Water for Chickens

Keeping the water for our chickens from freezing is sometimes a problem in the winter.  However, we have a good solution that works quite well.  We borrowed this idea from a friend who has done something similar. (Must give credit where credit is due!)  Here's a picture of what we have done.

Inside the chicken coop, we made a stand out of cement blocks, leaving a space in the middle.  Inside the space, we set a single light bulb that can be plugged into a wall outlet.  Then, we set the water container over the light bulb, like this.



We only plug the cord in on very cold days (and nights).  The heat generated from the light bulb is just enough to keep the water from freezing.  There were a couple of times when there was a very thin layer of ice on the water, but it never froze completely and the girls were still able to get drinks, which they appreciated greatly.