Warm Waterer Base

Based on our local backyard chicken owners' e-mail list, keeping our hens' water from freezing is a hot topic and source of much puzzlement and experimentation, myself included. I wanted to solve the problem in the best way for my chickens—and my wallet.

Purchase an inexpensive, used crock-pot from a secondhand store. Place ceramic tile over base, place waterer on tile, and plug in crock-pot. Whenever you are using electricity in your coop, sheds, etc. be especially cautious of any debris, straw, or other flammable materials that could catch on fire.

We already had an extension cord to the coop to provide the required 14 hours of light to keep the hens laying through the winter. We tried a heated dog bowl, but the hens ended up with frostbitten wattles from dipping them in the bowl. How can a chicken drink without getting her wattles wet? Was there maybe something to that circular design of the commercial waterers we used in the warmer months?

After some observation, I decided that the steep, thin sides of the waterer allowed the hens to dip their beaks in the water while keeping their wattles off to the side of the bowl. The dog dish was too thick at the rim; the hens were dragging their wattles in the water and the drips were freezing in place. Ouch!

Sticking with the commercial waterer, the next question was how to keep the waterer warm without melting it. I saw some techniques that involved buying a heated tile or base onto which to set the waterer. Being a bit too cheap for that, I thought about comparable products and realized that one item designed to stay on for long periods of time at low temperatures is a crock-pot or slow cooker.

Of course, I wasn't about to go out and buy a commercial crock-pot to water my chickens, but I knew that wouldn't be necessary. I headed straight to our local thrift store. There I found several crock-pots for under $5.

The crock-pot base had a lip at the edge, so I added a ceramic tile, which evenly transfers the warmth of the crock-pot base to the base of the waterer. At the lowest setting, it does not melt the plastic waterer. It doesn't have to keep the entire volume of water from freezing, only the bottom few inches, so it still flows into the circular base.

Freezing water problem solved for under $5!

The hens still prefer to eat snow or the water I spill on the ground, but they do drink from the warm waterer, with no signs of wattle frostbite yet.

Warm Bed With a "Third Hen"

Like nervous parents, we worried about our first two hens when it got really cold. We were sure they'd turn into popsicles, and we wouldn't be able to understand their complaints until it was too late. Knowing that the main way chickens stay warm is by huddling together, we worried that two hens wasn't a "critical mass," so we invented the "Third Hen." It's easy to make from items you may have laying around:

Parts list:

• Porcelain light bulb socket
• Lamp cord with plug (salvaged from a broken lamp?)
• Ceramic flowerpot and saucer
• 15-20 watt light bulb (40 is too hot)
• Heat-resistant tape (gaffer tape recommended)

Wire the light bulb socket with the cord to whatever length you like. We didn't include a switch because we used a timer to turn it on at night and off in the morning. We'd unplug the whole thing during warm weather.

The 'Third Hen' coop warmer is made from a clay flower pot, and saucer, old light bulb socket, lamp cord, heat-resistant tape, and a 15-20 watt light bulb. The completed warmer can be placed on a ceramic tile to ensure that the heat will not cause fires. Take time occasionally to remove dust and dander as well.

Screw the 20-watt bulb into the socket, tape the socket in the ceramic saucer, and overturn the flowerpot on top. You'll need to size your pot and saucer for the right fit as well as the right temperature.

Plug it in for an hour and check that it doesn't get too hot. It may get too hot to hold. You don't want to burn down your chicken coop, so if it's too hot, get a smaller bulb or a larger flowerpot.

Once you are happy with the bulb wattage and pot size (not too hot!), tape an all-metal lid over the drain hole of the flowerpot and tape the pot securely to the base. Tape all around the joint with tape so minimal light leaks out.

Finding the heat-resistant tape might be a challenge for some. Gaffer's tape is used in photographic and theatre lighting, and we have it around the house. It is cloth tape that is able to take high temperatures without melting. Brand names include Permacel, ProGaffer, Nashua, or ShurTape.

Don't use duct tape! As wonderful as duct tape is, it's not designed for high temperatures and the adhesive will melt (voice of experience). Though I haven't tried it, I know muffler tape, available at most auto parts stores and even some truck stops, is designed for high heat, so that might work too. I imagine one could also wrap the whole thing with wire and twist it down tight. Be creative, but remember the heater gets pretty toasty after being on for even a little while.

At the time, our two hens preferred to sit on the floor of the hen house, so they cozied up to the Third Hen when it was cold. If your hens perch, this heater would still radiate warmth to the perch area without getting too hot and without disrupting the dark like an incandescent bulb does when used for nighttime heat. I feel that hens should be permitted to sleep in the dark, especially when the timer light comes on at 2:30 a.m. to start their 14-hour day!

When you put the Third Hen in your coop, take care if you put it onto straw or wood shavings. Ours never got too hot that we worried about it, but you might set it on a ceramic tile. Also, keep the dust off it and check that the hens aren't pecking on it any place a little dot of light leaks through.

We had our Third Hen on a timer to come on at night, but we mostly just kept an eye on the temperature and only turned it on when it was below freezing.

Now that we have three hens, I haven't started using the Third Hen yet this winter, figuring three could keep each other warm. Since there is no way for a hen to tell me she's cold, I can only assume she's OK. I've gone out on a cold night and slipped my hand under one and she's still plenty warm.

The Third Hen may have been more for my guilty conscience than the hens' actual needs, but it was a fun project to make!