Watering Cornish cross

[NorthwoodsChick]

Hi. First time with cornish x and nearly done with tractor build. I will have 30 in a 6x10 hoop style mobile tractor. I have feeders and security handled already but need guidance on watering.

I’ve planned for two 5 gal buckets with autofill cups to offer better hydration than horizontal nipple waterers. I am not sure how many cups I need per bucket though because I imagine them crowding feeders more so than waterers…am I wrong there?
There are two sizes of cups- regular (shown) or large which is 3 inches diameter. I can prob fit 5-6 reg size cups versus 3 large cups per bucket— but that is guessing.
My concerns are breakage leading to emptied buckets, spacing of cups leading to crowding at the cups.

I think the larger cups would be more problematic pertaining to my concerns but would love to get opinions.

TIA

 

[FunClucks]

I think you're on the right track. However, I would actually get more 5 gallon buckets. The limiting factor for CX is space around the water source, and full grown or nearly there, they are 1 foot wide at the shoulders. So calculate that no more than 4 birds will be able to drink from one bucket, install 4 small cups evenly spaced but avoiding the back side. I put my 5 gallon buckets up against the wall of the enclosure on top of cinderblocks, and secure them in place so they don't tip, so my horizontal nipples have to be spaced so the chickens closest to the walls can still get to the nipples (the nipples are at least 6" from the wall if I can swing it).

I raised using horizontal nipples and it was fine - they just had to work for it more, but I also processed in March before it got super hot.

I put 5 nipples in a 5 gallon bucket, but they only ever drank from 4 because that's all they could reach physically accounting for their shoulders and the wall placement. You will want the water to be where they have to stand up to drink, to keep their legs strong, and place the water as far from the food as you can, so they have to walk back and forth, to encourage exercise.

Put enough buckets so your entire flock can drink at once if you can, or at least half your flock - they will fight over the water and won't take turns like normal chickens. I had one 9 wk CX fall over on her back and not be able to get up fighting to get to the water (I rescued her).

For 21 CX, I used two 5 gallon buckets and filled them every other day (wks 4-9). I had to stay on top of it, or they'd run out, and there was a fair bit of fighting over it. They could have used a third bucket. Only 8 were getting to drink at once, and probably 10-12 were fighting to drink at any given time.

 

[FunClucks]

I did 21 (originally 25) CX in a stationary 150 square feet enclosure (10x15) on deep litter and it worked great.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I think you're on the right track. However, I would actually get more 5 gallon buckets. The limiting factor for CX is space around the water source, and full grown or nearly there, they are 1 foot wide at the shoulders. So calculate that no more than 4 birds will be able to drink from one bucket, install 4 small cups evenly spaced but avoiding the back side. I put my 5 gallon buckets up against the wall of the enclosure on top of cinderblocks, and secure them in place so they don't tip, so my horizontal nipples have to be spaced so the chickens closest to the walls can still get to the nipples (the nipples are at least 6" from the wall if I can swing it).

I raised using horizontal nipples and it was fine - they just had to work for it more, but I also processed in March before it got super hot.

I put 5 nipples in a 5 gallon bucket, but they only ever drank from 4 because that's all they could reach physically accounting for their shoulders and the wall placement. You will want the water to be where they have to stand up to drink, to keep their legs strong, and place the water as far from the food as you can, so they have to walk back and forth, to encourage exercise.

Put enough buckets so your entire flock can drink at once if you can, or at least half your flock - they will fight over the water and won't take turns like normal chickens. I had one 9 wk CX fall over on her back and not be able to get up fighting to get to the water (I rescued her).

For 21 CX, I used two 5 gallon buckets and filled them every other day (wks 4-9). I had to stay on top of it, or they'd run out, and there was a fair bit of fighting over it. They could have used a third bucket. Only 8 were getting to drink at once, and probably 10-12 were fighting to drink at any given time.

Wow, that really put things into perspective for me. Thank you so much.
I will need to rethink on how to add a 3rd waterer.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I did 21 (originally 25) CX in a stationary 150 square feet enclosure (10x15) on deep litter and it worked great.

I will have them on grass, moving daily. I will keep the tractor hitched to an ATV to move it. My plan is to fill feeders and waterers after I move the unit each morning.
The water buckets will be bungeed in place to prevent tipping and I will just refill where they are.

