Automatic Water Recommendations

[Palinor]

We're looking to get an automatic watering systems for our birds. Does anyone have any recommendations?
The caveat is that we have ducks that LOVE to dunk their bills in the water then rub their bills all over the dirt and then dunk them in the water again, therefore, making the water a disgusting mess

 

[Folly's place]

Ducks need to dunk their bills in the waterers, and make poor chicken companions, because chickens do badly in wet conditions. They are best separated, at least when cooped.
Mary

 

[Palinor]

Ducks need to dunk their bills in the waterers, and make poor chicken companions, because chickens do badly in wet conditions. They are best separated, at least when cooped.
Mary

yeah, we didn't really understand that when you got all our birds since we were beginners so after these ducks we won't be getting anymore, but we committed to giving them a good life so they're ours. We can't really separate them. They're all free range birds so there's no real fencing to barricade them behind.

 

[Folly's place]

You should be able to have waterers, at least for the ducks, in their run, so the shared coop doesn't get soaking wet. That may work best for everyone.
Mary

 

[Palinor]

You should be able to have waterers, at least for the ducks, in their run, so the shared coop doesn't get soaking wet. That may work best for everyone.
Mary

the ducks and chickens share a coop/run and a waterer

 

[Blue Eager]

That’s a difficult combination for sure. I like elevating the water on a 6” x 8” beam so the chickens have to climb onto it to drink. The 6” off the ground prevents them from kicking/scratching dirt into the container (about 1/3 of a 5 gallon bucket). I would assume the ducks would muddy the water because as you said, they like dabbling in the water usually regurgitating whatever they eat last.

 

[Megan14be]

I found an old rabbit hutch with a plastic catch... is makes a perfect water contain for both the chickens and the ducks. The ducks wade into it and dunk, the chickens will drink out of it when it hasn't been too "muddied". But I also give them fresh clean water in a auto fill container.