I'm dealing with freezing and only have one heated water fountain and two coops being occupied. For $4 I got a black rubber dog dish at local farm supply that works great. You can throw these on the ground and stomp on them to break up the ice and refill. Indestructible.
A bowl works well, When my chickens are out foraging during the day, they usually drink out of the dog's water bucket. Chris
The problem with bowls is they will walk in them and poop in them...getting the water all dirty...although I never met a chicken who minded drinking dirty water. A hanging waterer or a bucket nipple waterer will keep the water much cleaner.
I do something similar and I place them in a corner of my coop helps to keep chicken feet out of them and prevents them from being toppled over. It is not perfect but we do not live in a perfect world and it works for me in my small set up .
I love the bowls Egghead Jr is describing. You can run them over with the riding lawn mower too!!!! Although I don't recommend that, I thought I ran over a small child. :-o The noise!!! Another of my favorites is the $2 dish pans you can buy at any dollar type store. Holds a good amount of water, low enough to the ground that even the bantams can drink and very easy to clean and disinfect and if you happen to break one which is easy in the winter when they get brittle, well it was just $2. Moonshadows most chickens prefer dirty over clean. ;-) I can give them fresh water in the morning in a clean pan and if it rained and there are nasty poopy puddles in the run that is their first stop for a drink.
I hear you, scooter. Even with the nipple bucket waterer I have, if they can find a brown puddle, they'll happily drink there. I guess they don't mind the walked in poopy water in a bowl or dishpan....I like it because I don't have to clean it all the time. With the bucket, I just change/clean it every 3-4 days.
