Any ideas on a waterer?

[Zahboo]

I have 3 bantam cochins and a flock of pigeons. The water spigot is a ways away. And you'd think that theses guys wouldn't drink a lot, but boy would you be wrong. I feel up the pigeons waterer twice a day and when I get home from school the chickens are almost out of water. The bantams drink and tip their waterer often. They have a large litter pan full and a 1 gallon water. The litterpan is a temperary fix, but I don't like it. It collects dirt and feathers and mosqitos.

Does anyone have ideas of a way I could have a bucket of water that runs into 2 seperate waterers, one for the pigeons one for the chickens. Anything! I'd like their water to last at least 2 days. Yes, I change their water daily, but every other weekend I have to go to my dads and I just can't trust mom will give fresh water.

 

[Tala]

Well you need to get a waterer that they can't tip over, so that they don't run dry during the day. I personally use a bucket and attach it to the wall of the coop but you might not want a deep bucket with banties.

Get a real chicken waterer preferably in galvinized metal (unless you use ACV regularly), and set it on a cinder block or bricks so that it is about back height to the birds. If they still tip it, attach it to the ceiling or nearest fence. That should help with fouling the water as well as spilling it.

 

[Zahboo]

We try to keep things off the ground. Fighting a HORRIBLE mouse problem since the farmer next door tore down their barn. The feeder hangs, and the chickens tipped over galvanized waterer before. I was thinking something with a pvc pipe attached to the chain link, but not sure how to make it happen.

 

[joletabey]

Someone on BYC showed pics of one made with a bucket screwed to a lid - they drilled a few tiny holes toward the bottom- didn't cost much and you could get a big bucket -

 

[Intheswamp]

If you could incorporate nipple drinkers/waterers into your setup I think that would help you tremendously. You could hook the line up to anything from a gallon, 5 gallons, 55 gallons, whatever. They're clean, neat, and help make room in the coop.

Here's a link to a recent thread about them.... Poultry Nipple Drinkers

Best wishes,
Ed



ETA: spelling

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

Quote:
do you know anyone who has used a barrel for a waterer? I've got an odd sized one, i think around 20 gallons, and making it a large waterer is an interesting idea

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
do you know anyone who has used a barrel for a waterer? I've got an odd sized one, i think around 20 gallons, and making it a large waterer is an interesting idea

Do a search here on BYC and you should find several different setups where people have hooked the water line and nipple drinkers up to a barrrel resevoir and even useing rainwater caught from off the coop roof. I a nutshell it consists of plumbing a pipe to the barrel, placing a cap on the end of the pipe, drilling holes in the pipe for the nipple drinkers to screw into, and then inserting the nipples.

Check the link I listed above and do a forum search, you'll find lots of information from simple to complex.

As for simply using the barrel with no piping or nipples attached I can't really say that I've seen one used as a stand-alone type of drinker.

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[La_TomboyGirl]

In the past we've used large rabbit water bottles with much success. They learn to drink from them very quickly if you take thier beaks & make them peck it & discover water. Just hang them on the wire in a shady area. Water stays clean, & no fears of falling into a bucket. We also use milk jugs with a large cutout @ the top, leaving about 4" depth @ the bottom & handle intact, then use wire to attach handles to fence. I usually put 2-3 next to each other in a shady corner. We use these to go on weekend trips & keep everybody watered. We only have 5 standard size birds in the yard right now, but anyone could use it to adapt to fit their small flock. The best thing is, you're reusing the jugs, & when they get too old, you can just make new ones. Hope this helps.

 

[gallina man]

check out j3707 in feeding and watering just above urs

 

[lacomo]

I have my chicken coops set up with a 55 gallon plastic barrel. I use the warering cups in this picture. They glue to 1/2 inch PVC pipe that runs from the barrel. You just have to have your barrel higher than the cups and it gravity feeds. I have 2 cups for 28 chickens and a barrel will last quite a while (maybe a week). The black part in the pic is oversized so you can see the detail better. They are not expensive about $7 each for a cup setup and of course the price of a barrel and PVC pipe. I got mine at Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon MO because I live in Lebanon. GQF has them and probably other places too.