Heated chicken bucket waterer good to 20 below

I bought a 5 gallon heated bucket from the local farm store.  [Allied Precision Lockndry 5 gallon bucket --- $48.95.]

Cut out the false bottom that made up the cord storage compartment, leaving a rim.

Installed the nipples and it works great.


The space left buy the false bottom is deep enough to protect the nipples when the bucket is set on a hard surface, and helps to trap some warm air in the recess. I have an insulated unheated coop and had no freeze problems down to 20 below. I did make a wood top with 2 notches to slip the bucket handle through to keep the birds from roosting on the rim.

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.