Winter Watering - Chickens, Bantams, and Ducks

[akf93]

Multiple part question: Considering our winter watering routine for our first winter with birds. I’m in NE Indiana. Thinking of doing an aquarium heater in a nipple waterer inside the coop. And a heated bucket outside the run (but very near the food for the ducks) - partially covered so we don’t have any swimmers. Does this sound like a good plan? I was considering at least partially burying the bucket to make it easier for the chickens (bantams especially) to access. Good idea or no? Is there an easy way to dump it that I can’t think of or do I just have to muscle it out of the hole to dump and then put back in? I know I’ve seen people bury water buckets in compost to help with heat but how do you change out the water?

Not necessarily looking for different ideas unless mine is not good. After lots of sifting through information and ideas, I think this is what will work best for us - unless it’s a terrible idea altogether.

 

[azygous]

You can find small portable sump pumps online or at any good hardware store to plop into your buried water bucket. (Requires a power source) Most suck every drop out so you only need to wipe out the scum with a rag and then refill.

Your ideas are as good as anything I've come up with over the decade and a half of keeping chickens at high altitude with freezing winters.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The only thing I'd suggest is consider using black rubber tubs instead of buckets. I get them at Tractor Supply, I'd think most feed stores would carry them. You don't have to bury them for the bantams to be able to drink and the black rubber will act as a solar heater when they are in the sun. That can help keep water thawed longer.

When they freeze, and they will freeze, I beat them against the ground to break the water out, the rubber will not break.

My concern with the holes is that when you get free water and it freezes, would the bucket freeze into the ground?

 

[jreardon1918]

Multiple part question: Considering our winter watering routine for our first winter with birds. I’m in NE Indiana. Thinking of doing an aquarium heater in a nipple waterer inside the coop. And a heated bucket outside the run (but very near the food for the ducks) - partially covered so we don’t have any swimmers. Does this sound like a good plan? I was considering at least partially burying the bucket to make it easier for the chickens (bantams especially) to access. Good idea or no? Is there an easy way to dump it that I can’t think of or do I just have to muscle it out of the hole to dump and then put back in? I know I’ve seen people bury water buckets in compost to help with heat but how do you change out the water?

Not necessarily looking for different ideas unless mine is not good. After lots of sifting through information and ideas, I think this is what will work best for us - unless it’s a terrible idea altogether.

I don't know about burying. We have ours under the raised coop. We fill it with a one gallon water pitcher every couple of days. We rarely need to dump and rinse. I have read that people use aquarium heaters. It seems they would run hot trying to keep the water pretty warm. The heater we use turns off at about 45F. Our heater has worked great for 4+years.

The link here is a post describing our water setup.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/26204467/