It is 13 degrees here today.  It snowed last night and it is gray and cold and windy.  The chicken water heating system is getting its test the next couple of days.  The waterer shown in the picture is holding up fairly well.  There are 8 nipples total and 5 have managed to stay functioning.  The well pipe, the hose to the waterer from the well hydrant and the water container (the white PVC body) are heated.  The water inside has stayed thawed.  It seems that just a couple of the nipples have frozen up.  I may have to wrap the waterer with a pipe heater but we’ll see how tonight goes.  I went out and hung up the heat lamp I used for brooding over the waterer as well.  Fortunately the temp is supposed to at least get up to freezing in the next day or so.  Keeping water thawed for animals is very important and it is crazy how few options there are that really work well.  I think this will be ok as I work out the kinks but it is a little nerve wracking.  The birds themselves are doing fine.  They are all big puff balls.   One article I read said to remember that they are all walking, down, pillows.  They give off a lot of body heat and are able to keep it in with their feathers.