backyard chicken coop water heater

[japierce15]

i change out the light bulb to different wattages depending on the temperature outside. 40 watts seems to be good down to 20 degrees or so. then i up to 60, 75, or 100 depending on expected climate. I just don't want to waste electric u kno. Also, mine is on a thermostat that turns on the light at around 35 degrees.

[djbarryiii]

@japierce15 The thermostat is a great idea...mine was just on a timer.

[valeriearmfield]

Very good idea! Thanks!!!!

[superbeauthy]

thanks, good info.. your chickens like you.

[djbarryiii]

@superbeauthy You're welcome...they were sweeties (for chickens, that is!)

[superbeauthy]

thanks, good info.. you chickens like you.

[1994buttons]

You is one smart dude! Cool idea!

[djbarryiii]

Actually, keeping the water warm is more important than keeping the girls warm...they do remarkably well with their feather coats and snuggling into each other, but if the water freezes, well...the chickens are plumb out of luck.

[TheTruthoverlies]

wish I had watched this earlier today. I'm in central texas and it is 18F. Damn global warming....! This is a damn good idea, I am going to throw one together. My water fount is freezing. Thanks!

[MrGuy247]

MrGuy247 here. I just attched my video of my water heater. Thanks for the idea. It works perfectly. Everyone's impressed.

[zokizoran]

How much electricity does keeping that one lightbulb running all winter long cost you?

[djbarryiii]

@zokizoran 60 watts x 24 hours = 1440 watt hours = 1.44 kilowatt hours. Electricity here costs about 10 cents per kwh, so it costs about 14 cents per day. After I made this video I dropped down to a 40 watt bulb, which still kept the water wet, which would be around 10 cents per day.

[CDoggsRandoms]

Haha I've posted on other videos that you are truely a Tyvek Craftsman and I thought that you had come up with everything already to use Tyvek for and I see

You made a roof out of be stuff! You are pure ingenious let me tell you!

[djbarryiii]

@CDoggsRandoms Your a indeed a person of rare insight.

[LBGoodyear]

Very ingenious! Thanks for posting this - I'm looking forward to trying it out...

Um... I suspect your Ovaraptor rules the roost because I'm pretty sure she's a Rooster... If a bird with a comb that impressive is laying eggs... you may be on to something even better than your great winter waterer!

[djbarryiii]

@LBGoodyear Still, for a guy he laid some pretty nice eggs! I guess my little ovaraptor was the Lady Gaga of chickens......

[clintxoxox]

I like this,i might try it-thanks very much for the idea

[fatmanplaying]

Couldn't you use one of the fish tank heaters? '

just put a hole and maybe line it a little with tin and set the round heater in the water.

I know the water container is plastic but I bet you could figure a way to keep it safe.

Thanks for this idea I will use it for my outside cats here is western Washington.

[djbarryiii]

Sounds reasonable to me, but are those things powerful enough?

[TheLimbReaper]

I made this years ago only with a pine box minus the top and bottom. Screw a sheet of metal (Aluminum or steel) to the top. Mount a porcelin socket to the inside, leave the bottom open for easy bulb change. It needed a thermostat though, so I ended up buying the commercial heater (resembles an oil change pan) and it was so much more economical due to the thermostat.

[djbarryiii]

Sounds like a good heater--simple and cheap, which is how I like 'em. The timer was my answer to a thermostat, I guess.

[wherestherub]

This is great! I've been looking for a solution to this little problem. I may use a slightly higher wattage bulb for Anchorage. Does it keep the entire inside above freezing, though? Thanks for the video.

[djbarryiii]

No, it won't keep the whole coop warm but this setup will keep the water from freezing---even with the outside temperature down to 10 or 15 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (I live in Wisconsin.) The birdies huddle around the flowerpot at night to keep themselves warm. Be careful of bulbs burning out, though. It happens and if you're not careful you might miss it---even for a couple of days as I did---once!

[HotSauceJohnny]

Sorry, added a video response without the comment. I set up a larger watering system with a 30 gallon tank that I am going to try to keep defrosted this coming winter. I will follow up with another video at that time to show if/how it worked.

[FarmGirl437]

wanted you to know your idea is still helping fellow chicken-keepers...three years later. thanks!

[Rugger0430]

That is a great idea to keep the water from freezing, Thanks so much will be using that idea this winter..

[Sabei0990]

Do you let them out of that area? Or is that enough room?

