Another Way to Water Chickens

[lindabean]

While looking through my new EggCartons.com catalogue, I found something called an "Earth Friendly Fountain", made by Little Giant. You recycle a 10 oz. up to a 2 liter size soda pop or water bottle by screwing on a Stainless Steel tube that is similar to a gerbil or bunny water bottle nozzle. The ad doesn't say, but I assume it has a little steel ball bearing inside the tube to control water flow. It says you can attach the bottle to the inside or outside of the cage, but isn't clear if it comes with the spring c/ a clip at each end. I am using a similar waterer as a supplemental waterer that is one that I bought at PetSmart for my dogs when I need to leave them in a crate for a few hours. It is made by Lick-It, but has a much bigger cap for screwing into their specially made bottle. The thing I like about my Lick-It bottle is that I have it attached on the outside of my chick pen and it is easy to get to and refill. I have a Earth Friendly hummingbird feeder platform that attaches to a similar plastic bottle, but haven't used it yet as those little buggers have a voracious appetite & will eat me out of 10 lbs of sugar a week if I put it out for them. So they are limited to 1 qt. of nectar a day. I've found they are not nearly as aggressive with each other, and not one of them "stands guard" over the feeder to fight off interlopers.
The price for the Earth Friendly fountain is $6.95, which I think is a little steep for what you get. I think I'll look on the Farmtek site & see if they have something similar & cheaper.
Has anyone tried this product? I'm interested in feedback.

 

[Andora]

I've never tried this, but I do use the rabbit/gerbil style waterers. They sell 64 ounce bottles at TSC and Petsmart, the kind that easily hang on the outside of the run. I love how easy to refill they are and how clean they stay! Even my ducks drink from them.

 

[NotTheMomma]

I have several of the rabbit waterers, and NONE of my chickens will drink out of the darn things!

 

[JenEric Farms]

I thought about putting the ball style/gerbil/rabbit water bottles out for the chickens, but wondered if they would actually drink from them. Seems like it would be easy to fill and clean, do you guys have issues with chickens liking them? Did you start them with these style as chicks?

edited for wording

 

[jsimplytx125]

I started my chicks with these (Rabbit waterer)and I love them.

Its very easy to hang them by sticking them thru wire hole then have you DH bend a 12 inch cut wire hanger and bend two hooks into each end. Vua-laa! They usually come with a hanger for inside a cage but OH So easy if you only hang from outside with the U-wire.

I now have my baby keets (Guinea Fowl babies) learning how to drink.

 

[Andora]

I started some chicks with them, others I haven't. But they have all picked up on drinking from them instantly! If your birds won't drink from them, just take away their other water and force one bird's beak into the metal tube so they know what it does. In a few hours they will all be drinking! That's what i did when I first introduced it to adult birds.

 

[Whispering Winds]

I think those bigger ones for bigger animals are just great, but wondered if you would have to start the babies with down or feathers when they are small to get the hang of it . . .I saw them in a catalog too, can't remember where, but you can get plastic or stainless for animals that chew like rabbits. I found one at Bucheitz and it attaches to a 2-liter bottle, but the spring was too small that came with the package and the holder wasn't right either. It would be no big deal to get a bigger spring though . . .

 

[lindabean]

When I put the babies out with the Big Girls a few weeks ago, I decided to add the Lick-It bottle just to see what they'd do. I attached it outside the baby's pen and had a few curious lookers while it was going up. The Buff Orphs are the most curious and seem to be the ones using it the most. As I am still looking for the "Perfect" water solution for the incredible heat wave we have been experiencing, I decided to try a bunch of different things to see what they liked best. I also have 3 of the red Avian Water Miser nipples that are going in to different containers, to see what works best. So far, the Big Girls have not had a chance to try the Lick-It bottle, but I have a feeling that if they are thirsty enough, they will use it. We have had 100+degree days for almost a month now, and I'm really paranoid about them running out of water. There are some days I only get to check it twice a day, but I occasionally find one of them dry.

In another month, I will be back to driving a school bus, so I have to have the kinks worked out by then.

 

[chicas_red&pepper]

I'm wondering how well my chickens would do with a product like that. They've had the same old chick waterer since I got them! I can't seem to find the product mentioned either, I looked at the website for petsmart and just plain Googled 'Little Giant.' Nothing came up except a pump company... If you could assist me...
Please, & Thx
Chicas_red&pepper

 

[jsimplytx125]

Mine are Rabbit waterers. Most feed stores carry them. I got mine from Pet Smart several years ago.