Bucket heaters can provide heated insulation for chicken waterers and duck waterers all winter long. Read on to see how they can best be used and other tips for preventing water from freezing. 

The Basics of Chicken Water - Why It's Important and How to Keep Chicken Water from Freezing

If you have a backyard chicken coop, you know that keeping chickens' water from freezing is essential for their survival. Chickens need water to drink, of course, so the battle of keeping their water from freezing in the winter can be tough. If their water supply freezes over, they'll be thirsty and uncomfortable, and potentially at risk of dying of dehydration.

The same situation applies to larger chicken and egg producers as well. Costs in meat production have skyrocketed, and with the constant worry of bird flu hanging over poultry farms, every healthy hen counts. You need a permanent solution to stop drinking water from freezing, or you’ll lose more birds. But how is that possible during long, cold winters?

Chicken Farming in the Winter

Chicken farming, as well as duck and turkey farming, is a year-round profession. Whether you’re the manager of thousands of birds or only keep a small flock, ensuring their growth is key to maintaining business profits. The birds need attention every day in order to keep them in good health. This is easier to do when the weather is warm, but is still just as important in cold weather. 

Photo from Pexels

Cold weather can have a drastic impact on chicken farms. Low temperatures bother livestock, making animals and birds less productive and harder to keep them hydrated. This last point can be deadly if not addressed, as frozen water containers will lead to birds dying of dehydration. 

The solution is simple: preventing ice buildup can help your waterers stay thawed and potable for chickens to drink. 

How to Keep Water from Freezing for Chickens

There are a few things you can do to keep your chickens' water from freezing: 

• Place a heated water bowl in the coop. You can buy a heated bowl or make your own out of an old heating pad and a plastic bowl. Be sure to check the pad's wiring regularly to make sure it's not overheating. The same goes for a heated duck waterer. 

• Add objects like a thawed water bottle or heat pack to your chickens’ water bowl

• Utilize bucket heaters with your regular bucket watering system.

Cold Water, Not Warm Water, Is Essential During Winter Months

Chickens and ducks that are raised to lay eggs tend to lay less when they’re cold. However, a steady water supply can help them overcome freezing temperatures and keep those eggs coming. Chicken and duck waterers should be warmed just enough to allow cold water to drip into feeding areas. As our friends at The Happy Chicken Coop have said: 

Chickens don’t like drinking lukewarm water, they like drinking nice cold water. So when you’re heating the water, make sure you don’t heat it up too much. The purpose of heating the water should be to prevent it from freezing.

It’s really quite simple: don’t warm it, just thaw it. But such a precise increase of temperature means you might have to forgo cranking up the thermostat in your hen house. 

Photo from Pexels.

Tips for Extremely Cold Weather Conditions

Additionally, here are a few things you can do to provide a more comfortable environment for your chickens:

• Thaw frozen ground that the drinking container is on. Don’t let a bowl of water sit on ice-cold ground, or it will freeze. Place a small pad of foam or insulation under it to make space between the bowl and the ground, just as you would with a sleeping pad and a sleeping bag when you go out camping. Thawing the ground in your coop will go a long way in helping your hens to be productive.

• Make sure the coop is well-insulated. There should be more than just a thin lining of wood or metal in between your hens and the outside air.

• Use heated insulation. Insulation in extreme cold can only lessen heat loss, whereas heated insulation, such as a 5-gallon bucket heater or tote warmer, actively warms up the area and keeps it heated, providing a comfortable environment for chickens to be productive.

Bucket heaters are a perfect solution to preventing waterers from freezing.

Troubleshooting Frozen Water Problems

If you’ve done all you can to prevent your poultry drinking water from freezing but you still keep seeing it ice over, it’s time to call the experts. Heat Authority is the literal authority on heating applications and can help you diagnose what’s going on, as well as which heating products will be the best fit for a long-term solution. 

Bucket Heaters from Heat Authority

Keep your food, water, or industrial materials at an optimal temperature with a bucket heater from Heat Authority. Get peace of mind from not having to worry about frozen drinking water, especially in an age where each hen and every egg can bring in a profit. 

Click the button below to get a permanent solution to your freezing problems. 

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Frequently Asked Questions: Additional Resources on Keeping Chickens Hydrated in Winter

Do chickens lay less eggs when they’re cold?

Yes, they will. However, chickens that are comfortable will lay more. Hydration is key to helping chickens endure cold weather comfortably, so make sure you have plenty of thawed, potable water for them. 

What can you put in water for chickens to keep it from freezing?

You must be very careful when adding things to your chickens’ drinking water. Do not do anything that would change the content of the water, such as solutions or additives. The only things you should add are objects like bottle warmers or a container of salt water. However, these objects must be completely sealed and should not leak any contents into the drinking water. 

Can you add salt to chickens’ water to keep it from freezing?

Do not add salt in any amount to your chickens’ water. Salt water will kill your hens if they drink it. While it might seem silly for someone to ask this question, some of the science checks out. 

Salt, when added to water, lowers the freezing and boiling points of that body of water. This is why oceans tend not to freeze and why pasta recipes will have you add salt to help bring water to a boil faster. However, most land creatures, including humans and chickens, cannot digest salt water. Under no circumstances should you add salt to your hen’s drinking water. 

How warm should my chickens’ water be?

Water that is used by chickens for drinking should be kept anywhere from 50-60 degrees. There is no need to do more than thaw it during the winter. 

Do the same standards apply when keeping drinking water for ducks and turkeys warm?

Yes, the same temperature and potable water purity standards apply for ducks and turkeys as much as they do for chickens. Don’t let your ducks or turkeys go thirsty, but don’t heat up their water too much either. Just thaw it so it’s nice and cold with no ice.