how should I keep my water for the winter?

[sheeshshe]

I am in southern maine, it gets fairly cold in the winter... below freezing most days. I currently keep their water in the covered run because its less messy... I just fill up a low shoe box type bucket for them to drink out of... I know I need a proper waterer for the winter, but what is the cheapest thing I can get away with and that doesn't take up a lot of space in the coop and what will help the water not to freeze in the winter?

what would you recommend... preferably something I can make myself and something thats under $10 if possible...

thank you!

 

[teach1rusl]

I read a lot about people using the heated dog bowls, but I'm sure that's more than $10. I've also read about people who use a metal or ceramic bowl placed on a square of short cinder blocks pushed away from each other enough to have a light bulb laying there (under the water dish)...between the cinder blocks. The bulb doesn't emit much heat, just enough to keep the water from freezing over...

 

[cackler]

I made my waterer out of a 5 gallon bucket and a galvenized feed pan I bought at TSC. I am now curious if it is okay to put this 5 gallon bucket in a heated dog bowl for the winter - rather than the galvanized feed pan. I don't know if it'll be safe to do that or not. They're both plastic.

so I would THINK that it'd be okay to do.....