Water is life, and we don’t just mean that metaphorically. Every living thing, including you and your chickens, needs water to survive — and the cleaner, the better.
But providing that clean water can be more of a hassle than it seems. Keeping your chickens’ water supply fresh is a chore, and getting them to drink it can be surprisingly tough.
Chicken waterers aim to solve these problems by providing attractive, easy-to-use water vessels for your feathered friends. Investing in the right waterer for your flock will make for happier, healthier chickens and a more relaxed chicken-keeping experience.
Water’s the Matter?
A simple bowl or trough does the job of holding water and making it available for drinking. But there’s more to a quality water supply than that.
An open container of water may be accessible to chicken beaks, but it’s also accessible to chicken butts. Poopy water is a breeding ground for nasty bacteria, and with an open water container, it’s an inevitability.
Depending on the container, your chickens may also be able to knock it over, spilling water in the coop. Not only does this deprive the chickens of water, it also increases the likelihood of mold, mildew and rot forming in your coop.
There are also several safety issues with typical water bowls. Chicks can easily drown in deep water bowls, as they’re unable to get over the high walls of the bowl.
And in the winter, a chicken that steps in a water bowl by accident is at high risk of frostbite. Frostbite sets in much more quickly when you’re wet, and if it’s not treated quickly, the affected tissues could die completely.
Finally, there’s the tedious task of refilling the water bowl multiple times a day. It’s just another thing to add into your busy schedule — but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Simplified Sipping
A chicken waterer solves these problems and makes your water supply much easier to manage. There are many different types, so you’re sure to find one that fits your needs.
Gravity-fed waterers hold several gallons of water and rely on good old gravity to supply it to your chickens. As your chickens drink water, the trough is replenished from the reservoir. You’ll only need to refill the waterer every day or two, possibly even longer if you only have a few chickens.
Nipple waterers also feature a large reservoir, but rather than letting water flow into a trough, they sport nipples around the bottom of the container. When your chickens get thirsty, they can simply pick a nipple valve and sip from it. These waterers are fully enclosed, so they’re easier to keep clean than other types of waterers.
Don’t want to refill your waterer manually? Then try an automatic one — they hook up to your home’s water supply so your chickens can enjoy a constant supply of fresh, clean water with no need to wait for you to refill anything.
And if you live in a cold climate, a heated chicken waterer is a necessity. Typical waterers will freeze in subzero temperatures, preventing your chickens from drinking and introducing a new chore into your routine: scraping ice out of the reservoir every day.
But heated waterers contain a heating element that prevents the water from freezing. Many also feature thermostats to maximize energy efficiency, only turning the heater on when temperatures drop below a certain point.
Finally, there are chick waterers — miniature versions of full-sized waterers designed to be easy and safe for tiny chicks to use.
Chicken waterers are usually made of plastic or metal, both of which are easy to clean and safe for chickens. Some chick waterers are made of glass so they’re less likely to tip over.
Here are the top chicken waterers on the market, approved by chickens and their keepers around the world. One is sure to fit right into your coop!
Best Chicken Waterers
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