Heated Poultry Waterer

Aurora Y from Maine

This system is very thrown together. The bucket is a name brand heated bucket which can be bought all over and it seems nice, sturdy. No insulation has been added to the bucket. There is a heating unit only in one 4x3 area on the bottom of the bucket. The 3 red drip nipples are the new design, screwed in, and seem to work well, but I worry they will freeze up in the cold Maine winters. We shall see.
Now the lid...it is an add on which does not fit tightly. The heavy duty metal handle of the heated bucket makes the lid not sit flat creating a gap, and the styrofoam underside of the lid does not match the bucket size, so there is a 1 inch gap all the way around, which will let heat out. The lid not being tightly fitting, just lose as a goose will also not keep the water as clean as I would like.
But I'm NOT sending it back on my own dime, even though I hate it. So how will I fix it....1. take off the metal handle and replace it with a bigger one, so the bucket can be hung with the lid on and the lid fit flatly. 2. Put more foam on the underside of the lid, so it fits more tightly. 3. Think about adding foam to bucket... not sure how yet, as I want to be sure insulation is able to be in water and also is healthy for my chicks.

Gerald W from Idaho

Rhode Island Reds took right to the red nipples. Very nice transition. It must be in the genes!

Debra I from Illinois

I have not used the heater yet since its summer, but it's a great additive to this waterer. Love the ease of filling, easy fir chicks to use, and cleaner water.

A R from Maryland

I bought this after the nipples on my "Hen Hydrator" kept freezing up (despite the birdbath heater inside the bucket) in very cold weather. For some reason it took my hens a while to get used to it. Once they did, though, they *greatly* prefer it to the "Hen Hydrator" (even when the latter is working right). Works like a charm - even during our coldest weather this winter (single digits), it didn't freeze. I'll be selling off the "Hen Hydrator" this fall. Agree with another reviewer - it'd sure be nice if I could hang it in the run rather than sit it on a cinder block - easier to adjust the height. Adding a handle to the base would make this possible. Then I could zip-tie the cord to the chain I hang it with to reduce the risk of its getting unplugged by a chicken trying to perch on it. Torn between giving it four and five stars. In terms of something that works and saves me from hauling water on cold mornings - it's worth ten stars! I'm giving it 4/5 just because it could have been that tiny bit better if I could hang it.

David R from Michigan

-10° outside and this heated waterer is still flowing. Thanks to the lid and nipple system the water is also kept clean. Outstanding product.