save money and use a bucket?

so looking at the prices of the larger feeders and waters i was thinking about doing what grandma does and just use a small bucket for the water it comes to about 8 inches tall and i'll be changeing it out dayly anyway so why pay all that money for something i allready have? Plus for the price of a trof feeder like i wanted to buy online i can make the **** thing for 8 bucks verus the 54 they want online. What do yall think? is there a real reason why these overpriced feeders and waterers are used at all?

Buy the horizontal nipples and install them in a bucket.

Well, I use quite large feeders and waterers, it means I don't have to feed them manually three times a day! It lasts them about a week, much less maintenance needed! Apart from all the love and cuddles of course!

I don't change water daily, actually I don't change it at all. Just gets filled up and they do the changing I suppose. The purpose of fresh water daily is to prevent contamination from whatever nastiness they may have been pecking on, walking in or for them pooping in the water. If you use a sealed bucket and watering nipples then you remove the contaminants. I sterilize the nipples once a week and add water with Apple cider vinegar when needed.

For feeders again just buckets with a small hole drilled on the side in the bottom. The bottom of a drink bottle is chopped off then cut in half and attached to create a tiny cup to hold the feed. The bucket is hung up where they have to reach for it to deter rats from getting to the feed.
Have a nice day.

winteree said:

so looking at the prices of the larger feeders and waters i was thinking about doing what grandma does and just use a small bucket for the water it comes to about 8 inches tall and i'll be changeing it out dayly anyway so why pay all that money for something i allready have? Plus for the price of a trof feeder like i wanted to buy online i can make the **** thing for 8 bucks verus the 54 they want online. What do yall think? is there a real reason why these overpriced feeders and waterers are used at all?

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If you don't mind changing out their bucket everyday then go with that. It's too much of a health/time issue for me to do that given how many birds I have but if I only had a few it would be no big deal. At the very least I'd put some horizontal nipples in a bucket I had on hand, though. Less mess and worry about bacteria. You can get a couple nipples at http://allboutchickens.com and use the bucket you already have if it has a lid. The lid has to have a pin hole in it.

subhanalah said:

Buy the horizontal nipples and install them in a bucket.

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i have been scared to use that since i saw one of my grandma's bird get crushed by one.

pawtraitart said:

If you don't mind changing out their bucket everyday then go with that. It's too much of a health/time issue for me to do that given how many birds I have but if I only had a few it would be no big deal. At the very least I'd put some horizontal nipples in a bucket I had on hand, though. Less mess and worry about bacteria. You can get a couple nipples at http://allboutchickens.com and use the bucket you already have if it has a lid. The lid has to have a pin hole in it.

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I don't like the nipple system if i had stornger suports thats one thing but i don't know if thats a good idea i saw a bird get crushed by a falling water bucket with that design

chad-o said:

One of the most important things is clean water. Clean water and plenty of it will eliminate a lot of problems. Contaminated water will eventually lead to unhealthy birds. That's why most commercial operations have gone to nibble watering systems.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321376245566?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

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I don't like the nipple system

bugflipper said:

I don't change water daily, actually I don't change it at all. Just gets filled up and they do the changing I suppose. The purpose of fresh water daily is to prevent contamination from whatever nastiness they may have been pecking on, walking in or for them pooping in the water. If you use a sealed bucket and watering nipples then you remove the contaminants. I sterilize the nipples once a week and add water with Apple cider vinegar when needed.

For feeders again just buckets with a small hole drilled on the side in the bottom. The bottom of a drink bottle is chopped off then cut in half and attached to create a tiny cup to hold the feed. The bucket is hung up where they have to reach for it to deter rats from getting to the feed.
Have a nice day.

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i don't like the nipple design what if one of them clogs and i saw a chick get chrushed by falling bucket nipple design

Clucky12 said:

Well, I use quite large feeders and waterers, it means I don't have to feed them manually three times a day! It lasts them about a week, much less maintenance needed! Apart from all the love and cuddles of course!

Click to expand...

aww