Three chicks at the pink Lil'Clucker chick waterer and feeder on the lawn

Nesting, Brooding & Winter Needs

A better setup for every season — from comfortable, washable nesting pads and a safe start for chicks to keeping drinking water flowing when temperatures drop.

Washable nesting pads, a safe start for chicks, and water that keeps flowing when temperatures drop.

Shop nesting padsShop the chick kitShop heated bases
Tested on our own flock first
Fast shipping from the US
30-day flock guarantee
Setup guide in every box
Washable Chicken Nesting Pads for Laying Eggs Best seller Washable Chicken Nesting Pads for Laying Eggs From $22.99 1L Chick Feeder, 1.5L Chick Waterer 1L Chick Feeder, 1.5L Chick Waterer $22.99 Heated Poultry Waterer Base - 11 in & 13 inNew Heated Poultry Waterer Base - 11 in & 13 in From $43.99

Nesting

Washable pads or straw and shavings?

We ran straw for years. The pads won on the one job that matters most in a nest box — how long it takes to get a fouled box clean again.

We ran straw for years. The pads won on how long it takes to get a fouled box clean again.

A hen settled on a gray washable nesting pad inside a wooden nest box
Lil'Clucker washable pads Straw or shavings
Cleaning a fouled box Lift the pad out, hose it, wipe it, put it back. Scoop the whole box out and start again.
Replacing Wash and reuse — the same pad for season after season. Fresh bale or bag every few weeks.
Where the egg lands A moulded, cushioned surface that stays in place. Shifts and thins as hens scratch it about.
Fit 12 in × 12 in, trims with scissors to any box. Fills any box — and spills out of it.
Mess in the coop Nothing to kick out onto the floor. Ends up on the floor, in the run, in the waterer.
Shop nesting padsGray, green or straw · packs of 4, 6 or 8 · from $22.99
Lil'Clucker heated poultry waterer base in orange

Cold weather

Keep the water flowing when temperatures drop

The heated base sits under the fount or bucket waterer you already use. A thermostat switches the element on at around 35°F and off again once the base is warm, so it only runs when the weather calls for it.

Sits under the fount or bucket waterer you already use. A thermostat switches the element on at around 35°F and off once the base is warm.

Works with the metal fount or plastic bucket waterer you already have
Thermostat-controlled — on at around 35°F, off once the base is warm
Two sizes, 11 in and 13 in, to match most poultry waterers
Shop heated bases11 in and 13 in · blue or orange
The Lil'Clucker chick waterer and chick feeder on the lawn

Brooding

A safe start for your chicks

The 1L feeder and 1.5L waterer are the two things a box of day-olds needs on the day they arrive. Anti-tip bases, a shallow moat instead of an open dish, and legs that step up as the chicks grow — up to 12 chicks per kit.

The 1L feeder and 1.5L waterer are the two things a box of day-olds needs on the day they arrive — up to 12 chicks per kit.

Wide anti-tip bases — chicks can stand on the rim without upending them
Shallow moat rather than an open dish, so day-olds drink at it, not in it
Legs set low, mid or top as the birds grow, and the waterer has a handle for hanging
Shop the chick kitOrange, blue or pink · $22.99

Straight answers

Questions about nesting, chicks and cold weather

If your setup is unusual, message us — we will tell you honestly whether it will work before you buy.

We answer these ourselves Usually the same day, from the farm.
Will the nesting pads fit my nest boxes?
Each pad is 12" × 12", which suits most home-built and shop-bought boxes. If yours are smaller or an awkward shape, cut the pad down with scissors — it holds its shape at the cut edge.
Do hens actually use the pads?
Ours settle onto them without any fuss. If your hens are used to a deep layer of shavings, leave a handful on top of the pad for the first few days and then stop.
How many chicks will the kit handle?
The 1.0L feeder feeds up to 12 chicks. If you are brooding more than a dozen, run a second kit so there is no queue at feeding time.
Can chicks drown in the waterer?
The base is a shallow moat rather than an open dish, so chicks drink at the rim instead of standing in the water. Set it on level bedding and raise the legs as they grow.
Which heated base size do I need?
Match the base to the footprint of your waterer: 11 in for smaller founts and buckets, 13 in for larger founts and 5-gallon bucket waterers. The waterer itself is not included.
Does the heated base run all winter?
No — a thermostat switches the element on at around 35°F and off again once the base is warm. Green LED means power, red means it is heating.
WateringKeep goingWatering Automatic cups, horizontal nipples and heated bases — the other half of what we make.Shop watering →