Winter water?

[maryinma]

I'm in Southeastern MA and my chicks are 6 months now. I love watching people on youtube find ways to problem solve. These are 4 great ideas that I've seen and think are easy enough for us. I am going with Penny, though she doesnt have a heat source involved, I think the 3rd video may be worked into the galvanized igloo container - just bought one cheap on ebay today. Just hope it keeps the water ice free without the circulating pipe system he has going on (would anyone know if it's really needed? I'm figuring with 24 laying hens the water should be moving frequently enough -?). I've wanted a cleaner, system too. The 5 gal Little Giant we're using has an unpredictable seal - though I've bought 2 new seals for it since June. I fill it most often through the spigot resevoir when my DH is not around. I can't say how many times I've shoveled out sopping wet shavings from the coop. If I were going with video 1 or 2, I'd definately buy a different type of waterer - can't have all that dampness in the coop, never mind over electricity. I can't face the thought of keeping the waterer clean with my 26 chicks through the winter. I'm not lazy! It's like everyone else with time constraints of work, family, and the waterer is brought to the henhouse on a Little Tykes wagon to the back of the property away from the house. In November we need to Tyvek and shingle the henhouse. I'll be more at ease once that's done. My father used to raise show rabbits, appx 100, in 60s-70's. My 3 older bros. had to ice pick the bowls each freezing winter night when Dad was on business trips. I still remember the grumbling on those dark winter nights.

Once I get Pennys system up along with the bird bath heater inside, I'll let you all know how it's working. It will be a relief in the warmer months too. Water is our necessary evil.

 

[Sean The IT Guy]

As to the aquarium heaters getting left dry when the water levels go down. Most are meant to be fully immersed. Just stick it directly to the bottom of the water tank / bucket. If you ever have less than an inch of water left, you need to be refilling your waterer more often, or have a bigger tank.

 

[Island Roo]

Thanks for posting those videos - I don't have enough internet bandwidth to search and view alot of videos so it's great to see those good ones together.

Now that I've seen the third video, I may go back to my pvc plan instead of the bucket. Originally, I was thinking about use the thermal energy (warm water rises) to get a return flow back to the reservoir but that would not be enough to keep the nipples from freezing in my climate. I didn't realize you could get a tiny pump like.

I'll just put my pvc fermented feeder under the nipple feeders to catch any drips. And I'll probably add a float valve to use when the temps are not freezing.

Your question about the circulating pump... The nipples are the most likely place to freeze so even if your double walled igloo container does not freeze, the tiny outlets at the nipples, exposed to the cold air might freeze. His systems works because has a flow of warm water going past the nipples. This response is just my theory - I don't practical experience with nipples yet.

 

[Our Roost]

Take a look at some of the ideas presented under "Watering and feeding your flock" forum. In the spring you may want to take a look at a water barrel with Pvc and cup waterers instead of nipple type waterers run inside your coop. A floating heat ring is sold at Tractors supply for under $40. You have 15 birds and not hamsters my dear! Water bottles of that type wont work but a good thought to think along those lines. What ever you choose make sure to keep it off the ground and slightly suspended to keep cleaner from droppings and waste. A five gallon bucket with heat and water nipplers will keep you busy. Look at all your options under the forum I suggested.

 

[Island Roo]

Take a look at some of the ideas presented under "Watering and feeding your flock" forum. In the spring you may want to take a look at a water barrel with Pvc and cup waterers instead of nipple type waterers run inside your coop. A floating heat ring is sold at Tractors supply for under $40. You have 15 birds and not hamsters my dear! Water bottles of that type wont work but a good thought to think along those lines. What ever you choose make sure to keep it off the ground and slightly suspended to keep cleaner from droppings and waste. A five gallon bucket with heat and water nipplers will keep you busy. Look at all your options under the forum I suggested.

Ok... I'll take a look at the cup waterers.

15 birds? Water bottles? Maybe this reply was not directed at me

 

[Our Roost]

Sorry! I apparently have replied to the wrong post. Someone wrote it! I turn 65 tomorrow and maybe alsheimers is setting in. Ha Ha!

 

[Island Roo]

Wooo hooo - happy birthday!

And thanks for the tips anyway (even if some didn't apply)

 

[bruceha2000]

Just hope it keeps the water ice free without the circulating pipe system he has going on (would anyone know if it's really needed? I'm figuring with 24 laying hens the water should be moving frequently enough -?).

In a word, YES.
Are your chickens awake all night drinking water?
Mine either. You may still have liquid water in the source container when the temps drop because it is a larger volume. You may even have liquid water in the center of the pipe. The water closest to the outside of the pipe, and that includes the nipples (especially the nipples), will freeze first. If the warm water isn't flowing through the pipe, moving the colder water back into the source, you will get frozen nipples

and NO ONE wants that!

The system in the 3rd video (the only one I watched) is very similar to mine. There are 2 major differences:
1) Mine is an insulated 5 gallon Igloo drink cooler, outside the coop sitting on a shelf about 18" above the feed pipe (3/4" with saddle nipples). I do not have a problem with them leaking so if the 1.5" pipe he is using is needed to provide enough pressure to keep them from leaking with the bottom of the source being the same height as the nipple pipe, the 18"+ head of my bucket is doing the same for a 3/4" pipe. My return is 3/8" ID clear tubing.
2) I have the water flowing from or near the bottom of the container. He has a point about not having to put pipe into the side or bottom of the source. I'm still messing with keeping them from leaking (using old non insulated bucket at the moment). However, his system requires the pump run 365 days a year or the birds will run out of water. The only way to not run the pump all day, every day, is to revert to his free standing waterers in non freezing periods. I'm not willing to spend electricity 6 or 7 months of the year when Mother Nature can push it through in a free, non polluting way.

 

[bruceha2000]

plugged into a thermo-cube.

I am interested in how the ThermoCube works out. I was going to buy one but the reviews on Amazon were very mixed from GREAT to GARBAGE. First I thought the "broke almost immediately" or "plug won't stay in" were old reviews and the problems have been resolved but I found similar reviews from just a few months ago.

Bruce

 

[Twister-n-Dos]

I am interested in how the ThermoCube works out. I was going to buy one but the reviews on Amazon were very mixed from GREAT to GARBAGE. First I thought the "broke almost immediately" or "plug won't stay in" were old reviews and the problems have been resolved but I found similar reviews from just a few months ago.

Bruce

I think I will need to try it out for a season before I can give it a true endorsement, but it appears to be of
high enough build quality. I found it in stock at a local hardware store that I have trust in not to sell junk.