How to Make a DIY Chicken Waterer

Many years ago, in another life, I had my first flock of chickens: six buff Orpingtons I’d ordered through my local feed and seed. They were sweet as heck, and not quite legal, but adored my neighbors. I loved those birds, but since they were my first, there was definitely a steep learning curve for me.

I had dutifully purchased everything they needed, including a large plastic poultry waterer. It was pricey (something similar would set you back about $50 now) and had an open trough that made it hard to keep their water clean. I suspect that this design, along with my inexperience, contributed to one of my birds falling ill.

After that experience, I wanted a way to both save money and keep our birds’ water as clean as possible. The solution? Making our own DIY waterers at home.
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It’s incredibly easy, and in this post I’m going to show you exactly how to do it! All you need is a few minutes and a few simple tools.

What You'll Need to Make Your Own Chicken Waterer

Before you begin, gather your supplies. You will need:

• 2-3 side mount poultry nipples (can be found online or at your local feed & seed)
• Drill bit to mount nipples (check nipple instructions, this is usually 11/32 but can vary by brand)
• A 1/8" drill bit
• 5 gallon bucket and lid (if you can source a food safe bucket, that's ideal)
• Power drill

Build Your Own Chicken Waterer in Five Easy Steps

Step 1: Gather your drill, drill bits, poultry nipples, bucket, and lid. Also, a chicken (I forgot to mention the chicken earlier, but it is important). Use 2-3 nipples per bucket. Your flock should have about 1 nipple for every 6-8 birds, or 1 for every 3-4 birds in hot climates. Make extra waterers as necessary.

Step 2: Drill holes for the poultry nipples 1-1.5 inches from the bottom of the bucket. Screw in the nipples by hand, leaving a slight gap between the nipple and the bucket so as to prevent your container from cracking.​

Step 3: Take a break and pet a chicken, as all this drilling is very hard work. And you probably thought I was joking when I said to bring a chicken, huh?​

Step 4: Use your 1/8" drill bit to drill two small holes near the top of your bucket. These holes are very important. They prevent a vacuum seal from forming in the bucket. When a vacuum is created, no water will flow from the nipples and your chicks will become dehydrated.

Note: Some instructions advise putting these small holes in the lid. I always put them on the side of the bucket, near the top, instead of the lid, so that they can't be sealed by things like chicken poop. I don't know about you, but my chickens LOVE to poop on everything.

Step 5: Introduce your chickens to their new waterer! Chicks two weeks and older are strong enough to drink from a nipple. Train any chicken two weeks or older on their new waterer by holding them and gently pressing their beak to the nipple until they get a sip of water. Chicks will learn quickly and also teach others.

​That's it! You've made your own poultry waterer, and for a fraction of the cost of what you'd spend on a ready-made version. With care, these buckets will last for years.