We have reached the time of year when breaking ice in the chicken water is a daily occurrence. We use the Saddle Style Oasis Poultry Water Nipples on a 5 gallon bucket for our chicken water, but have not tested them in the cold before (since this is the first year we’ve had chickens).
We didn’t have a heater hooked up the first night of below-freezing weather, so the entire pvc tube was frozen solid and ice was inside the bucket across the top and sides. Time to try the water heater. We found the Behlen Country 250-Watt Submersible Heater at our local feed store, which is said to be safe for plastic buckets.
Last night our low was 26 degrees, but the bucket and pvc tube were free of ice. Success! I know we’ll have colder temperatures as we get further into winter, but so far this heater seems to be able to keep our chicken water ice free.