Hello from MN where we routinely see sub-zero temps in the winter. My first word of advice: don’t cover your vents. They need that ventilation to help moisture escape the coop (pictures of your setup would be helpful). When acclimated, chickens adapt very well to the cold by growing more feathers. Think about a 40-degree day when the sun is shining and the humidity is pretty low. With proper clothing, it doesn’t feel too bad, does it? Now think about a 40-degree day that’s damp and humid. For me, it feels like that cold and damp just sink into my body and I can’t get warm for anything. Too much moisture in the coop is also far more likely to cause frostbite on combs and wattles. Mrs. K explains this far better than I do. The important thing to remember is that dry chickens are warm chickens.
For water, the black rubber feed pans work well. Fill it in the morning, go out later in the day with more water, flip the feed pan over and break the ice out if it and refill.
I have the feeders right in the coop for my chickens. You can put feed out in the morning for them and then put it away at night to keep the rodents out of it.
