As the temperatures drop, keeping your chickens’ water from freezing can be a challenge. A solar-powered generator powering a lower-energy chicken water heater is the solution we went with. Running electrical cords from your home to the coop can be a potential fire hazard so I’m much happier with this.

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The solar powered generator I’m using comes with a 40W solar panel and a 146Wh power bank, which includes a 110V AC outlet. It’s designed for portability and is great for low-energy devices like my chicken waterer.

So far, in temperatures dropping to the teens, this generator has effectively powered our chicken waterer.

Adding Warm Water

Starting with warm water helps reduce the energy demand on the heater and generator.

Indoor Charging

Sometimes we bring the power station inside to recharge it overnight using a standard outlet, especially after overcast days.

Batteries tend to lose efficiency in extreme cold. Keeping the generator in a sheltered area can help maintain its performance.

If snow were on the ground the whole time we have freezing temperatures, I wouldn’t be too worried with providing water. The snow get’s blown away quickly here right now, though. It’s so dry here that the chickens need plenty of water available.

Having solar lights on the hen house is also handy. Especially with the shorter days in the winter. These lights work well for evening egg collection, even in the winter. I’m hoping they would also deter predators from lurking nearby too much since they’re activated through motion detection.

If you keep hens through cold winter months, leave a comment sharing what works for you. Thanks for reading.