Chickens not drinking outside.

[MissChick@dee]

Try sprinkling their favorite treats by the waterer.

 

[aart]

If snow is present, then your birds are likely meeting water requirements by directly or incidentally consuming snow.

That's for sure! Have used a bowl of snow as a water back up in a broody pen in winter, she definitely partook. The snow eating never ceases to amaze me, even with nice warm water inside coop. I roughly monitor waterer levels daily and consumption goes way down with snow of the ground, as well as rain. Have also seen them line up and nosh off the snow banks...wish I could get a pic of the beak marks...this habit also leads to frostbite on wattles.

As to the OP's issue.....change...they'll get over it.

 

[centrarchid]

I am not seeing frostbite associated with snow consumption, or even immersion of wattles in cold water. The frost I associate very clearly with windchill. If temperature less than 10 F with very strong wind, then frostbite likely. The lower the temperature, the less wind needed to cause same problem. What does follow a pattern with respect to snow consumption is the colder the air, the less time I can keep liquid water in bowls which greater odds the birds will be consuming snow or ice.

 

[aart]

I am not seeing frostbite associated with snow consumption,

I do, on both males and females...males get it worse, on females it's mild.
...and of course it's worse when colder and/or windy.

 

[centrarchid]

I so very seldom see frost bite on females. It has been years. Unless it gets a lot colder, will likely not see frostbite this year. You are in a colder setting and most of my birds have less in the way of comb and wattles. I dubbed high risk males a couple months ago.