Questions and answers about chicken coop heaters and winter water

The extension services disagree. Maryland, New Hampshire and Maine advise against supplemental heat for adult birds that are protected from wind and wet. The University of Minnesota Extension recommends heat once the temperature inside the coop drops below 35 °F. Wisconsin and Ohio State make it depend on the flock. All six put a dry, draft-free, ventilated coop first.

For adult birds, a flat radiant panel is the lower-risk device: it has no bulb and draws about 150 watts instead of the 250 watts of a typical lamp bulb. The Maine Fire Marshal's Office names heat lamps first among the top causes of coop fires. A panel is still a heat source next to bedding and needs fixed mounting and a fixed outlet.

The NFPA safety tip sheet for backyard coops says not to use extension cords in the coop. The University of Minnesota Extension allows them for short-term use only and recommends working with an electrician for permanent power. A heater or heated waterer that runs all winter is not short-term use.

With power at the coop: a heated fountain or nipple waterer with a built-in thermostat, or a heated base under a container that the base is sold for. Without power: an insulated waterer, black rubber tubs placed in the sun and swapping water during the day. The University of Maryland Extension lists the last two. Insulation delays freezing and does not prevent it.

Multiply watts by hours and divide by 1,000. A 150-watt panel that runs for 14 hours uses 2.1 kilowatt-hours. Multiply that by the rate on your own electricity bill. A device with a thermostat runs less. The page on running cost has a calculator for your own rate.

No source read for this site names a temperature at which adult chickens come to harm. The University of Minnesota Extension describes signs of cold stress instead: birds huddle, fluff their feathers and stand on one foot. Its figure of 35 °F is the point at which it recommends adding heat, measured inside the coop.