Farm Innovators "All-Seasons" Heated Plastic Poultry Fountain - 3 Gal. Model HPF-100, 100-Watt

there are metal base's for the 3/5? gallon waterer
you could also make a base out of a cookie tin, directions to make are on line here someplace
I use a cookie tin heater with a plastic waterer, (refrigerator ) size bulb and one of those pain in the neck heaters you are returning

Please forgive me for saying, but the only time chickens should be subjected to stale water might be in times of National or serious Personal emergencies.

They need fresh water at least once...everyday. Imagine if you would, drinking water from a cow track. Thirst could force you to do it but I bet you wouldn't appreciate it.

Hardly to mention, serious pathogens can build up in the vessel that can cause intestinal tract disorders ....like pasted butts, even in adult poultry.

OK...off my soap box...carry on.

I'm totally convinced....junk it is. With this much testimomy, I won't have to see for myself.

Thanks everyone...I'll continue carrying warm water to a massive number of chickens, like we have done for generations. I use three gallon rubber tubs that are very easy to crack out the ice and the birds appreciate the fresh warm water three times a day.

Hate mine too. Water does not come out very well. I hung it and it still does not flow out much.

Same issues with mine! HATE it. But better than nothin'.

I have this. It works very well to keep the water from freezing. The problem, in my opinion, is that it is ridiculous to have a 3 gallon capacity on this thing. If you put more than about a gallon and a half (or not even, I really just always put a gallon to be safe now that I've been spilled on when trying to put more a couple of times - that was enough!), it can't hold together and comes apart and spills all the water. The clips are completely inadequate. So, for a one gallon capacity, it works well - but then it is a pain to have that big thing to deal with & wash etc when it is useless at that size. I hang mine and the water does flow okay in my experience to keep the drinking tray filled. So, it works, with the limitation of only really being a one gallon waterer. However, it is the best way I have to keep unfrozen water for the hens when their coop is only like 20 degrees or whatever, still hung up to keep from them from soiling it quite so quickly. I can't wait to switch back to a regular waterer that doesn't break apart so easily when warm weather comes! (although then I won't like all the mud, so I can deal with the waterer for now...)

This is the second poor review of a Farm Innovators product I've seen recently. The other was for an incubator. The complaints on that one (on Amazon) seemed to stem also around poor design.

Bought the poultry fountain two months ago. Have seven hens that go through three gal in about 4 days. Water does not freeze. Easy to fill in sink. Make sure rubber stopper is installed properly. Loose about 1 pint of water when turning over, no big deal. All in all I'd give it a 8 out of 10.

I have this hate it hard to handle waste of money and it freezes

We use one and I fill gallon milk jugs at house then use a funnel to fill the waterer at the coop. Works out real well. The waterer did not freeze last Monday when it was -20 with -47 below wind chills.

Third winter with mine. Works as far as keeping water from freezing but has many flaws (hard to handle - several times it came apart when I flipped it over, no cord just prongs to plug extension cord in, plastic a bit to flimsy). I use it but I am still looking for a better option. Heated dog water dish looked promising but does not work well as water constantly gets soiled

I do give them fresh water everyday. I was just saying that it holds a lot.

Ok, my misunderstanding. You night be surprised at the number of people who water their stock when the container is empty and may not even be in a great hurry then.

Thanks for the clarification.

I bought this, also. HORRIBLE design. A complete waste of money. I now use a heated dog bowl.

I use a heated dog bowl, also. Heated dog bowls are very handy and it holds more water, also, easy to fill.

Worse design I have ever dealt with in waterers! Barely kept water liquid at base but water froze in the top half during the coldest part of the winter. Bottom comes off with almost any movement. Had more water on the coop floor and walls during the winter because bottom would come off when placing it in the coop. Handle broke off after the third time I used it to lift it. Would NEVER buy one again. Like DuckRaiser, I went to heated dog bowls for the winter after all the fiasco with this one. They are much better.

When you use the heated water bowls, do you just fill them or do you put some kind of other contraption in to hold more water? My worry is that the water will get really dirty and they don't have a huge capacity. I would love any suggestions!

I also have this waterer. It is very difficult to fill and flip over. I have had the bottom fall out also. It does well keeping the water from freezing, but I have had frozen water on real cold days. I am going to see if I can use the base for warming a bowl of water. I do also give them warm water in a rubber bowl.

I bought one last year when i got my chicks. It was horrible for all the reasons you listed. It never made it to winter when it got cold the plastic broke. So i have never tried the heated base. Considering how poorly made the rest of the waterer was made i was afraid to try it.

I have three of these, and like them. Now I do agree with evemfoster that they could be made better, and that the top doesn't stay attached to the bottom as well as it should. But like they say, "forewarned is forearmed," so after the first time it came apart on me I was just very careful with it and have never had a second incident. And they do need to be kept level, but that's a feature with most waterers. I keep mine elevated on some bricks, so once I got the bricks level there's never been a repeat issue. But being the best quality waterer or being a waterer that doesn't need to be leveled is not this product's claim to fame. I bought it to keep the water from freezing, and it does that perfectly and consistently, without causing a fire, using three of them for four years. I don't use it as my regular waterer because it's not great quality and you do have to be careful with it. But it's a lot better than hauling warm water out to the birds every 2 hours so they can have something to drink, especially on freezing cold mornings when they wake up thirsty and I wake up not wanting to walk out into the ice and snow at daybreak.