Cold Weather Tips

These ideas are not my ideas they have been taken from message boards or copied from mail I received...If you see your idea here and would like credit for it, or would like it removed, give me a yell...THANK YOU for the use of them.

This heater will keep the water from freezing in the winter.

The recipe is:

• A porcelain light receptacle
• A piece of plywood about 12" x 12"
• A piece of lamp cord
• A large coffee or other metal can
• Wire the receptacle - attach it to the plywood - use a 25 or 40 watt bulb depending on size of waterer and night temperature - place can over light - plug in and put waterer on top of can - and awaaaaayyyyy you go.

The best thing to do is put the waterer/heater in a corner. Before you put the plug on the lamp cord, slip a piece of plastic pipe over it that is high enough that the chickens can't reach it to peck at it and rodents can't chew it. You might want to put the waterer in a corner and secure it to a wall so it doesn't get tipped over.--------I use a one gallon waterer - either all plastic or a plastic base with a glass top.  

Take a 2 x 4laid flat - put a piece of heat tape inside a piece of 3/4" or 1" plastic pipe (CPVC) - attach the pipe to the top of the 2 x 4 with hose clamps. The heat tape will probably have a neon light on it that glows when the thermostat turns the tape on. In addition to protecting the end of the tape from pecking by the chickens, you want to definitely protect the neon light which will attract the birds attention especially at night.

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