# Water heaters



## goatwhisperer (Dec 9, 2010)

I have a three gallon water bucket for my pygmy kids.  I was wondering what the best kind of water heater is for a smaller bucket?


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## patandchickens (Dec 9, 2010)

By far the safest thing is to buy an actual heated bucket -- one of the blue ones with the heating element sealed into the plastic of the bucket. They work really well IME.

Pat


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## mully (Dec 9, 2010)

Most of the heaters are for stock tanks that are 40-50 gal  You might want to buy a 2 gal bucket with a heater built in, then you could just add water


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## ksalvagno (Dec 9, 2010)

You could try a bird bath heater. That is what I use for my 5 gallon buckets.


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## cmjust0 (Dec 9, 2010)

I have two 100gal 'rubbermaid' tanks (the big black plastic ones) with the heaters that screw into the drain plug.  Love'em.  I've had smarty pants type folks tell me "OOOOH you're gonna 'lectrocute your goats!" because...yanno...it kinda looks like a big stove element down in the tank.

My stock reply is "Do you have an electric water heater in your house?"

Yes.  Why?

"Have you ever seen the elements in an electric water heater?"

That usually gets people thinking and/or shuts people up.


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## Emmetts Dairy (Dec 9, 2010)

WELCOME TO BYH!!!! 

Love the name!! "GoatWhisperer"  

These are great and come in many differant sizes.  And they dont chew the darn cords...  

They do have some in store with a flat back so you can hang it against a flat surface..etc..and they were on sale...

They really work..we have a larger one..and for us it was well worth it!!

Im not sure if you wanted to buy one or make one???  But these our what we use.  Its cold here in NH and they are great!  

And NO...I dont work at TSC...     Although I should for the discounts!


http://www.tractorsupply.com/livest...k-heaters/api-9hb-heated-bucket-9-qt--2170071


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## ThornyRidge (Dec 9, 2010)

I agree with the blue buckets with heat coils built in and plug in cord covered in non chewable metal coil.  They work great.. does not heat water but absolutely keeps water unfrozen!  They have been a god send to me in a couple horrificly cold winters where it was actually single digits inside a closed barn!  Those suckers came out early this winter.. use a large flat backed one for the main herd and a small round one for the boys.. I also have the plug in water heaters and put 2 into a 5 gallon bucket of water to give out 3 small buckets of warm water morning and night..  my goats love warm water and I know too that they are consuming water even in cold water... kind of like a hot tea on a cold day!  and yes I bought my buckets and heaters at TSC... actually some of it was Christmas gifts a couple years ago!!  my kind of gifts!


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## goatwhisperer (Dec 9, 2010)

Thanks so much for the feedback everyone!


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## jodief100 (Dec 10, 2010)

Sign up at Tractor Supplys website and you can get a coupon for $5 off a $25 purchase.  The 5 gallon buckets are about $35 here so $5 off is a good discount.  

I use them and love them.  I have 2 - 16 gallon ones, one in the boys pen and one in the girls pen and I have 5 gallon ones in the kidding jugs.

Make sure you do not overload your circuits.  I also recommend a thermocube that turns off the power when the temperature is 40 degrees.  Saves lots of energy.


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## patandchickens (Dec 10, 2010)

I do not know about the small blue buckets (I *own* one of the bucket ones, just never checked ), you'd have to look at what the mfr says, but I know that the muck-bucket size versions have a thermostat built in. 

(I have two for my three horses, and LOVE LOVE LOVE them)

Pat


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