Winterizing Nipple Waterers? UPDATE Really? No One Knows?

[zoelovesmom]

 

[DomesticDiva12]

Bumping this up for some more ideas. I'm in Wisconsin and starting to think about winter....
Right now my waterer is a 5 gallon bucket with nipples on the bottom. My bucket is plastic so I'm not sure how a heater in it will do?

 

[jeb251]

piece of cake, I have used the same system in my layer coops for about six years; this is all you need
http://www.tractorsupply.com/livest...cast-aluminum-utility-deicer-250-watt-2170738

 

[jackson41]

I also live in Wi. and use a bird bath heater in my gallon bucket with water nipples. I cut a notch in the lid for the cord. If it is way below zero sometimes I have to dip the nipple in hot water in the morning to thaw it.

 

[PlanterTomato]

There are a number of options and it really depends on your local conditions and your access to electricity. I am the inventor and manufacturer of a new type of chicken waterer called the BriteTap waterer. The BriteTap is a nipple-based chicken waterer that attaches to an insulated water container like those sold under the Igloo or Rubbermaid brand names. The insulated cooler keeps the water cooler in summer and warmer in Winter. Here is what I tell customers with regard to winterizing the BriteTap chicken waterer:

• If you live in a place where daytime temperatures are above freezing, the easiest option is to leave the waterer out during the day and bring it inside the house or into a heated garage when the temperature falls below freezing in the evening.
• If daytime temperatures are below freezing you can place the waterer inside the coop. Often the chicken's body heat will keep the temp above freezing.
• If you have acces to electricity, you can place a light bulb inside the coop and run it 24/7. The bulb throws off heat and this usually does the trick.

 

[PlanterTomato]

There are a number of options and it really depends on your local conditions and your access to electricity. I am the inventor and manufacturer of a new type of chicken waterer called the BriteTap waterer. The BriteTap is a nipple-based chicken waterer that attaches to an insulated water container like those sold under the Igloo or Rubbermaid brand names. The insulated cooler keeps the water cooler in summer and warmer in Winter. Here is what I tell customers with regard to winterizing the BriteTap chicken waterer:

• If you live in a place where daytime temperatures are above freezing, the easiest option is to leave the waterer out during the day and bring it inside the house or into a heated garage when the temperature falls below freezing in the evening.
• If daytime temperatures are below freezing you can place the waterer inside the coop. Often the chicken's body heat will keep the temp above freezing.
• If you have acces to electricity, you can place a light bulb inside the coop and run it 24/7. The bulb throws off heat and this usually does the trick.

 

[Italian Chicken]

I have a 30gal plastic barrel of water do you think a light bulb would give off enough heat to keep it fro freezing?

 

[DVTO2]

I have used bucket heaters in my 5 gallon plastic buckets the last two years with no problems.

 

[rcdavis20]

Hello fellow winter waterers,

My family and I are new to raising chickens this year and I've been tinkering for a couple of weeks every since my first nipple waterer froze up one cold morning. In a nutshell, I have:

• A small coop tractor for eight chickens with a 10' L x 4' W x 3' H homemade PVC run attached.
• A 5 gal. bucket (standard round pail) and attached 3' braided hose that feeds a PVC pipe with 4 nipple waterers.

Here's a stock image pic of the coop (w/o PVC run):




The 5 gal bucket is attached to the outside of the coop (on the cage). The 3' hose runs through the case to the PVC pipe with nipples.

The interesting and challenging aspect of this design is that with the water pail on the outside and the PVC pipe and nipples on the inside it minimizes the need to go into the coop cage.

After the freeze up I took the above out and I bought a square 5 gal pail and attached 3 nipples (horizontal near the bottom). These nipples are placed on the bucket so they poke through the cage (again, so I don't have to crouch in through the run and coop case) and a 250W Farm Innovators bucket de-icer for cold weather.

The watering nipples leak and I fill the bucket up every other day! I'm wondering whether the original system and the de-icer would have worked with temps near 10F.

I see a lot of examples of "in-the-coop/run" watering. But, are there any others out there that feed and water their birds in my type of contained configuration?

Thanks for your feedback!

 

[CoopDeViIIe]

Anyone ever tried one of these? I have a 5 gallon bucket setup with a pvc pipe coming out and I'm considering giving this a try.