How to Make Ceramic Chicken or Poultry Waterer


	Making Chicken or Poultry Ceramic Waterer Pottery Wheel Lesson

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Wheel Tutorials

Throwing a Pot Basics

Trimming a Pot Basics

Throwing Very Large Bowl

Throwing Very Large Platter

Throwing a Hookah Bowl

Throwing a Mug and Handle

Surface textures Tips and Tricks

Handbuilding Tutorials

Making Clay Quilt

Soft hump mold drop sculpting

Making Large Slab Forms

Making Clay Starfish

Making Pinch Pot Animal

Making Coil Pots

Making Slab Vessel

Making Ceramic Shoe

Making Water Font

Decorating with Sgraffito

We were asked if we can custom make chicken coop ceramic stoneware Waterer / Feeder on commission. After searching for additional information, we found out that they were used until 50-100 years ago and all you can find is very expensive antiques ceramic waterer or feeders. Their size is about 2-3 litters. The benefits of the design below are: 1) Stable and hard to disturb, 2) Difficult for chickens to stand on it (less chicken poop in water or food), 3) Very durable and easy to use. The only design issue we came across is that it is one piece and may be difficult to scrub the inside. See pottery wheel lesson lesson below.

See how the chicken waterer works (turn speaker on)
Center the clay (about 6 lbs)	Push down
Make a hole leaving 3/8" on bottom	Open pot further

...to about 6" wide	Pull walls up
And up ...	Last pulling to insure wall uniformity

Push top in (top gets thicker)	Thin the top and pull further
Shape the pot and compress walls	Bring neck in

Bring neck further in	Refine pot's shape
Close top in - leave room for 1 finger	Create the knobs shape

Close top completely	Insure it is sealed and thick enough
Define knob's top	Define knob's bottom

Note: Make the slit cut on the wheel by keeping the cutting knife steady while turning the pottery wheel slowly to insure a perfect parallel cut. Trimming the pot upside down may be difficult (pointy top) and trimming on the wheel as illustrated, will safe the trouble later.

Trim for right thickness on bottom	Remove excess clay
Pintool hole to let air out while drying	Let clay dry a bit & cut a slit 3 - 4"

Note: Bottom lip need to extend above upper lip to insure the water column does not leak. If stretching the bottom lip is not enough, adding a coil as illustrated below is required.

Push upper hole in	Shape the curve
Thin and pull bottom lip	Shape bottom lip

Final Note: When glazing, be aware that glaze must reach the entire inside of the pot for easy cleaning. Pouring glaze inside and spraying the outside seem to be the most efficient way to so. Using and applying glazes technique

You may choose to add some height	Use a coil and attached to lip
All finished - dry slowly	Happy drinking!

See how the chicken waterer works	A Green Glaze - 1.5 litter waterer
Earth glaze 1 gallon waterer	Brown / blue 1.5 litter waterer

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Making Chicken or Poultry Ceramic Waterer Pottery Wheel Lesson