Why You Need A Heated Waterer.
If you live in an area where the temperature gets down to freezing (32F) then you have to worry about your water freezing and your chickens will not have any fresh water. Below I have listed my top 5 best heated waterers.
Chickens need to have constant access to fresh clean water. You don’t want your chickens to become Dehydrated, this can result in stress, health issues, no egg laying, and potentially even death. A heated chicken waterer solves these problems and provides your chickens with fresh water during even the coldest months of the year.
Freezing temperatures bring many challenges, one of our least favorite winter chores is replacing the water for the chickens each time it freezes. Changing out the water multiple times a day to stop it freezing is very tedious, especially when you have to bundle up and trench through snow.
What to know before buying.
If your don’t have a water heater you will need to either break up the ice each time it freezes, or constantly bring out warm water.
A heated waterer will prevent ice from forming so that your chickens have continuous access to drinking water. If you don’t want to deal with you water freezing, you will need to purchase a heated waterer for your chickens, or have a heated chicken coop. If you still need to build or buy a chicken coop, Click Here.
Having a heated waterer is the better solution and more cost effect way to provide water when the temperature gets down to that freezing level (32F).
Below I have outlined my top 5 best heated chicken waters, what you can expect.
Farm Innovators HB-60P Heated 2 Gallon Poultry Drinker
With over 1600 reviews and 4.5 out of 5 stars, if you’re looking to get away from a heated base style of heater then maybe this Farm Innovators Heated 2 Gallon Poultry Drinker nipple-style plastic water is for you.
This nice and compact water only draws 60 watts as opposed to 100 – 150 watts required for some other heaters.
It doesn’t sound like a lot, but with the cold winters requiring these to be on 24/7, it makes a significant difference in electricity usage over the course of the month.
The cover keeps the water clean which is an additionally great feature, the top removes for easy refilling.
The side-mounted nipples are specifically designed to be drip-free and will not freeze, allowing water to flow year round. The bucket holds 2.25 gallons of water and the 3 nipples will accommodate up to 15 chickens. Unlike drinkers where the nipples are on the bottom, the Farm Innovators drinker can either be hung in the coop or placed on a hard, flat surface.
Key Benefits of this heated water.
- 2+ gallon (9 quart) capacity
- Side-mounted nipples. accommodate up to 15 chickens.
- 60 watts of power.
- Thermostatically controlled to operate only when necessary.
- Heavy duty metal handle for hanging in the coop.
- Lid removes for easy refilling.
- Transluscent bucket to see the water level.
Chickens seem to take to this nipple style right away, though they’d never seen this type of drinker before. After hanging it, be sure to tapped one of the drinking nipples, expelling water.
Be sure there is at least one chicken watching you, seeing this the chickens will step up and start pecked at the drinking nipple, Once the first chicken takes a drink, and the rest will follow. Be sure to remove all other style of waters.
Farm Innovators Model HP-125 Heated Base For Metal Poultry Founts, 125-Watt
With over 1500 reviews and 4.6 out of 5 stars this clearly the number one choice for best heated base for chicken waters. this heater works best with metal 3-5 gallon waterers, with I nice flat base. I recommend placing the heater on concrete or patio blocks just to keep the heater level and off the cold ground. This is only the base so you will need to place your metal waterer on the base or purchase a metal waterer.
It’s a good base heater if you don’t want to run out with hot water to your chicken coop several times a day or if you leave your chickens overnight or for a couple of days and cannot put hot water in their waterer.
- Prevents water from freezing down to 10°F.
- Use for farming and poultry care.
- For use in chicken coops, pens, and runs.
- Made in the United States.
Not recommended for plastic waterers, the heat has to transfer to the water in the metal waterer and the plastic will insulate it. I suggest you using only metal water.
Helps keep water from freezing during the winter
The Farm Innovators HP-125 Heated Base is designed to prevent water from freezing in all double-wall metal poultry founts in temperatures as low as 10° F. It features a built-in 125-watt heater which is thermostatically controlled to operate only when necessary.
The bottom cover keeps straw and other debris away from the heating element for safety. It is intended for outdoor use in a dry and covered area.
Manna Pro Chicken Supplies | Chicken Waterer Heated Base | Harris Farms Poultry Drinker
With 985 reviews and 4.6 out of 5 stars this clearly the second best choice for heated bases for chicken waters. The manufacture does say this base heater can be used with Their plastic waters, so buyer beware if you have any other plastic waterer. I would make sure your plastic waterer is never empty as it may get hot. With many great reviews from people in Canada, Alaska I would not hesitate in using this base heater.
