Our chickens drink and eat like little pigs when they return to the coop in the evening. So, I didn't want to take their water out of the coop. The problem was the nipples are messy and kept the floor under the nipples wet all the time.
So, I cut a hole in the floor directly under the nipples, securely covered it with hardware cloth. Then, I covered that with window screen. The water drips through. The bedding dries out very rapidly. Problem solved!!
Our temperatures very rarely dip to freezing so, the cold is not really an issue. If we did happen to expect a severe cold front, I'd cover the screen with a piece of plywood.
So, I cut a hole in the floor directly under the nipples, securely covered it with hardware cloth. Then, I covered that with window screen. The water drips through. The bedding dries out very rapidly. Problem solved!!
Our temperatures very rarely dip to freezing so, the cold is not really an issue. If we did happen to expect a severe cold front, I'd cover the screen with a piece of plywood.
