Heated Waterer for Chickens

Has anyone built a chicken water like this one?
I'm going to try this design when my bird bath deicer and water pump arrives in the mail.




http://www.homedepot.ca/product/55-gph-fountain-pump/910304
http://www.amazon.ca/Manufacturing-9000-Eliminator-50-Watt--Icer/dp/B0006U2FJ8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1385002212&sr=8-4&keywords=bird+bath+heater

Very interesting. I wonder if you could gravity feed this too, or if you need the pressure in the really cold weather?

My bucket-mounted nipples froze up today, with just a small bucket de-icer/bird bath de-icer in them. -12 in the coop. The pail with the higher-watt deicer didn't freeze, though. I think you'd need the constantly moving water to prevent freeze-up with a system like this.

I use a dog bowl style heated waterer. You can fill a bucket with a notched rim, place the bowl over the top of the filled, notched bucket, hold them together, flip them over, and the dog bowl edge fills with water from the bucket. The chickens keep their crests out and you have a lot more water available than just a dog bowl full.

Sue would you mind posting a picture. I am having water issues.......

I will do my best. Remind me next week. This week I am doing parent teacher interviews, and, you guessed it, attending the chicken show!

Schipperkesue wrote:I use a dog bowl style heated waterer.  You can fill a bucket with a notched rim, place the bowl over the top of the filled, notched bucket, hold them together, flip them over, and the dog bowl edge fills with water from the bucket.  The chickens keep their crests out and you have a lot more water available than just a dog bowl full.

Hydrodynamics

Thanks Bcboy. Now to source some buckets with lids.

coopslave wrote:Thanks Bcboy.  Now to source some buckets with lids.

Rona and Home Depot if you don't mind paying a little. But they will be clean.

Oh...and I don't use the lids for heated waterers. The water in the reservoir will freeze solid if you put a lid on. It is a little more awkward to flip them with no lid, but then the water in the reservoir contacts the heating element in the bowl and will stay liquid.

Coopslave, go to a big store where they have a bakery, or a bakery. I go to the IGA in Enderby many times and have food grade pails (square ones, round ones, 2 gallon ones, 3 gallon ones) that they are happy to give away, as they put them in recycling. Think outside the box, there are many places that have massive amounts of ready to bake "stuff" in them, like bakeries do, and they discard the pails afterwards. I would NEVER in a million years pay for pails. Check around, you may find what you are looking for. And they are food grade. I have a mountain of food grade pails. People think I am nuts, but boy are they useful for so many things, have an awesome day, CynthiaM.

Thanks CynthiaM. I think I will do this in the heated dog waterers I already have.

I use my waterers, all year around, but use them differently. I have the 5 gallon waterers, the ones that are white plastic with the black screw on top with a handle and the red bottom that the white plastic waterer sits in. I have those heated dog water bowls and put water in them. That water (these are electric) heats up. I have those plastic and galvanized waterers sitting on top of the heated dog water bowl, that warm water in the heated dog water bowl keeps the water from freezing. It works, but you must have electricity to do this. I love this system. I think that I am too lazy to install any kind of pipe work and nipples that I am seeing in this picture. But it looks good, for those that can do these kinds of installations. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

How big is your heated bowl Sue?
Like this one?
http://www.amazon.ca/Farm-Innovators-P-60S-2-Gallon-Bowl-Speckletone/dp/B001G1C8BQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1385041238&sr=8-2&keywords=heated+water+bowl
I wonder if one of those tall ice cream buckets would fit in the bowl?

If it is not too freezy out today (I am learning very quickly how to keep more warm here, frickin' cold. didn't get over -5 yesterday and it was sunny all day, blah), I am going to get some pictures. Funny, I take pictures of darn near everything around here, but have never taken a picture of my waterers. I also have a 2 gallon one that I hate. It is a plastic water holder that sits in a red pan that has electricity in the base I guess, cause you plug it in. But you have to fill the unit from the bottom and then flip it over, water always spills, even though I plug the water exit opening with sponge. It still spills. It works so well, but boy, what a pain in me arse to try and flip that unit upside down so it sits the way it should sit. It is frozen right now, cause I had it outside for extra water for the free ranging chickens. Blah, it is the worst design I have ever seen of a water system. I will get a picture of that piece of crap device too (and like two years ago it must have cost me about $30, can't stand it, but use it...). have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

I am going to look at the video that was put in this thread on how to build the chicken waterer, but I think Sue, that when you can, go and get a picture of your set up. These things are so useful, when we get an actual on things, vision actual. Gack, isn't winter just a whole new ball game? I do like playing baseball, it is fun. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

http://www.amazon.ca/Farm-Innovators-HB-60-2-Gallon-9-Quart/dp/B000F0DUOS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385042011&sr=8-1&keywords=heated+water+bucket

I may try this first with my bird bath deicer.

Duel buckets with heat tape.

Oh, before I forget. Never, ever, leave an open bowl of water in freezy temperatures for chickens to drink from. I wouldn't anyways, after seeing my buff orpington rooster drinking from an open bowl. Wattles got wet, bottom of the wattles got black, cause the water on them froze as soon as he walked away and he lost about 1/3 of his bottom of his wattles from that water freezing on them, and the frozen flesh turned black and fell off. Lucky there was no infection, cause I remember hearing about someone that had this happen and the dead part of the wattles got infected. Sigh. These are hard lessons, but we need to learn, not only from our experiences, but others too. Open water, wherein wattles dangle and then freeze are dangerous. Beware. Have beautiful days, CynthiaM.

Heating Base.


DIY cookie tin heater.


Than this on top of the heater

Cinder Block Heater.




http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/index.htm/Plumbing-Electrical/Electrical/Light-Fixtures/Holders/Parts/White-Plug-In-Light-Socket/_/N-2pqfZ67l/Ne-67n/Ntk-All_EN/R-I3667124?Ntt=light+socket

bcboy wrote:How big is your heated bowl Sue?
Like this one?
http://www.amazon.ca/Farm-Innovators-P-60S-2-Gallon-Bowl-Speckletone/dp/B001G1C8BQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1385041238&sr=8-2&keywords=heated+water+bowl
I wonder if one of those tall ice cream buckets would fit in the bowl?

I will have to look. I have not assembled it for this year, but the standard large pails will not fit inside a heated dog bowl (not a heated bucket) and I think my bucket is similar to your large ice cream pail bucket.

I have my waterers outside so that adds a whole new dimension to things.

Also be VERY careful with these. If I had my druthers they would only be outside. Anything that mixes electricity with water has the potential to burn your barn down. Even store bought contraptions.

Schipperkesue wrote:Also be VERY careful with these.  If I had my druthers they would only be outside.  Anything that mixes electricity with water has the potential to burn your barn down.  Even store bought contraptions.

Yeah like this. An uncovered light bulb over water?  

Having tried a lot of these things - for some reason those heated dog bowls are always burning out on me - will never buy another - and keeping my water outside - I just use the black rubber tubs, check frequently - if they freeze solid flip them over and step on them - ice falls out, refill. Chickens and turkeys seem fine with it - many of them prefer snow anyway.