterer from a hook in the ceiling. The chain was threaded through the nozzle of the funnel before he hung it from the ceiling. Gravity would hold the funnel in place on top of the waterer, discouraging the chickens from sitting on top of the waterers. He could just move the funnel up out of the way along the axis of the chain when he needed access to the waterer, and lock it up out of his way in place with a small dowel rod through one of the chain links further up the chain, one that fit through one of the chain links that was longer than the mouth of the funnel. You mentioned that you need to replace one of your dunce caps, so maybe a standard large funnel would work for you too. But, of course, it would not be free.
As far as hijacking a thread, I'm afraid I'm guilty of instigating that from the beginning...I also apologize to the original poster. But, this issue of freezing water supplies was what prompted his original post. Unfortunately, I could not offer him any experience to confirm his own theories.
Trying to find ways of supplying water without having to hassle with things on a daily basis in the painfully cold weather, and still providing acceptably clean, deiced water in the process, can be a challenge when temps drop down so low. Surely, any suggestions to fully automate this process so you don't have to hassle with it on a daily basis are relevant to the original poster's intent. Thanks again for sharing your experience!
