Nipple waterers in sub-freezing weather

[Organics North]

Do a search on this forum, I think their are a lot of pictures of set ups..
ON
Again, I would never ever go back! Nipple waters are great!

 

[briteday]

Here is a picture of the "working side" of my nipple waterer.

In the center is the toilet float valve poking out. My husband drilled a hole and installed the valve with a bit of food grade silicone sealer.

Then it is connected to a piece of 12" braided hose that is found right next to the toilet valves at the hardware store. The hose is normally meant to go from the float valve at the bottom of a toilet to the wall valve where the water shut off is located. One end of the hose must match the toilet float valve thread and the other end must be the correct thread for the garden hose for your water supply to the bucket.

Around the outer edge you see 4 nipples installed in the bucket. Drill the holes and push the nipples in. DH may have used a bit of the same silicone sealer on those as well.

Once you have all of the water supply connected (adjust the float on the toilet float valve, 5 gallon buckets get a bit too heavy if completely full so we keepours about 1/3 full), just hang it on the wall.

In the winter we add a cheap (Walmart's cheapest) aquarium heater, $13, and run the extension cord to the nearest outdoor light fixture on our house, connecting the cord to an adapter. One end of the adapter accepts the pronged cord plut and the other end is threaded to screw into any light bulb fixture. Also, Walmart's finest!...in the electrical aisle near nightlights and such.

In the summer we throw a few blue ice chill packs in the bucket as the temps heat up in the afternoon.

We also positioned the bucket on the southwest wall of our coop. It gets good morning sun yet is shielded from most of the afternoon sun out of the west by a nearby fence.

Lastly, transition the chickens to the new waterer when the weather is NOT too hot or cold. I took away all other sources of water and sat next to the bucket tapping on the nipples, for about 20 minutes. The chickens are naturally attracted to the silver watering part and the red connector. In no time at all they were all happily pecking away at the new source for water.