We made our chickens waterer using a 5 gallon bucket. We punched holes in the bottom and installed the nipples that we purchased from the farm store. It works great, is easy to fill, and the chickens accepted it right away. Because it is closed, the water stays clean too. For winter, we put an electric heater right into the bucket. It is thermostatically controlled and made for this purpose. We only had to cut a small hole in the lid for the cord. No more water worries!