The Best Heated Chicken Waterers For Winter, Tested By My Flock

Winter is coming, which means it’s time to start thinking about cold-weather care for your chickens. I live in New England, where we experience below-freezing temperatures for several months per year, and when the first frost hits, I know it’s time to bring out our heated chicken waterers.

The best heated chicken waterers are a must-have if you live in a colder climate, as they use electricity to prevent your flock’s water supply from freezing during the winter, even if the temperatures are below freezing for days at a time. However, not all heated waterers work well—something I learned the hard way after several winters of owning chickens. On more than one occasion, I’ve trudged out to the coop on a 10-degree morning, only to find out the heater isn’t working and the water is a block of ice! Quite a few choice swear words were uttered…

Over the past few years, I’ve tried several heated watering systems for my chickens to varying degrees of success. The following are the products that I currently recommend:

• Best Heated Waterer For Chickens: Farm Innovators Heated 2-Gallon Poultry Drinker
• Best Heated Waterer For Ducks: Farm Innovators 2-Gallon Heated Bucket

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The Best Heated Waterer For Chickens

Farm Innovators Heated 2-Gallon Poultry Drinker

Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 11 inches | Capacity: 2.25 gallons | Power: 60 watts

If you solely have chickens in your flock, I highly recommend using a heated nipple waterer, like the Farm Innovators Heated 2-Gallon Poultry Drinker, during the winter. We’ve used this exact model for two years now, and I’ve never had any issues with the nipples freezing, even on the coldest winter days here in New England.

There are a few things I love about this heated waterer. If you’ve never used nipples before, the concept is quite simple: Your birds peck at the little metal part, which pushes inward and releases a few drops of water. They’re able to easily regulate how much water, and there’s no risk of the water getting dirty or gunky because the birds stepped or pooped in it—a common issue with dish-style waterers. This means you don’t have to refill the container as often, and the 2-gallon design holds enough water for a few days, in my experience. Obviously this will vary depending on how many birds are using it, but the brand says it’s ideal for up to 15 birds.

This heated chicken waterer has a metal handle that lets you hang it up, keeping it from freezing to the ground, and its power cord is a few feet long. The heating element is enclosed inside the base, heating the water from the bottom, and I’ve never had problems with the top of the water freezing.

This style of waterer can take a bit of getting used to if your birds have never used one before. When I first introduced it to my flock, I showed a few chickens how to use it by taking their beaks and pressing the nipples to dispense water. They caught on quickly, and we’ve been using the waterer ever since.

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The Best Heated Waterer For Ducks

Farm Innovators 2-Gallon Heated Bucket

Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 11 inches | Capacity: 2 gallons | Power: 60 watts

For ducks or mixed flocks, it’s a bit trickier to find a freeze-proof watering system. This is because ducks need to be able to clean out their nares—the technical terms for their nostrils, which are located toward the top of their bills—and their eyes. To do this, they need several inches of fresh water where they can submerge their heads, so a nipple-style waterer simply won’t do.

I’ve tried a few different open-top watering systems for my ducks, and in the end, the best option is one of the simplest: A good ol’ heated bucket. In particular, I’m partial to the Farm Innovators 2-Gallon Heated Bucket. I’ve found the brand to be reliable, and their products are sturdy and well-priced. The bucket holds more than enough water for our small flock of ducks and geese to dip their heads in, but it’s too small for them to climb in and splash around—though they certainly try.

These buckets hold around 2 gallons of water (there are larger sizes available, if needed), and you’ll generally need to refill it daily to keep the water topped up, as ducks won’t be able to reach the water if it drops too low in the bucket. I also like that these buckets can be hung up using the metal handle, which stops them from freezing to the ground in the winter. Plus, if you have geese, the power cord is wrapped in a metal spring that makes it hard to chew on.

