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That $50 heated birdbath I bought last December was a total lifesaver during the freeze
I was skeptical because it's just a cheap plastic dish with a heating element, but my morning robins and finches had open water every single day while everything else was solid ice. Has anyone else tried one of these or do you just break the ice manually?
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janarivera1mo ago
Oh man, that "total lifesaver" part is spot on. I got a similar one from Amazon last year and I was shocked it actually worked (especially since I'm usually pretty cynical about cheap gadgets). My little juncos and sparrows had a steady water source even when my neighbor's manual ice-breaking routine became a twice-daily chore. The only thing I'd warn about is keeping the cord protected from squirrels who might see it as a chew toy.
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kellys781mo ago
Whoa, I gotta respectfully disagree with you there! My heater has held up fine for two winters now, no cracks or weird tastes, and the birds definitely prefer it over my old ice-breaking routine. Squirrels are a pain though, I just ran the cord through some old PVC pipe and that solved it.
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jennifer2041mo ago
janarivera I get where you're coming from but honestly I had a totally different experience with mine. That cheap plastic dish cracked after two weeks and water leaked everywhere, then the heating element shorted out on the third night. I went back to breaking ice manually because at least I know it works and I don't have to worry about some weird chemical taste from the plastic. Maybe I just got a bad batch but between the squirrel damage and the cord being a trip hazard in the dark, it felt like more trouble than it was worth.
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the_emery1mo ago
My buddy Mike bought one of those and his cat chewed through the cord the first night, almost started a little fire in his garage. Did you have any luck returning yours or did you just eat the cost?
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