Best Automatic Chicken Waterer

Happy hens lay better eggs. To keep your hens happy you should treat them to the best automatic chicken waterer there is. You can relax knowing your hens will be properly watered, and your hens will reward you with plenty of lovely eggs!

Maybe, like me, you have a bit of extra garden space and are wondering what to do with it. Or, like millions of other people around the world, you love a fresh egg in the morning. Maybe you’re lucky enough to already have a flock? In any case, you may be thinking about the best way to keep them watered and are wondering where to start.

Well, I’m here to help. Keeping chickens is a rewarding and fun thing to do, and I am so looking forward to getting some! But there are a lot of things one needs to get right to make it work. Top of this list is keeping the chickens well fed and watered, so I am going to show you 7 of the best automatic chicken waterers on the market. 

An automatic waterer makes your life much easier. Fully automatic ones are plumbed up to the main water supply and a valve releases water when the level gets down, and you don’t have to check the levels all the time.

Semi-automatic ones hold a gallon or more and will supply water until the level gets down and you need to refill it. This could be every few days, weekly, or even longer. 

A standard bowl or trough can quickly get dirty or filled with dust and leaves, making your job harder, so look for one that will keep the water covered and clean.

The automatic waterer that is best for you will depend on a few things. 

How many chickens need access to the water? You will need to get one that is big enough for all your feathered friends. 

How often do you want to check the level? If you go on holiday for a week or two every year you will need to take this into account.

So, let’s have a look at the best automatic chicken waterers out there and find out which one will work for us.

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Product Name

Water Capacity

Price

31W7ho8tcPL. SL75

1. 2 Gallon Chicken Watere

2 Gallon

41AuN6ROohL. SL75

2. HPF-100 All-Seasons Heated Poultry Fountain

3 Gallon

41taXzT1EoL. SL75

3. Harris Farms Cup-A-Water Poultry Drinker

4 Gallon

41V1bhOkq7L. SL75

4. Little Giant Float Controlled Automatic Waterer

4 Gallon

5. Little Giant Automatic Poultry Waterer With Cover

5 Quart

31TBFSSOY L. SL75

6. Royal Rooster Twin Waterer with Automatic Valve Cups

1 Gallon

51FlahvKOGL. SL75

7. Oasis Chicken Waterer Kit with Automatic Float Valve

5 Gallon 

Contents

Top 7 Best Automatic Chicken Waterer Reviews

#1. 2 Gallon Chicken Waterer

31W7ho8tcPL

With its simple design, low cost, and great versatility, this little beauty is very popular.

The BPA-free plastic container holds 2 gallons of water and is covered to keep the water clean. And it’s a shaped cover so the pesky chickens can’t roost on the top and poop over the nice waterer!

4 drinking nipples (one on each side) supply the water on demand to the chickens. The 2 gallons should supply 4 hens with enough water for 5 days. It’s easy to fill by a hose through a cap in the cover.

The container comes with a hanger but is probably best placed on a raised surface. This keeps it steady and out of the dirt. Just make sure the chickens can reach the nipples!

Pros

  • Simple design is easy to use. No plumbing required
  • Low cost
  • Durable, sturdy materials should last a long time
  • Up to 5 days water supply for 4 chickens

Cons

  • Can swing about if hung
  • Water can freeze in low temperatures

#2. HPF-100 All-Seasons Heated Poultry Fountain

41AuN6ROohL

This is a more traditional design, like a feeder, but has a couple of very useful extras! 

If you live in an area with cold winters and are worried about the water freezing, this clever waterer has a thermostatically controlled heater that will prevent the water from freezing down to 0deg F. 

And if you’re worried about wasting energy, it doesn’t turn on until the temperature is low enough to trigger the controller.

A large 3-gallon reservoir holds plenty of water to keep your chickens happy for days.

Pros

  • Suitable for all seasons
  • Large reservoir means less checking
  • Can be hung or placed on flat surface
  • The open trough around the bottom means several birds can drink at the same time
  • Saves energy by not being on all the time

Cons

  • You may need an extension lead to supply the power
  • Dirt can get into the water unless raised up out of the way a bit

#3. Harris Farms Cup-A-Water Poultry Drinker

41taXzT1EoL

Harris Farms in Tennessee has 30 years of experience in making poultry supplies, so it’s no surprise they have a great little automatic waterer on sale.

Holding up to 4 gallons, this drinker is big enough for 24 birds, and you can even add more cups to it if you have more. 

Like the others, this one can be placed or hung but maybe better attached to the outside of the perimeter fence. The drinking cups can be placed through the fence so the birds can drink, while the main container stays clean and easy to access on the outside. Made from BPA-free plastic, the square container has a hinged lid for easy filling and closes to keep the water clean. 

The cups are a nice, open design and the valve releases water on demand. This means it’s easy for the chickens to drink from and the cups don’t overflow.  I also like that the cups are also removable for easy cleaning.

It’s a nice, simple design that just works well and makes life easy!

Pros

  • Simple design – easy to use and keep clean
  • Large enough for most domestic flocks
  • Can be hung outside the fence to make checking and filling easy
  • More cups are available if you need them
  • The material used inhibits algae growth

Cons

  • Water can freeze at low temperatures
  • May take some DIY skill to mount on the fence

#4. Little Giant Float Controlled Automatic Waterer

41V1bhOkq7L

This beauty is a thing of wonder. 

Working a bit like your toilet cistern, a float valve inside the container automatically lets water in when the level gets down. This means you don’t need to check the container that often, just make sure it’s working from time to time.

