RJ Homestead

Every year, as winter settles in, we face the same struggle: keeping the chickens’ water from turning into a block of ice. This year has been particularly brutal, with daytime temperatures barely creeping above freezing and nighttime lows dipping into the teens for weeks on end.

Our usual routine involves a lot of heavy lifting. Starting at daylight, we bundle up and haul buckets of warm water out to the coop every couple of hours. We break up the ice in the bowls, dump it out, and refill them. It’s tedious, exhausting work, and frankly, we aren’t always home during the day to keep up with that kind of schedule. With winter break approaching and plans to be away for a couple of days, I was genuinely concerned about how we were going to keep the flock hydrated without being there to break the ice.

The Search for a Solution

I started looking into heated chicken water bowls, hoping for a quick fix. Unfortunately, most of them come with very short power cords and strict warnings against using extension cords. Since our coop doesn’t have electricity and the nearest outlet is about 20–25 feet away, those standard heated bowls just weren’t an option for us.

But, as it often happens, a solution appeared when I wasn’t really looking for it. While scrolling through Facebook, I came across an ad for a bird bath heater. It dawned on me: most bird baths aren’t located right next to a house, so surely they must be designed for distance?

Submersible 110W Bird Bath Heater

The Game Changer

I clicked the link and checked the specs. It was low wattage, had solid reviews, and—drum roll, please—was safe to run off an extension cord. I didn’t hesitate; I ordered one immediately.

We’ve been using it for the last week, and it has been a total game-changer. Despite the frigid temperatures, we have had a bowl of water without a single trace of ice. Just last night, the temperature dropped to 10°F, and in the dark of the early morning, the water was still perfectly liquid.

The chickens seem much happier, too. They no longer have to wait for us to trudge out with fresh water to get a drink.

Hope for Other Coop Keepers

If you are struggling with frozen waterers and lack direct power in your run, I highly recommend looking into a bird bath heater. It’s an inexpensive solution that has worked wonders for us. We can finally breathe a little easier—and save our backs from carrying all those buckets—knowing our flock has access to water 24/7.

Get one right from Amazon, Bird Bath Heater.

Here’s to warmer days ahead, and until then, liquid water for the flock!

Also, please stop by our facebook page and give us a “like” there. We post some additional content there, and we’re always happy to respond and answer any questions you may have! You can also find me on GAB, https://gab.com/jungerer!