I’ve used just about every chicken waterer option out there, and I think I’ve finally landed on my favorite one! This is, of course, my opinion. You ultimately need to use what works best in your coop!
Chicken Waterers I’ve Used
There are multiple options out there. It's almost overwhelming! When I first started, I used a 5-gallon bucket, waterer nipples and a water-safe heater for buckets. It worked great but was clumsy and a pain to take down all the time to fill.
Then, I graduated to a galvanized waterer that never seemed to work for me and froze in the winter. After that, I moved to a 3-gallon waterer that worked pretty well but always got wood shavings in the tray. I had to check it multiple times a day to clean out shavings so the chickens would have clean water.
This brings me to the waterer I have today! But before I share, let’s start with baby chick waterers.
My first flock….aren’t they adorable?
Baby Chick Waterers
Let’s start with chick waterers. I’ve heard horror stories of people using a bowl of water in their chick brooder to save a buck, only to find that their chicks had drowned. Or they got so wet that they couldn’t get warm enough to survive. Please don’t do this! A bowl of water in a chick brooder is a bad idea.
Go ahead and buy the smallest poultry waterer. Yes, they will get the water messy, and yes, you will have to change the water often. But you will have little chicks that survive and thrive! As your chicks grow into “teenagers,” you can still use the chick waterers but move up in size.
Eventually, they’ll move in with the mature flock, and then they move to a nipple waterer. I’ve found this to be the best option for us!
The Best Chicken Waterer Option
With the waterer options I’ve used, I’ve found the nipple waterer, especially the electric ones that can be heated in the winter months, is the best option!
It gets well below freezing in Minnesota, and the water always freezes unless you have a heated water source. Make sure you check your electrical source to ensure it’s free from dust and shavings to avoid a fire. I have used a heated dog bowl before, but you must clean it every day due to the dust of the chickens, so I moved on from that. The 2 or 3-gallon waterer shown above is awesome! The cover keeps the water clean and the nipples allow for chickens to get water without making a huge mess.
As always, I add Chicken E-lixir™ in their water daily and Flock Fixer™ in times of stress. These two products are the foundation of our flock's health. With prebiotics, probiotics, calcium, vitamins and minerals, organic oregano essential oil, and electrolytes - they give my chickens what they need for great gut health and immunity. I can’t recommend them enough!
I’m curious: what kind of poultry waterer is your favorite?
Until next time,
–The Wing Lady