Susan,
I tried the metal heater under my waterer and I am happy with it. The heating coil is only in the center of the top, so the bottom does not get hot and the sides only get warm. The real advantage is that it has a built-in thermostat so it only comes on when the water gets close to freezing and goes off as soon as the water is about 40 degrees. Because the water takes a long time to reach the nearly freezing temp again the heater doesn't cycle on and off constantly, and because my coop is small and insulated it really has to be a bitter cold night after really cold days for it to come on at all. (I do try to keep any straw and bedding away from the base, of course). I am on the Massachusetts coast (city chickens) so we do get some COLD winter weather. I also think it is a boon to the chicken to be able to drink the somewhat warmer water when so much of their own energy is expended trying keeping themselves warm.
An alternative that I have considered is an idea I got from a friend who has a small Koi pond and he overwinters the fish in the pond. To keep the ice from freezing over the top and cutting off oxygen levels he uses a regular fish tank air pump and runs the air hose all the way to the bottom of the pool (3 ft. by 5 ft.). The constant motion of the water keeps the surface from freezing in that one corner. I think the same thing would work in the chicken waterer in all but sustained sub-zero temperatures. I picked up an air pump at a yard sale and am going to try it this winter.
Martha
--- In CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com, "susan sanchez" <sanderhaus@...> wrote:
> I have a QUESTION about water in the winter. a friend uses a heater, I do
> have a stand up oil filled radiator type that is safe but I don't consider
> anything safe in a barn.
>
> I don't feel all that good about the metal heaters for the bottom of the
> waterers either.
>
> what does everyone do that lives where it gets below freezing at night? we
> susan
CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
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