 

[SourRoses]

What about extending a pvc pipe down the entire length of one wall, with the cups attached to that and the bucket at one end attached to the pipe?
It would save space taken up by buckets and provide more room for access. Chickens in general oh-so love to do things at the same time.

The reservoir bucket could even be outside for easy filling. They also make mini-float valves that can be put in the buckets and attached to a hose, for automatic watering (about $15 on amzn).

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

What about extending a pvc pipe down the entire length of one wall, with the cups attached to that and the bucket at one end attached to the pipe?
It would save space taken up by buckets and provide more room for access. Chickens in general oh-so love to do things at the same time.

The reservoir bucket could even be outside for easy filling. They also make mini-float valves that can be put in the buckets and attached to a hose, for automatic watering (about $15 on amzn).

That’s a great idea and what I’m thinking about doing now. If I use 1 or 1/2 inch PVC at a length of 4-5 feet each side that should allow for enough space. My gutter feeders line the walls, too. Maybe the 1 inch pipe having the bucket about 8 inches above pipe would allow enough pressure to get to the end cup without a slower fill rate.
Need to see what I have on hand.

Would I necessarily need to vent the lid on the waterer? Its not a seal, just a lid.

 

[SourRoses]

That’s a great idea and what I’m thinking about doing now. If I use 1 or 1/2 inch PVC at a length of 4-5 feet each side that should allow for enough space. My gutter feeders line the walls, too. Maybe the 1 inch pipe having the bucket about 8 inches above pipe would allow enough pressure to get to the end cup without a slower fill rate.
Need to see what I have on hand.

Would I necessarily need to vent the lid on the waterer? Its not a seal, just a lid.

Sounds cool!
Yeah, I do think you would need an air inlet in the bucket to keep the water flowing.
The wider pipe sounds good. There can be an issue with the curvature of buckets / pipes if the cups / nipples / feed ports have a straight gasket. Some products claim to overcome this with curved gaskets, I don't know if the cup products have that option. Still, people manage to install them on curved objects so there must be a workable solution.

You may be able to tell, I haven't actually completed a DIY watering build myself. I've been thinking about it and looking at products for 2 years now. My main issue is I want the cups to drain from the bottom to make it easy to clean the copious sediment my birds dump (naturally sandy here). And the nipples don't help them cool off like dunking their faces does.

 

[FunClucks]

Sounds cool!
Yeah, I do think you would need an air inlet in the bucket to keep the water flowing.
The wider pipe sounds good. There can be an issue with the curvature of buckets / pipes if the cups / nipples / feed ports have a straight gasket. Some products claim to overcome this with curved gaskets, I don't know if the cup products have that option. Still, people manage to install them on curved objects so there must be a workable solution.

You may be able to tell, I haven't actually completed a DIY watering build myself. I've been thinking about it and looking at products for 2 years now. My main issue is I want the cups to drain from the bottom to make it easy to clean the copious sediment my birds dump (naturally sandy here). And the nipples don't help them cool off like dunking their faces does.

A couple options for mounting cups to PVC pipe. Not used them myself, but they look handy. Amazon's suggestions.

 

[FunClucks]

That’s a great idea and what I’m thinking about doing now. If I use 1 or 1/2 inch PVC at a length of 4-5 feet each side that should allow for enough space. My gutter feeders line the walls, too. Maybe the 1 inch pipe having the bucket about 8 inches above pipe would allow enough pressure to get to the end cup without a slower fill rate.
Need to see what I have on hand.

Would I necessarily need to vent the lid on the waterer? Its not a seal, just a lid.

So, if your bucket has a good O-ring in the lid and seals completely when you tighten the lid, you'll need to remove the O-ring from the lid or put a piece of small wire over the side of the bucket to prevent the lid from fully closing (vent the lid).

I know from experience if you have a fully sealed 5 gallon bucket lid, and have 5 mounted horizontal nipples, eventually the birds will not be able to get water out of the nipples. It creates a vacuum when the water goes out, and the nipples aren't open long enough to let air go inside the bucket to equalize the pressure inside and outside the bucket. Not sure how this will translate to cups, but luckily I had two 5 gallon waterers in the coop that day, and the other one wasn't fully sealed, or it would have been a bad day by the time I noticed it was a problem. A pin hole is enough at the top of the bucket, but I would always recommend you vent on purpose, and therefore you aren't caught by surprise.