Winter waterers

[Sprather88]

I have a metal water fountain and a bed pipe with nipples fountain. Both are freezing and impossible to break up. What do you all use to water chickens for winter? Can I fix either of these or do I need to buy new?

 

[deidreg]

Here's what I have. Pricy, but can be used year round. I ran an extension cord to an outdoor outlet.
https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/heated-poultry-waterer

 

[Callender Girl]

You are describing one of the most frustrating parts of chicken care in the winter. I haven't found anything that I'm completely happy with.

I know you can buy electric warmers that set underneath your metal waterers, but I've never had any I have some plastic electric waterers that I don't like, and often end up rotating between frozen waterers and thawed ones in the house. One year, I made my own heating platforms for underneath the waterers, using parts of a lamp kit in a metal tin (The Chicken Chick describes a similar one in her book), but sometimes, it's just too darned cold here for anything to work all the time.

Good luck. I hope someone is more helpful than I am.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I use a Galvanized fount with a heated base 125 watts. Inside a well ventilated coop.

I use rubber bowls outside.

I place it on a concrete block in southeast corner to get morning sun during winter season. GC

 

[wamtazlady]

I've got a waterer for winter that works great for me. Even in NW Montana it has never frozen during the 5 winters I have used it. Not unusual for the temperatures to be in the -20s F during the winter. My new clear tote with lid this year is 13.5 gallons. I added horizontal nipples to the tote about 2 inches up from the bottom. Lastly I put a 250 watt stock tank deicer that is rated for use in plastic into the tote. The deicer also has its own thermostat so it comes on just before the water might freeze and turns off when the water reaches 40 or 45 degrees.

With 12 birds and a smaller 10 gallon tote it would be over a week before the tote needed filled. Since I cut back to 5 birds this year and am using a larger tote I expect I will need to have the tote filled once every 3 weeks. I have a camera aimed at the tote so I can keep track of it. The clear sides make it easy to see when it needs filled.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I have the plastic version that @GC-Raptor has. Plastic waterer and heating base.

 

[Alaskan]

Either rotate frozen waterers with thawed...

Or use a rubber pan with a deicer

 

[Al Gerhart]

Cookie tin and a light bulb, heck, a sawed off metal bucket would work. Saw off the bottom 4" and set it on the lid. Worked for me for years down to a few degrees above zero. Heated dog bowl works too, fill it with water, set your other waterer on top.