Winter Chicken Waterers

We have had chickens on our homestead for almost 19 years on and off. Over the years we have learned what is the most effective for us method of keeping clean fresh warm water for our feathered friends. We discovered horizontal water nippes about 3 years ago. In the past we used vertical nipples but had trouble with them dripping and losing water. Once we discovered horizontal nipples we also discovered that when they are kept warm a certain way, they do not freeze even if it gets to -40*f.

Below is an accumulation of years of frustration and research.

Introducing the Minnesota winter waterer:

This chicken waterer is kept inside the chicken coup. Normally the internet does not recommend that water be inside the coup. The reason for this is it will cause humidity to form in the coup and frost will settle everywhere. When this occurs, your chickens get frostbite. However, because this waterer is sealed, very little humidity gets out. So with this waterer the chickens get clean warm water all winter and with the deep litter method we use they stay relatively warm (we do not heat our chickens even when it is super cold). The extreme cold is not the death of chickens, but rather moisture and drafts.

It is on a metal bucket because we wanted to make sure if for any reason the water was to run out and the bird bath heater were to overheat, the bottom of bucket it would not start the chicken coup on fire.

This is a temperature switch. It turns off when the temps get above 35*F and turns on when it gets to freezing. This is energy efficient because on days the coup warm up to above freezing (due to the deep litter method and warmer outside temps) we do not waist electricity heating unfrozen water.

In the really cold months, ice will form on the metal bucket below from the horizontal nipples. The chickens create these icicles when it drips off their beaks but it is easily managed.

This is a peak of the inside of the bucket. One 5 gallon bucket of water will last about 3 days for 18 chickens.