General Information
- Brand
- Little Giant, Ware
- Manufacturer
- Little Giant, Ware
- Product Price
- Little Giant $6.11 at Chewy 3/9/24; Ware $14. at Chewy 3/9/24
I have used these handy Little Giant waterers in my quail cages for several years. They save floor space, and prevent spills and pooping in the water. They work great for water for quail, and would probably be useful as additional waterers for chickens or chicks when you want to be sure nobody is bullied off the water.
I see people in reviews also using them to present grit and calcium supplements, though I cannot imagine it works as more than just a handy hanging pocket for solids. With water, it's a gravity feed, so you can fill it and let it "burp" as you flip it to hang on the wires of a cage. I also see that Little Giant offers a larger one with a similar design.
The DRAWBACK to these is that both brands are galvanized, rather than stainless steel. After a few months even, they start to rust and drop particles of zinc into the birds' water. It's very hard to clean them of the rust because of the territory that is inside the pocket.
I am trying an experiment to see if I can coat the insides of new ones (never used) with a plain lacquer. I have used a disposable plastic soup spoon to ladle in a small amount of lacquer. One spoon seems to be enough. I roll the waterer around to get a coat of the lacquer all over. I wait a few days and add a second coat. You have to have temperatures 50 degrees F or higher to use the lacquer. I have handed out one to a bird who lives alone. So far, it seems to be fine with the bird. It will take several months to tell if the lacquer is preventing the rusting and zinc fall out. I hope it works because, aside from the rust problem, these are terrific and handy little waterers.
I see people in reviews also using them to present grit and calcium supplements, though I cannot imagine it works as more than just a handy hanging pocket for solids. With water, it's a gravity feed, so you can fill it and let it "burp" as you flip it to hang on the wires of a cage. I also see that Little Giant offers a larger one with a similar design.
The DRAWBACK to these is that both brands are galvanized, rather than stainless steel. After a few months even, they start to rust and drop particles of zinc into the birds' water. It's very hard to clean them of the rust because of the territory that is inside the pocket.
I am trying an experiment to see if I can coat the insides of new ones (never used) with a plain lacquer. I have used a disposable plastic soup spoon to ladle in a small amount of lacquer. One spoon seems to be enough. I roll the waterer around to get a coat of the lacquer all over. I wait a few days and add a second coat. You have to have temperatures 50 degrees F or higher to use the lacquer. I have handed out one to a bird who lives alone. So far, it seems to be fine with the bird. It will take several months to tell if the lacquer is preventing the rusting and zinc fall out. I hope it works because, aside from the rust problem, these are terrific and handy little waterers.
