40 gallon heated chicken waterer

I obtained an old steel truck rim that would fit the container I bought at Atwoods in Tulsa, OK...which holds about 40 gallons.

I cut the outside of the rim (approximately 1 inch wide), drilled holes in the steel circle in which I bolted three triangulated legs.

I also installed steel wire in the feet of the pipe legs to keep the legs from squatting under the weight of 40 gallons of water.

The legs are adjustable with the nuts that can be seen located between the two pieces of pipe that are the legs.


I installed four of your automatic waters in the bottom (sealed with silicone sealant) of the plastic barrel. I set the barrel in the ring, filled with water, then installed a stock tank de-icer (which keeps the water at approximately 62 degrees). During the recent below zero weather we experienced in the Tulsa area, none of the nipples froze (with the de-icer operating inside the barrel). My 24 hens adapted within 4 hours and now have clean water 24/7.

We recommend our 3 pack DIY kit for making a heated waterer for up to 50 chickens.  The CD that comes with each kit includes complete instructions to help you build our favorite heated options without any trial and error. The heated waterer we use in our own coop requires two buckets, a three foot length of pipe heating cable ($23), and the contents of our kit.  With a layer of chicken-friendly insulation, the waterer is good down into the teens.