just wondering what other chicken people think. In the winter I have only had waterers inside the coop... because they would freeze if outside... I also had bird bath de-icers in my 5 gal nipple waterers which worked well but was kind of clumsy. My biggest concern, and why I am rethinking this, is all the extra moisture that evaporates into the coop. I am considering just large heated dog bowls for all my runs rather than water in the coops. Can they go from 4 pm until about 7 am (the shortest days of our winter) on a daily basis without access to water? I have noticed that the chickens don't drink as much water in the colder months... just curious if anyone else does this... thanks!
My water is all outside in a heated water dish, I had moisture problems in the coop when I kept the water inside. Of course, I had ducks so that might make a difference
I do have water in the coop in case I can't open it up early. I'm not that far from you and it's humid here year round. The water in my coops freeze if I don't use bird bath heaters. I have big windows open all winter to give good ventilation and alleviate the extra moisture. I like them to have water before bed and when they get up. I make a mush with a little feed in a pan with warm water a couple hours before dusk so they go to bed warm and hydrated.
