Building an Automatic Waterer for your Chickens

       You've probably have been using refillable waterers that are turned upside down after filling. They're unhandy to keep clean, can be heavy to move around, give the birds something to perch on, and tend to leak. I have developed a better system that can be refilled from outside the pen, holds up to five gallons of water for fewer refillings, and is easy to keep clean. You may have tried using a dripping hose to provide a steady water supply, if so then you know that this leads to leaky faucets as the constant slow flow of water simply cuts a groove in the metal and washers. You don't want your pressurized water lines leaking due to the cost of wasted water. The system I am going to tell you how to build uses a faucet (also called a hose bib or spigot). You should get one of the cheap plastic faucets, that can be allowed to drip. It doesn't matter if it gets leaky because the system is not connected to any pressurized lines.
  You will need the following: A five gallon bucket -the plastic type, a standard hose faucet with a threaded nipple, two large flat metal washers that will fit over the threaded nipple, a piece of  flat rubber to cut washers from, a large threaded nut that will fit the faucet nipple. Look at the picture above for an example of each. Tools needed include; a drill with bits large enough to make a hole for the nipple to fit through or a rotary tool, pliers, a hammer, a vise, and some heavy metal 2 inch pipe. The faucet will be attached to the bottom of the side of the five gallon bucket with the nipple (the threaded end on the back side) going through a hole in the bucket. You want the hole high enough from the bottom of the bucket so the large washer will fit around it inside the bucket and the faucet, on the outside, will not extend below the bottom of the bucket. Again look at the picture above to see how to space the hole. You still want the hole as close to the bottom of the bucket as possible so it will drain well. You will need two large washers, one for the inside seal and one for the outside, that will just fit over the nipple threads. Buy them and the large nut, when you buy the faucet to be sure they fit and don't get ones made of very thick metal because you will be bending them to fit to the bucket sides. The faucet needs to have a long enough nipple so that there are sufficient threads inside the bucket to screw the large nut on. I have found large plastic nuts that are used for plumbing toilets that work well because they won't rust.
I have found the best way to bend a curve in the washers is to tighten them crossways in a vise, lay a section of heavy pipe over them and strike it hard. They only need a slight curve so only one hit is usually necessary. If they get too much of a curve in them, simply tap them a little flatter on a hard surface while holding them with a pair of pliers. You want them to lay flat against the side of the bucket to squeeze the pieces of rubber against it and form a water proof seal. You will need two pieces of rubber, from a old inner tube, that are cut to fit like the washers around the threaded nipple. They can extend beyond the washers but need to lie flat. You could also use silicon sealant between the washers and the bucket sides to make a water tight seal, but you will have to do this right when you put the whole thing together and then wait for it to cure before testing for leaks.
Next you will need to cut the hole in the bottom edge of the bucket. The hole needs to be slightly smaller than 5/8th of an inch, the usually size of the threaded nipple, so the faucet will actually screw into it for a good seal. Mark where you want the hole by holding one of the large washers against the bucket and trace around the inside of it to draw a circle. Use a 1/4 inch bit to drill a pilot hole in the center as a guild for the larger bit for the finished hole. You could also use a rotary tool with a side cutting bit to cut out the hole using the circle you drew as a guild line.
Now to put it all together. Place one of the washers on the faucet nipple, with the curve facing the right way, then one of the rubber seals. Put the nipple through the hole in the bucket and screw it down as far as you can making sure the faucet faces down. On the inside put the rubber seal on and then the other washer followed by the screw on nut. Tighten down the nut and then test for a water tight seal.
To use your drip bucket set it outside the chicken pen fence so the faucet overhangs whatever container the chickens drink out of. The cut off bottom of another five gallon bucket make a good watering tub and you can put wire over the top so the birds can't step into it. Put the drip bucket up on a stand of some kind about two foot off the ground so the water will drain out. A plastic crate or another five gallon bucket will work for a stand. Fill it with water and set the faucet to a slow drip. Keep a lid on the bucket to keep leaves and debris out of it and to safe guard it from young children. You can also use this watering system to administer vitamins or medications to your chickens. Don't worry about any green algae that will grow on the inside of the water bucket as it will not harm the chickens. Once a week or so you will have to flush the faucet out to keep it dripping. Just open it to a full flow and squirt it out from inside the bucket using a hose with a spray nozzle.