Author: Anna & Mark

Here is what I used:

• 2-gallon bucket with lid
• 2 avian
  nipple waterers
• Tetra submersible aquarium heater with automatic thermostat (50W
  for $14.99)
• 2” cork or plastic plug for hole on top of the bucket (for
  cleaning and filling)

This is a very simple
design that could be easily adapted to suit your own specifications.
This waterer has been working great during these cold winter months [in
Nebraska] for my flock of 5 hens and one rooster inside my non-heated
chicken coop. We have not tested this outdoors, but it works well in
the coop.











Step 1: Start with a
2-gallon heavy plastic bucket with lid and handle. In the bottom of the
bucket I drilled two holes to insert the two avian nipple waterers.























Step 2: Turn bucket
upright. Using the suction cup on the Tetra submersible aquarium
heater, suction it to the bottom of the bucket. This heater can be
found at most pet stores – I bought mine online. This heater is
completely submersible and has an automatic thermostat that keeps the
water at 78 degrees. The heater has an indicator light that is red
while it is heating and green when it is off.















Step 3: Cut a hole in the
center of the bucket lid, approximately 2” diameter. Fashion a plug for
the hole out of cork (or I just used an aerosol can lid) with a slight
notch cut out to accommodate the heater cord. The purpose of the plug
is to keep the water clean and to also to make it easy to fill in
between cleanings.



Step 4: Your waterer is
ready to hang by the bucket handle. I used a rubber bungee to fix it to
one of the wall supports in the coop and ran an extension cord to plug
the heater into.

I have also had good luck
with the bucket or birdbath
deicer. The one
pictured is in an outdoor area where my ducks live. I use a smaller
bucket than the main waterer in the coop and have had no problems with
it. I can easily dump it out and refill it with a watering can. I do
put a little oxine in all the water at this time of year, and I do wash
them out thoroughly at least once a week.  The water has some
poultry vitamin in it so it looks a little brown….I will try to
photograph the ducks with it. They were out in the ice storm…they
love the weather!!



I don’t have
instructions for building my little system because it’s pretty straight
forward…. but its just a matter of drilling holes and adding the
nipples, sealing with some silicone (which may or may not be necessary)
and making a hanger with a chain. I then add a bucket deicer (and I
would agree with the
woman who said to remove the spring around the cord to prevent rust) add a chain and extension
cord and voila!



I would caution people to be
very careful when cleaning these to not set them down on the nipples. I
actually hang mine from the picket fence and hose them out when the
hose is unfrozen….or I carefully lay them on their side in the
bathtub and scrub them. I add a little oxine to keep bacteria from the
water as directed on the label…but its a tiny amount.

and thats that.



Hope all is well with
you…we have had so much weather, which I dont mind…I only mind the
cold cold…and during that time the nipples froze, even with the
heater inside…I just had to go out and tap them a bit to loosen the
water collected in the nipple itself. Actually, the ducks could have
done it themselves, but I was concerned because that kind of cold takes
so much energy for them that I want to be sure that they are well
hydrated and fed.



—Melina Brown