Chick Day is coming to our local feed store (March 8th) so I imagine the chicks are coming to your area too! Be prepared with this quick and economical water dispensary for your brood...
First start with those lovely 5 gallon buckets I'm such a fan of! Then drill six or so holes in the bottom of the bucket, with a 3/8" drill bit.
Purchase a bag of chicken nipples, and use the threading tool included to make threads for the nipples to screw into your holes. Now wrap PTFE Thread Seal Tape around the ends. Screw the tip into the drilled hole, the tape will act as a water-tight seal. And presto!
Now all you have to do is find a place to hang it! We took a 4x4 and straddled pre-existing fence posts to start, screwing in a large 100lb rated hook for security! That board is easily relocated to their new coop, which has built-in nesting boxes, for easy access.
You can also purchase chain link by the foot at your local hardware store, the pound rating will be on the tags of the chain, to lower the height of your water dispenser.
It will take a couple days for the hens to figure out that's where the water comes from, but for 13 hens, it lasts 2 weeks! You can leave the top open to collect rainwater in the rainy season, or you can drill a hole in the lid with a hole saw, lid it, and stick a water heater in the hole for those icy months when water freezes quickly. The option of mostly lidding it also keeps dirt and feces out, because they will want to roost on it...silly hens!
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