I really dislike that kind of surprise. The chickens don't mind though.
They may not be the brightest things on the planet but I've never had a chicken step into the dog water dish. When the littles get big enough to think they can reach in I put a paver down next to the dish.
I doubt it gets below freezing all that often where you live anyway. You wouldn't need to use a heated dish all that often, just keep it full so they don't have to reach way over.
In the summer I have the "used to work" old dish out in the area between the barns next to a hose and fill it daily. There is a small autowaterer in the barn which I only need to dump and clean occasionally during non freezing parts of the year.
he looks like a tropical storm or hurricane hit him!)
have a wonderful day.