Per The Manufacture:
1. Place the Heater Base directly on a hard flat surface inside a protected area.
2. Place the pan, double wall fount, or plastic drinker on the surface of the heater base.
3. Plug the product directly into a properly grounded 120 volt AC GFCI receptacle outlet. Do not use with an extension cord.
4. Direct the supply cord and place the heated base properly to shield from livestock damage.
5. Allow 30 minutes for the unit to warm to temperature. The upper exterior of the product will get exceedingly hot to the touch.
I do not recommend plastic waters, as the heat needs to transfer to the water, the metal waterers work better, the plastic will insulate it. Harris does say this heater is safe for Their plastic water. see above.
Heated Drinker Base Helps keep water from freezing during the winter
- PREVENTS FREEZING: The Harris Farms heated drinker base will prevent water from freezing in temperatures as low as 10 F.
- PLASTIC DRINKERS: The Harris Farms heated drinker base is safe to use with Free Range plastic drinkers.
- THERMOSTAT CONTROLLED: This heated drinker base features thermostatically controlled 125 watts of power.
- WARRANTY: Feel safe knowing that this heated drinker base is covered by a 1 year warranty.
Chicken Waterer Heated Base | Harris Farms Poultry Drinker
Premier Heated Poultry Waterer – 3 Gallon
With 317 reviews and 4.4 out of 5 stars, If you’re looking for a well insulated heater waterer for your chickens, then maybe this Premier Heated 3 Gallon Poultry Drinker nipple-style plastic waterer is for you.
One nice feature besides being insulated, is the colored resin does not allow sun to penetrant causing your water to grow algae unlike some of the other styles.
- Larger capacity (3 gal). Bucket Dimensions: 9″H, 13″Diameter. Overall Height: 14″H
- Secure, interlocking lid. Conical lid shape to prevent birds from perching and soiling waterer. Insulated lid traps warmer air inside waterer
- Heavy-duty handle for carrying and hanging. Suited for: Up to 35 adult birds. (3) recessed nipples are a drip-catch design.
- Detachable 16 ft. grounded electrical cord for non-winter use.
- Built-in thermostat turns heating element on at 40°F and off at 60°F. 100-watt heater.
Heated Poultry Waterer
Provides clean water to the flock year-round. Internal heater keeps water flowing in temperatures as low as -20°F.
They have introduced several improvements over the previous version:
- Larger capacity (3 gal)
- Secure, interlocking lid
- Heavy-duty handle for carrying and hanging
- Detachable cord for non-winter use
This large 3 gallon waterer has a covered secure locking lid and nipples to keep debris out of the water so it stays clean all day long. it comes with a handle and is sturdy enough to hang off the ground.
You can also keep this chicken waterer on the ground too as its cone-shaped lid will stop chickens from perching on it. Waterer has a detachable cord for use in summer months.
Farm Innovators HPF-100 Thermostatically Controlled Heated 3 Gallon Plastic Outdoor
With 2688 reviews and 4.2 out of 5 stars, If you’re looking for a ‘all-seasons’ heated plastic poultry fountain designed to keep water unfrozen and available for year round usage, then maybe this Farm Innovators thermostatically controlled Heated 3 Gallon outdoor plastic waterer is for you.
About this item
- PREVENTS FREEZING: Prevents water from freezing in temperatures down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit
- 3-GALLON CAPACITY: Features reservoir with a 3-gallon capacity so your farm friends can hydrate all day
- MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY: Thermostatically controlled to operate only when necessary for maximum efficiency
- EASILY HANG: Convenient design can be easily hung in an enclosure or on a structure outside
- DURABLE CONSTRUCTION: Constructed from durable plastic that can withstand year-round weather conditions; Dimensions (L x W x H): 20 x 13.5 x 13.5 inches; Weight: 2.63 pounds
Plastic Outdoor Year-Round Poultry Chicken Water Fountain
Keep your chickens hydrated, no matter the weather with the Heated Hanging Poultry Water Fountain from Farm Innovators.
Whether it’s a hot summery day or a cold winter night, you can count on this reliable water fountain to quench your poultry’s thirst.
Constructed from durable plastic, the fountain can handle extended periods of time outside.
Helps keep water from freezing during the winter
The Farm Innovators Heated Poultry Fountain is a patented ‘all-seasons’ heated plastic poultry fountain designed to keep water unfrozen and available for year round usage. It is thermostatically controlled to operate and heat only when necessary.
The Heated Poultry Fountain holds up to three gallons of water and uses only 100 watts of power, enabling it to keep water from freezing down to 0° F. It can be filled from the bottom without having to remove the top.
Things To Consider.
Things to consider before purchasing your waterer if you want to make sure you have the best for or your chickens.
