Anyone ever try making a chicken waterer as a fountain using a medium capacity aquarium filter?

[bayareapilot]

An idea I've been bouncing around in my head for a long while. I have a regular water bowl for my cat and one for my dog as well as one of those cat/dog water fountains (cat and dog have their own). One of the best things I did because they drink far more often even though I change their regular water in their bowl, daily.

I found myself wondering if such an electric water fountain might benefit my chickens? The conventional cat and dog water filters are too light duty to handle all the sand that chickens would invariably get into the cat/dog water fountain. A possible work around I was thinking might be one of those aquarium water filters that hang on the side of the aquarium and create a cascade of fresh water circulating back into the aquarium. In an aquarium the filter has to deal with a lot more heavy duty things than one of those dog/cat water fountains.

So what if one took one of those rectangular aquarium water filters that hang over the inside edge of the aquarium and have a siphon hose and then the water cascades through the filtering media back into the aquarium in a smooth wave.

What if you took one of those, created a supportive enclosure and orient it over a drinking bowl with a (shortend) siphon tube in it and then the water once filtered would cascade back into the bowl... process obviously is ongoing.

I was thinking the water trickling down might inspire more drinking of water by the chickens AND keep things clean longer in the process. Anyone every try this?

I'd be interested to know what the rest of you think about the idea and if there are potential problems that I may be overlooking with the concept?

Thanks in advance!

Attached a pic of the type of aquarium filter I am thinking about

 

[saysfaa]

If you try it, let us know what you find out. Also, why you didn't try it, if you don't.

 

[bayareapilot]

If you try it, let us know what you find out. Also, why you didn't try it, if you don't.

I'm definitely going to give it a go. I'll probably find some practical reason that it's ends up being only marginally useful or fails altogether.

Will report back once I figure out the best way to go about this I'm figuring for sake of simplicity I need a rectangular water bowl to better accommodate the rectangular water filter pump.

 

[raingarden]

Are you going to leave the filter pads out? I hate cleaning those things.

 

[bayareapilot]

No otherwise that would defeat the whole purpose of running it through a power filter

 

[Ridgerunner]

Main reason I'm posting is so I'll get the notice when you update. Should be interesting.

One difference in chickens and the others is that chickens are going to poop in the water if they can. I'd try to set it up to keep as much poop out of the water as you can. They like to scratch bedding and trash in the water if they can. They like to perch, will this be tempting to them? Just things to consider.

 

[bayareapilot]

Main reason I'm posting is so I'll get the notice when you update. Should be interesting.

One difference in chickens and the others is that chickens are going to poop in the water if they can. I'd try to set it up to keep as much poop out of the water as you can. They like to scratch bedding and trash in the water if they can. They like to perch, will this be tempting to them? Just things to consider.

That much I figured, I also figured there'd have to be some sort of structural discouragement to keep them from perching on top of the housing for the water filter. The other concern I have is because of the way their beaks are constructed I'm not so sure that sticking their beak into a moving stream of water is going to work for them considering where their nostrils are located. The other thought I have too is if it's not set up correctly they could end up splashing water all about and I just end up having my water over a muddy hole. Clearly some things I need to work out

 

[fat brown hen]

I have something similar, using an 18-gal storage tote as the water reservoir, sunk into a rectangular hole in the ground. Chickens don't perch on it, since it's at ground level. Water falls into a plant saucer with pebbles (first layer of filtration) and spills into a lid hole covered by a sink strainer (second layer of filtration). Aquarium filter media is inside the tote. Multiple layers of filtration needed if used outdoors (lots of leaves, dirt, and bugs).

 

[SycamoreHorsesFarm]

Did you make it? I was thinking the new internal style filters would make for an easy fountain build. They draw from the bottom and create the same waterfall.