Waterers?

nekoatsume · Post by **nekoatsume** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 9:28 am

Thanks guys - glad I figured that out before I spent $50 plus

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 9:32 am

I rotate waterers during the winter days, bringing in frozen ones into the laundry tub and taking out fresh ones and I add apple cider vinegar which I can't figure out why, but it takes longer for the water to freeze. Maybe because ACV freezing point is lower than waters?

Post by **poultry_admin** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 10:06 am

So I went overboard on the watering in winter issue and tried (unsuccessfully!) a few things.
We had a coop with pens along a wall in two tiers. We put a bucket on the top and have gravity fill a pvc pipe running from pen to pen. The horizontals are on a slope so flows down and at the bottom we had nipples installed. The lowest point had a valve for draining and then a riser back to the bucket. This way the water is always full in the pipes all the way to the bucket level. Add a small pond pump and aquarium heater and you have warm water flowing in the pvc pipe.
So far so good, this worked great for the summer. Fill one thing with a hose rather than a ton of individual waterers. DW is breeding, so lots of pens.

Come winter, we turn on the pump and heater. As it gets colder, we add a second, horse trough, heater. Then we add insulation around the pipe to reduce heat loss as it gets colder. We make it to minus 15 (good, but not great) and at minus 20 the nipples freeze. They are two metal pins and a metal ball bearing in a plastic housing.
This is where we got stuck, back to heated dog dishes.....

Waiting for the next brain wave to try.

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 10:14 am

I read, but haven't tried, that if you add marbles or stones to the water tray that it won't freeze as fast. Didn't try it...sounds hokey pokey to me

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 11:48 am

That's why I like the rubber horse buckets, you can break any ice out of them without having to thaw it and the buckets last for decades.

ross · Post by **ross** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 1:04 pm

This is one i use in winter , its made for pigeons & the top is wider than bottom so if freezes just turn upside down on flat surface like tiiis freezer & out it comes . I leave snow or ice in bx in barn/ pens & dump water out over night . Fill up fresh rm temp in AM . Haha talkin freezeup already . Luck

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 9:56 pm

I use plastic ones in the summer, this one has an upside down bowl to keep the young chicks from roosting..
Black rubber pans in between seasons and heated bases with metal bowls in winter.
All the waterers are on bricks (hight easily adjusted to size of birds) and there seems to be no problem keeping them clean.

Poultryprincess · Post by **Poultryprincess** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 10:54 pm

I've tried Many different ideas.
Some work better than others.

COOKIE TIN ($1 store)
Buy cheap Small Xmas lites. ($1 store )
Drill or cut hole on side of tin to fit plug thru.
Put black electrical tape over hole.
Lay lites in tin & plug in.
Put tin on cinder block & water font sits on top.
Works ok, but if font gets tipped over, then it's a mess.
I took it apart & dried before using again.
Can't beat the price, it's only a bit of labor.

DRYWALL BUCKETLITE BULB
Cut large holes about the size of bread slices around bucket.
Leave 3 or 4 inches "above" the bottom intact & do not cut below it.
Attach a Porcelain lite & cord to the Underside of the bucket lid.
Put in low watt ( I used a 40 watt) bulb & plug in.
Pour water into bucket from the side & put bucket on platform.

DRYWALL BUCKETHEAT LINE
Same cutting of drywall bucket as above.
No porcelain under lid.
Wrap a HEAT LINE around the bottom edge of bucket.
Place bucket on platform & plug in.

Heated DOG DISH
Plug in heated dog dish & place a regular chicken water font inside.
When I checked the water font, the plastic was not warm at all.

GOOD LUCK, winter is almost here - ha ha ha

TomK · Post by **TomK** » Sun Aug 07, 2016 12:02 am

I use the galvanized waterers like Ross showed earlier...altho i rarely can afford to buy stuff at TSC..lol"and I have yet to find a satisfactory way of keep water fluid in winter

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Sun Aug 07, 2016 12:04 am

Heavy bottom metal dish works well for heat transfer.
Value village is a great source here
40W light bulb keeps the water from freezing in an unheated barn.