You just need to connect the supplied filler hose to a ¾” garden hose, and away you go!

It holds a full 4 gallons, so your chickens will never go thirsty. The open-top design means even larger animals can use it (if your birds don’t mind sharing!)

It will also add a bit of style to your coop, as it is available in several colors.

Pros

  • Automatic filling means it doesn’t run dry
  • Strong materials and sturdy design
  • Easy fence or wall fixing with supplied brackets
  • Open design makes it easy to drink from
  • Available in different colours

Cons

  • Open top means dirt can get in
  • Make sure to mount it low enough for hens to reach the water
  • Can freeze in colder climates

#5. Little Giant Automatic Poultry Waterer With Cover

This waterer may be smaller than its big brother above, but do not underestimate it! It has been very well designed and should become a favorite for those with smaller flocks.

It only holds just over a gallon (4 quarts), but because it has an automatic filling valve connected to a hose, it will fill itself whenever it needs to. It will join to any standard ¾” hose.

The container has an open top for easy drinking, and the clever people at Little Giant have added a conical cover to keep the dirt out. The cone shape also stops the chickens from climbing and pooping all over it!  

Pros

  • Automatic filler – constant supply of water
  • Connects to standard garden hose
  • Great size for smaller flocks
  • Budget friendly
  • Cover helps keep it clean

Cons

  • Small size not so good for larger flocks
  • Can freeze in cold weather

#6. Royal Rooster Twin Waterer with Automatic Valve Cups

31TBFSSOY L

This is one fun waterer! Every time I look at it I can’t help thinking it looks like a chicken! A tall narrow cylinder holds 1 gallon – so far so normal – but the two cups are placed at the bottom and look just like a chicken’s feet, or maybe it’s just me?

The solid, white, UV-resistant cylinder container is covered to stop dust and dirt from getting into the water.  The water fills the two cups at the bottom and little floats in the cups allow water to fill the cups when they get near empty. This simple design means no difficult learning curve for your birds – even my dim-witted chickens should manage it!

This waterer is recommended for smaller flocks of up to six chickens or 3 chickens for up to a week. If you have this size flock you can spend more time enjoying your eggs at breakfast as you won’t have to be rushing out to check the water in the coop!

Pros

  • Australian made – good build quality
  • Can be fence or wall mounted
  • Auto filling, easy to use cups
  • Slimline design suitable for smaller spaces
  • Looks like it has chicken’s feet!

Cons

  • No hanger
  • Need to look inside to check the water level

#7. Oasis Chicken Waterer Kit with Automatic Float Valve

51FlahvKOGL

This is a low-cost, do-it-yourself kit to build your own automatic chicken waterer. It uses a standard 5-gallon bucket that does not come with the kit, but most people with some animals will have one lying around somewhere. I know I do! Or you can buy one for a few dollars.

It comes with all the kit needed to build it, even a hole saw and drill bit! Drill a hole and connect the float valve to the hose adaptor through the hole. Drill the holes for the 4 cups and connect them on – and off you go! Don’t worry, it comes with an instruction booklet.

The float valve will keep the bucket filled with water. If you have the lid for the bucket you can use it to keep the water clean inside. It may be worth putting something on top to stop the chickens from climbing or roosting on it. 

4 cups on a 5-gallon bucket are enough for most flocks but it would be easy to build another should you have a larger flock. The cups are wide enough to make it easy to drink out of, and there are no tricky triggers to hit to allow refilling – another winner for my dim-witted birds!

Pros

  • Inexpensive – especially if you already have a suitable container
  • Large, auto-fill cups for easy drinking, even for ducks
  • Connects to standard hose, with adaptor for easy installation
  • Big enough for most flocks

Cons

  • Some assembly required
  • May not be enough for very large flocks
  • Can’t be easily fixed to fence or wall

Things to Consider Before Buying an Automatic Chicken Waterer

Hopefully, the reviews above have given you some ideas, but before you rush out and start spending, there are some things you need to think about first. No doubt you are as excited as I am to get caring for your chickens, so let’s do a bit of homework first and make sure we make the right choice.

Firstly, how many chickens do you have? Make sure the waterer is big enough to last them for the time that you are happy to go between checking. But not too big that the water gets stale and grows algae before refilling.

As a basic rule, 4 adult chickens will drink around a quart of water a day. Maybe more in hot weather.

This is not such an issue with an automatic waterer, as it will keep filling, but you will want to check it occasionally just to be sure nothing has gone wrong.

 Also, make sure there are enough cups for your birds. About 5 to 8 chickens per cup should be OK.

Secondly, Location, Location, Location! Do you want to stand it on a plinth, hang it from the fence or fix it to a wall? Think about how the chickens will access the waterer, plumbing the hose up to it, and how easy and quick it will be for you to do a quick check on the water.

Last, but certainly not least, think about the price. Costs can vary greatly so think about your budget along with the other requirements. I find it’s often best to choose the right product and then check all the retailers for the best price.

CONCLUSION

As with us humans, water is vital for chickens’ health and well-being. Did you know eggs are about 75% water? Even a brief restriction of water supply to your birds can lead to a drop in egg production and cause harm to your flock. So, getting the watering right is essential.

I hope you enjoyed my review. I certainly enjoyed writing it and even learned quite a lot along the way! I think it’s time to replace my old manual waterer with a new automatic one so I will be going back over the list above.

I would love to get your comments on how you found the article and your thoughts on the products. Please add any thoughts to the comments section and share your experiences. 

Remember Watering Well = Chirpy Chicks!

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