- Location- Will your water be inside the coop, or outside in a protected area?
- Power source- Do you have a source of power available at your chicken coop?
- Wattage- 60 Watt heater will cost you less to operate than a 150 Watt heater.
- Water availability- Do have have a water source at your coop?
- Thermostatically controlled- water temperature is regulated by the outside temperature.
- Ease of use- How easy can you clean and fill your waterer?
These are all things that you will need to take into consideration before purchasing your waterer.
So How Do I Decide
Let’s start by looking at location.
This should be an easy one, but this also depends on where you live and what your winter climate is like. If you live in a region where you experience extreme cold weather for extended periods of time you most likely will not be letting your chickens out of their coop for days, so for that reason your waterer will be inside.
If you live in a region that has a mild winter with only a few days below freezing, your waterer should be located outside in the chicken run.
Power Source
When it comes to power source you typically have 3 options: house power (110-120v), battery, and solar.
Option 1:
House power is the most common, if you have power at your coop you just plugin your water heater to the outlet, this is typically the best and easiest option. However, if you have a power outage your water heater will stop working and depending on the outside temperature the water will start to freeze.
Option 2:
If you live in an area prone to power outages, I would recommend purchasing a battery operated heated waterer for emergency use, as the cost of replacing batteries can become expensive.
Battery Operated Thermal-Bowl Heating Water Dish Feeder
Option 3:
Setting up a solar system is complex and expensive, but it is an option to goo off the grid and power your chicken coop. this will take time to install and setup and may not be worth the investment for a water heater.
Wattage
Let’s look at Wattage and what is it. A watt is a unit of power that measures the rate of work being done. So, what does all this mean?
A 60 Watt heater does less work than a 150 watt heater, the more work it does the quicker it will heat up. Larger waterers have more water volume, and will require more wattage to heat the water, also higher wattage water heater will prevent freezing in extremely cold weather.
The down side, when you use a higher wattage heater, this also means more electricity usage, this will result in costing you more money on your electric bill. If you can get by with a lower wattage heater, this would be my first option.
Water Availability
Most chicken owners have to carry buckets of water out to the chicken coop, now depending on the size of your flock, and the size of your waterer depends how often you need to carry buckets of water to your coop.
Chicken’s water needs depend on size, age, and status. A laying hen requires much more water than a non-laying hen or a rooster.
A general rule is 1-2 cups of water per day per chicken.
Thermostatically controlled
So what is a thermostatically controlled systems?
The heater consists of a thermostat plus some sort of thermally actuated switch that changes between the “on” and “off” state at a specific temperature.
For example, when the temperature gets below 32F the switch turns “on” and then turns “off” when the temperature is above 32F this is also a safety feature to reduce the risk of the waterer overheating.
Ease of use
The last and most import consideration is ease of use, will it be easy to take the waterer apart to clean?
How is it filled with water, top or bottom? Will you be placing your waterer on the ground/blocks or hanging it.
The last and sometimes the most important question is cost, are you will to pay more for a better waterer?
Answering all this questions will help you decide the best waterer for you.
Heated Waterer Issues
One of the most common problems with heated waterers is their thermostats. Sometimes these stop working completely, other times they need to be recalibrated. Some manufactures will provide the steps needed to recalibrate, for example, placing the thermostat switch in the freezer.
As with any thermostatically controlled device, you will want to test the operation before your water starts to freeze, even if it worked last year.
Another common problem is you may not have power at your coop, therefore you will want to run an extension cord. (This is not Recommended)
If you must run an extension cord, please be sure to use a outdoor weather proof cord, until you can get permanent power to your coop, you do not want your chickens pecking at your cord, so if possible place your cord in PVC piping.
Do I Have to Purchase a Heated Waterer?
The simple answer is no, but If you do not have electric near your chicken coop then you need to find other ways to stop your water from freezing.
How? You can just replace the water each time it freezes. Typically your water will not freeze right away when the waterer is placed in the coop.
If you replace the water in the morning, noon and evening your chickens will have plenty of fresh water throughout the day.
Final Verdict On Heated Waterers
Heated chicken waterers are not for everyone, but if you want to keep you feathered friends happy and health you need to provide them with fresh water.
Heated waters are safe as long as you follow the instructions. Make sure the chickens cannot get at the plug and its away from any wet location, take into consideration when the snow starts to melt. Only use heated waters during the cold winter months, using them on warmer days may cause them to overheat if the thermostat fails
Following these instructions can prevent fires and keep your chickens safe.
Make sure to research these heated waterers and other heaters thoroughly so you get the perfect one, there are many different types on the market.