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Other Heated Watering Systems I’ve Tried

Farm Innovators 1.5-Gallon Heated Pet Bowl

Last year, I saw a forum where someone recommended this heated pet bowl for ducks, and they would put a valve cover in the center to stop their birds from climbing into the dish. It worked pretty well—the water never froze, and the chew-resistant cord stopped the geese from gnawing on it.

However, the geese, being pesky little creatures, quickly learned how to pick up the valve cover and flip it out of the bowl. This meant that the ducks were free to climb into the waterer, and their splashing left it empty multiple times per day. So for us, it wasn’t going to work, but it’s not a bad option if you solely have ducks.

Farm Innovators SB-40 3-Quart Heated Pet Water Bowl

This is a smaller heated water bowl that holds around 3 quarts, but it quickly got retired from the chicken coop and used for our barn cats instead. When I used it for the chickens, they would stand on the edge and poop in the bowl, making a mess of the clean water, and when I tried it for the ducks, they climbed into it and splashed all the water out. So while it works to prevent water for freezing, it’s best for dogs or cats—not birds.

K&H Pet Products Waterer Deicer

One of the downsides of most chicken waterers is that they only hold a few gallons, and if you have a lot of birds, you’ll end up refilling it daily (if not more frequently). In an attempt to save myself the hassle of carrying buckets of water out to the coop every day, I tried using this heated base with a large 6.5-gallon waterer. Because it has a trough-style base, I thought it might work for our chickens and ducks, but unfortunately, it caused nothing but issues.

The deicer was able to keep the bottom few inches of water from freezing, but above that, it would turn to solid ice. I ended up hanging a birdbath deicer over the top edge, but even that was only moderately effective. The trough also got filled with dirt from the ducks bills, and it would seep back into the base, clogging up the flotation mechanism and causing the water to overflow.

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FAQs About Heated Chicken Waterers

Do heated chicken waterers work?

Yes! Heated chicken waterers are arguably the most effective way to keep your flock’s water from freezing in the winter. Heated waterers must be plugged into electricity, so you’ll generally need to run a water-resistant outdoor extension cord out to your coop. Once hooked up to power, they use a built-in heating element to keep the container just warm enough that it won’t freeze, ensuring your birds have access to fresh water, even when the temperature is below freezing.

It’s worth noting that in extremely cold weather—I’m talking negative temperatures—you may run into issues with heated waterers. Plastic can crack at these temperatures, causing leaks, or your waterer may develop a layer of ice on top. You’ll want to check on your birds a few times per day in these conditions to stay ahead of any issues.

How do you keep a chicken waterer from freezing without electricity?

If you can’t run an extension cord out to your chickens, there are a few ways to keep your flock’s water source warm without electricity. Here are a few options:

• Insulated Tire: If you have an old car tire hanging around, fill the inner walls and bottom with spray foam insulation, then place a black rubber feed pan in the center. The thick rubber and insulation will help prevent the water from freezing when the temperature dips, and as an added bonus, it’s easy to dump ice out of these pans thanks to their flexible walls.

• Mini Greenhouse: Some people build three-sided enclosures to surround their chicken waterers using heat-trapping materials like polycarbonate panels. On sunny days, the enclosure will retain warmth from the sun—just like a greenhouse—which can prevent the water from freezing.

• Ping Pong Balls: If you have a bowl or bucket-style waterer, you can place a few ping pong balls in it—as they bob around, they’ll help to keep the water moving, which may delay freezing.

Keep in mind that their effectiveness of these methods will vary depending on your climate, and they’ll work best in areas with mild winters where the temperature only dips below freezing occasionally. If you live somewhere with prolonged periods of cold or sub-zero temperatures, these strategies won’t keep water from freezing for long, and you’ll need to tend waterers multiple times per day to keep them unfrozen for your birds.

How long can chickens go without water in the winter?

Your flock should always have access to clean water, but there’s no need to panic if, for example, their water freezes overnight and you don’t notice until later in the day. Your chickens will be fine without water for several hours—I lock mine in the coop without water overnight, often for 8+ hours in the winter, and we’ve never had any issues.