Water Heater...

It's starting to get to the time of year where the water freezes in the coop. I just checked TSC and their selling one for $44. That seem too much to just heat water up. Does anybody have any ideas of how to build one myself for less.

Was the water heater a Heater Base by Miller-Little Giant? If not you might want to go to miller-littlegiant.com and check the Heater Base out for the double walled fountains. That's what I've used for about 15 yrs. and it still works for me. I can't remember what I paid for it, I think it was close to $40.00 then. It sure beats breaking ice for them!

Hello all
Eric, I use a heater from a fish tank. I have only a few chickens so the dish is small and deep. It does a pretty good job. The only time it does have trouble keeping the whole dish from freezing is when it is below zero or in the teens, even then the area around the heater is not frozen and still is open enough for the little guys to drink. You do have to have a deep dish, as deep as the heater. the heater also attaches easy to the side with a little screw bracket.
George

We use a light bulb and a large tin cookie tin, I'll see if I can find the directions online for you. We found it last year because we bought one for $45 and need several more and that was more than we wanted to pay. Going to look for instructions now.

Cathy

http://www.americanlivestock.com./c-160-equipment-deicers.aspx cheapest ones on the net and free shipping over $75 One of mt friends on here told me about them and I have ordered twice!!

Eric, I can't find the link I used last year with pictures, but here are the directions.

Cookie Tin Waterer

Punch or drill a hole midway up the side of a metal cookie tin. Place a light socket in the tin. A 40 watt bulb should keep water thawed. Once the bulb is in, replace the cover and place your waterer on top. Take care with any heat source and place it in a safe manner. Mine is on top of a concrete block with a brick on each side of the tin. The birds have not knocked it over.

We use gallon size for winter watering our chickens, we also put our light heaters on a timer. It really works.

Cathy

Hi all,
Just wanted to let you know I've changed from gardener34 to gardener105.

I use an old heating pad! It has to be one with out the timer like the new ones have. I have a plastic pet self waterer with the big bottle on top (like an office water cooler), it sits on a wooden cola crate to keep the shavings out of it. I put a metal cookie sheet on top of the box (though it's probably not nessisary), then the heating pad, then the waterer on top of that. I set the pad on warm and it works! It doesn't get hot enough to worry about fire and the water stays just above freezing in the coop and we get COLD here. The night it got to 18 below, there was a bit of ice at the top, but by mid morning, even that was gone. I got the heating pad at a yard sale and it only cost me a buck.

Annother year, we wrapped a metal chicken waterer with heat tape for pipes and that worked pretty good too!

Eric, Tractor Supply has heated buckets in various sizes, you just plug them in. They also have the smaller floating heaters for $25, which is very reasonable, heated pet water dishes, bucket heaters that you could put in a metal waterer. They have a lot of options that are cheaper than $44 and a lot safer than tinkering. The prices in the store here are less than most of those shown in their online site.

Eric, I also have a bucket heater that I use for my 2 Barbados sheep. I use a plastic Miller-Little Giant flat back bucket and just put a metal pan in the bottom of the bucket, attach the cord to the handle with baling wire and just make sure the heater (about 6 in. long) stays covered with water. You could also use a metal feed pan and lay the heater down on the bottom of it.

Thank You every one for you feedback. I have a lot of ideas to choose from.LOL

TSC has those blue dog water bowls that are heated. They are just deep enough for several chickens, and if set up on a block or something, should be okay as far as keeping water clean. They were $19.99 last I checked. My father in law is a farmer, (I'm a city girl that has been with a farm boy for ten years, so I'm still learning some stuff, lol!) and they raised chickens when he was boy. I asked him what he reccomended, and he wanted me to go with the heater that you set the double wall fountains on. So I did that. The blue bowl would be cheaper though.

Blaines Farm and Fleet has nice floating water heaters for about $27. You can find them online at www.farmandfleet.com

We bought 2 that you set a metal or plastic waterer on, $51.00 each.

For those of you, including myself, who worry about the power going out, check out these oil burning lamps and some stoves.

http://www.milesstair.com/Mini_Kerosene_Heaters.html

Kerosene is one option, but I now use a cheap vegetable oil for my lamps. Works great!!!

Copper

Wonderful Green Idea, Copper!

Although Ducks LOVE frozen water, DF recommends a homemade water heater. Try using bricks, plywood, and a light bulb to build a platform for your waterers. Somewhere on the internet, you may even find photos and instructions...

Duck Fairy, I am trying to find the website that I posted the link to awhile back. This website has the plans and a drawing for making a stand for the waterer and then a oil lamp underneath that.
If a person decides to make something like this, please be sure to wrap the whole underneath stand in chicken wire because I guarentee you, the chickens will try to knock it over and then you have a fire!!
copper