[djbarryiii]

I'd let them out into a much larger area fenced in with portable fencing and also with a chicken tractor around the yard. The smaller run was big enough, though, but they liked getting out into the larger area.

[djbarryiii]

Thanks for the comment...this setup actually does keep the water wet when the temperature is well down below zero (Fahrenheit.)

[joinapak]

CHiCkEnZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!

[HISandman]

great idea!! doing it this winter!!

[1046fireman]

Excellent idea!

[robertgammie]

Very nice setup

[potteril456]

Dan: Thanks for posting this video. You gave me some great ideas in building my coop and for wintercare for my birds. I live in Chicago. Will

[djbarryiii]

To tell you the truth, a 40 watt incandescent bulb should work in balmy Chicago!

[Stormclouds777]

Thats a great idea! Im going to get a treadmill with a generator and a simple electric heater...Im going to have my wife run on it in the winter time to keep the chickens warm. Think that will work? LOL!

[djbarryiii]

I think that could actually work. Riding a bike at full speed takes about 200 watts of work, so I think that she could probably keep up a 60 watt pace for 8 or 12 hours through the coldest time of the night. She'd have to sleep through the day, but the sun would help keep the birds comfy during the day...or you could volunteer for the day shift yourself. REAL chicken lovers should consider this option!

[Stormclouds777]

Yep! I think its a GREAT idea!! (just dont tell my wife I said so) ;)

[ColeFried81]

your heating tidea for keeping the water warm is pretty smart. Thanks for the tip good fellow.

[Singer221fan]

Hmm.... I may just have to try this! With a few changes though, as I have many more chickens, but am tired of chipping ice out. LOL

[WoundedEgo]

This winter I'm going to try painting th bottle black and surrounding it with clear plastic in order to get the greenhouse effect (it will need to get sun).

[KelsoCock]

Thanks for the idea! Our $45 heater also quit. We've been brainstorming all winter on how to make a homemade heater!

[ericandpattie]

Great idea. My $45 heater base just quit and can't affort a new one, so this is an awesome idea. I will definitely try this. Thanks for the American ingenuity.

[djbarryiii]

Glad you like it. I've actually downsized to a 40 watt bulb this winter and it's working fine. I've added some insulated pads (astroturf covered with tyvek) to the wire floor of the hen house and this morning it was 30 degrees Fahrenheit inside while it was 10 below zero outside!

[jellofast]

if you made a pump that moves the water, would it stop the water from freezing?

[hmglis]

awesome idea! im going to pass this one to my older brother who loves to raise chickens too!

[clshcaz]

Do you have to provide supplemental heat for the birds in winter?  How cold does it get there?

[djbarryiii]

Cishcaz, It gets down to 15 or 20 below zero Fahrenheit...at least for a couple of nights most winters. Average nightime lows are around zero in January. Heaters might not be necessary. I spoke with someone last week who's chickens did OK last winter in an unheated, small, closed (at night) coop. The big problem is that WATER FREEZES here in the winter. So my little heater keeps the coop 10 or 20 degrees warmer than outside and, perhaps most importantly, keeps the water wet!

Dan B.

[ChazWeisbeck]

did u say her name was avaraptor?

[djbarryiii]

Her name is ovaraptor...the name of a dinosaur that they originally thought was an egg eater because they found its bones in a nest of dino eggs. Eventually somebody decided she's not an egg eater, just an aggressive looking proto bird. (just like my white chicken!)

[ChazWeisbeck]

okay haha

[trucklover9]

hey this is trucklover9. i made a plan of your chicken coop and it can help you make your coop better with the little space you have. you should check it out. do you want me to email it to you. the chicken coop make over is free. you just need scrap wood and thats it. let me know trucklover9

[djbarryiii]

Trucklover,

What's the plan?

Dan

[trucklover9]

hey, i realized i never gave u the plan. do u still want it. did the camping material work. where did u get it?

[djbarryiii]

I think I got the 1/8 (or was it 1/4?)inch camping pad stuff at Shopko. But WalMart and joints like that sell it. Dan

[flexgregg911]

Thank you for the idea.

[djbarryiii]

You're welcome! All three ladies made it through the roughest winter we've had in Wisconsin in year.

[armedatc]

This is very interesting. I like the way you interact with your chickens.

[djbarryiii]

Armedatc, Well, we're all earthlings. I guess mammals have something in common with fowl, too.