Whether you are a beginner in the world of backyard chicken keeping or a seasoned expert, one essential that every chicken keeper needs is a heated chicken waterer.
With the proper care and maintenance, these heated waterers can provide your chickens with access to clean water throughout even the coldest winter months. Let’s look at why having a heated waterer is important and how to use one correctly.
Why Heated Waterers Are Important for a Healthy and Happy Flock
It is critical that chickens always have access to fresh water. In addition to drinking, chickens also use their water for bathing and preening their feathers, which keeps them warm during cold weather.
When temperatures dip below freezing, water sources can become inaccessible if they are not properly heated. That’s where heated waterers come in. Heated waterers keep your flock’s water from freezing despite the extreme temperatures outside. This will keep your chickens healthy and happy throughout the year.
Types of Heated Chicken Waterers
When it comes to choosing a heated waterer for your flock, there are several factors to consider. The most common types are electric-powered options that utilize either an internal heating element or an external heat source, such as a light bulb or heating pad.
Electric-powered models tend to be more costly than non-electric models, but they offer more reliable heating capabilities and require less maintenance over time than non-electric models do.
Non-electric models such as insulated buckets or rubber tubing filled with hot water can also be used in place of electric-powered ones, but they require more effort on the part of the chicken keeper since they need to be refilled more frequently with hot water throughout the winter months in order for them to remain effective.
What are the two best chicken waterers available on Amazon?
We scoured Amazon for the best chicken waterers for your flock based on manufacturing quality, ease of use, high ratings, and value:
1. Poultry Chicken Water Heater Base for Winter, for Plastic/Metal Poultry Waterer
Good things to know about this heated chicken waterer:
- Prevents Water from Freezing
- 130W
- Thermostatically chicken water heater will heat up during winter temperatures below 35°F
- Ensures that poultry can drink water normally.
- No Overheating
- When the heating base sensor detects a temperature above 77℉, it will stop heating.
- When the sensor detects that the temperature drops below 35℉, it reheats.
- Will not scald chickens and ensures that they can drink normally instead of not drinking because the water is too hot.
- Reduces evaporation of water and reduces the number of water refills.
- Heating base using galvanized steel, chicken water warmer heat transfer efficiency is higher.
- Will not rust
- Do not put plastic chicken waterer without water on the heating base.
- Dimensions-The chicken water heater base of the enlarged base 14.6inch
- 5 gallons of water can be heated at once
- Maintains stability and will not tilt.
- Power cord: 6 feet long
- Suitable for your chickens, turkeys, ducks, pigeons, rabbits, pigs, dogs, grain bin cats and other livestock and pets.
- Ensure that poultry or pets can drink water normally in winter.
- Note: Heating temperature over 77℉. After heating for a period of time, the heat is transferred to the sensor and the water heater stops heating when the sensor senses the nearby temperature reaches 77℉.
- The high heating temperature also ensures that 3-5 gallons of large capacity chicken water will not freeze in ultra-low temperature weather.
2. Farm Innovators HB-60P Heated 2 Gallon Poultry Drinker
Good things to know about this heated chicken waterer:
- Super practical and simple
- Provides chickens with easy access to clean water year-round
- 3 side mounted drip-free and freeze-free nipples accommodate up to 15 chickens
- Can be hung or placed on the ground
- 60 watt (60W) heater is thermostatically controlled to work automatically
- No more worrying about your chickens in the winter when it comes to frozen water
- Top removes for easy filling
- Best seller on Amazon
Using Your Heated Waterer Properly
Once you have chosen your type of heated waterer, it’s important to make sure you use it properly in order for it to be effective. Be sure that the wattage of any electric-powered option you purchase is appropriate for the size of your flock. Too much wattage could overheat the water, while too little will not keep it warm enough during colder temperatures outside.
Additionally, try placing any non-electric model inside an insulated container, such as a Styrofoam cooler, in order to protect it from extreme temperatures and ensure that it remains warm longer between refills with hot water.
It’s also important to check your waterer periodically throughout the winter months and add warmer or hotter water if necessary. This ensures that your flock has access to liquid without running the risk of disease due to infection from frozen or stagnant sources of drinking or bathing liquid due to a lack of attention on behalf of the poultry keeper (you).
Concluding thoughts about a good heated chicken waterer
Whether you choose an electric model or opt for something simpler like an insulated bucket filled with hot water, having some sort of heated waterer during those cold winter months is absolutely essential for keeping your chickens healthy and happy!
With just a bit of care and maintenance on your part, you can ensure that your flock has access to clean water no matter what Mother Nature brings!
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