Pro tip: Skip the expensive heated chicken waterers

I spent $90 on a fancy heated waterer last winter and it cracked within two weeks. The plastic just couldn't handle the freeze-thaw cycles here in upstate New York. I went back to my old method of using a rubber bowl from Tractor Supply that cost me $12 and a simple heated base that was $25. The key is to wrap the cord in that foam pipe insulation so the chickens don't peck it. That setup lasted me through two full winters now with no issues. Anyone else had bad luck with those all-in-one heated units?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowan_hayes1d ago

Honestly I think you're absolutely right about those all-in-one units being overpriced junk. The whole idea of a single plastic bowl with a built-in heater just seems like a design that's begging to fail. The freeze-thaw cycles we get here are brutal and plastic just isn't meant to handle that kind of constant expansion and contraction. And the rubber bowl with a separate heated base is honestly way more practical because you can replace just one part if something breaks. Plus you can swap out the bowl for a different size if your flock grows or if you want to use a deeper one for bigger birds.

mia_anderson1d ago

Yeah @rowan_hayes, I switched to a rubber bowl and heated base setup last winter and it worked great for me.