Can I Make a Heated Poultry Waterer?

Poultry need water on a continuous basis--at least every two hours during their waking hours--to survive. If you raise poultry in areas with sustained freezing temperatures, keep their water supply from freezing with a water heater. Make one yourself for use on an existing watering system or include a heater in a new system.

  1. Standard Chicken Water Supply

    • Traditional chicken watering systems include a reservoir at the top that lets the water flow into a holding area for chickens to drink. To keep a metal reservoir and holding area from freezing, use a heat tape attached directly to them. If you have a plastic waterer (which can melt if the heat source gets too hot), set the waterer on a base that encloses the heater (see Section 3 for advice on enclosures).

    Chicken Nipple System

    • A chicken nipple is a valve that opens for a split second when a chicken pecks it, dispensing water a drop at a time. If you keep only a few chickens, one bucket or container with one nipple is sufficient. For larger flocks, devise a watering system with lengths of PVC pipe fitted with multiple nipples for many chickens to access. Keeping a nipple setup from freezing requires you to warm the main water supply or the lengths of PVC pipe in cold temperatures. Wire a heat tape to a pre-set thermostat and place the heat tape on the bottom of the PVC pipe or under a water container to keep the water from freezing.

    Heater Enclosure

    • If you have a light-plastic waterer, use an enclosure for the heat source and thermostat so it does not melt the plastic. Put a light bulb in a clay flowerpot and then put a large saucer on top to provide a safe enclosure. Then place the base of the waterer on the saucer, ensuring that it rests firmly on the saucer. Waterers made of PVC pipe and metal do not need a heater enclosure.