You can create your own 5-gallon chicken waterer for less than $5.
Step 1: Obtain Items and Hardware
- 5 Gallon bucket
- 1 Gallon Utility pan-the one I used was a 1-gallon utility pan from Tractor Supply.
- 3/8″ drill bit for drilling water holes
- drill
- marker
- safety glasses
Step 2: Draw where you want the holes to be and then drill the holes
You will need to only drill two holes in this bucket near the TOP of the bucket. One hole opposite the other one.
Step 3: Fill the bucket with fresh water
Make sure to fill it below the holes, otherwise you will wear water while walking the bucket back to the coop. You can fill it to however full you would like. But, remember, 5-gallons of water is pretty heavy.
Step 4: Put on the lid
Step 5: Flip bucket into the watering pan
Flip the bucket so that the lid is on the bottom and quickly place it in the metal pan. Water will start to come out of the holes you created in the side of the 5-gallon bucket.
The nice thing with the smaller size holes is that the water doesn’t gush out. It will flow nicely until the water is just above the holes and a vacuum is created in the bucket. Just make sure to place it on a nice, flat surface.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Crystal Panek is now a stay-at-home mom (aka, a domestic goddess). She spends her time taking care of her family, home, dogs and chickens. She is a self-proclaimed jack-of-all-trades and loves to spend her time working with her hands and being creative with “junkyard” finds – refurbishing them and bringing them back to life.
tried this and the water kept seeping over the sides, so what we did is get a 5 gallon bucket and lid and I ordered chicken nipples online, then i drilled holes in the bottom of the bucket, used plumbers tape on the chicken nipples and screwed them into the holes. Then I cut a hole in the middle of the top just the right size for a water hose to fit in, then hung it in the coop and filled it with water. They help themselves whenever they want. It will last for about a week depending on the weather and amount of chickens you have. To clean it just take it down, take the top off and run a scrub brush inside, rinse, hang and refill. cost me less then $10 to make 2 of these for my chickens!
Your holes to high, The water as it fills should stop as it reaches the top of the holes.
How do you stop the chickens from sitting on top and pooping into the water?
Put a funnel on top
Here is the link for the water heater we used it half of last winter (spend the first half trying all kinds of things)
there are a couple of alterations/adaptations:
1. You can add a timer to adjust the heat.
2. You can add a heat sensor/electrical switch to cut energy use.
3. You can change bulbs to adjust heat
This person has many good ideas
Oh yea, the link would be good
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/11/make-cookie-tin-waterer-heater-under-10.html
Ok Mike, that is a great, simple design. For those of us living in climates where the temp gets down below freezing I can send you a link that shows you how to make a heater for that 5 gal. bucket for under 10 bucks if you want.
I would love the directions for the heater! Any chance you could send them to me?
We are doing a project on the heater! Stay tuned!
These makes me want move back to a farm. I’m 79 and still make a garden, I lived on a farm when I was 11 years old for a year. I Loved it.
Eddie