Automatic watering system question

[beakmaster]

Has anyone tried one of those automatic watering cups as seen here http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...akeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en

They don't seem to be marketed specifically for quail. My worry is their beaks won't be big enough to trigger them.

Also these systems are designed for low pressure systems of 5psi or less. Won't bacteria be able to grow throughout a low psi system such as this?

 

[tricid]

I use the nipples with great success, I dunno about the cups. I found the nipples cheaper and figured its one less thing to clean so I went that route.

I set mine up with pvc pipe fed from a 5gal bucket. The pipe goes around the cage, the waterers on drops, and there is a pump in the bucket that keeps it circulating non stop. I'm hoping this prevents algae/bacteria growth and ice. One month using it so far and the water is still crystal clear. I even take a sip now and then just to see if it tastes funny lol.

Make sure you use pipe/tubing that isn't clear, sunlight is what promotes algae growth (I think).

I would assume the cups would work just as well, you'd just have lil bowls to clean up now and then.

 

[dt1958]

They are for quail & work just fine gravity or low pressure water flow. I use them gravity flow and have had no problems with them, bought mine from GQF which manufactures them.
https://www.gqfmfg.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=182

 

[freeflyin]

Do you mind showing how you set up your system with a pump? I would love to try it out to see I it will keep the pipes from freezing in the winter.

 

[tricid]

I didn't get great images to show the plumbing, but I'll explain from those and maybe it'll make sense. Or I can take more this weekend.

In the top pic, to the top right, you can see the "drop", with another elbow, and a single nipple on it (red). I made them big enough to put a few nipples on each drop but I ran out of nipples. There are one of these 'drops' in all 8 compartments of the pen.

In the bottom pic, it's hard to see but there are two lengths (about 8'f) of pvc pipe going along the top/center of the pen (left/right in the pic). They're connected on the left side with a couple elbows, and the in/out are both on the right. The green 5gal bucket has the pump in it and tubing going to the inlet pipe, and coming back from the outlet pipe. so the water is just making a constant circle around the top of the pen, then dumping back in to the top of the bucket. I crimped the outlet line a lil to create positive pressure in the system but I'm not sure thats really necessary.

There were a lot of design decisions that went in to this that might bite me later, like putting the nipples on drops instead of straight lines, etc, I'll have to see how it does.

For the water, ignore the pipes that stick straight up in the air. Those are the feeders. (another idea from this forum I think and it works PERFECT)

Also I'm in texas, so if it does freeze I can probably bury that bucket, leaving an inch or two above ground, and that'd put it below the frost line and I should be ok.

The pump was from home depot, I forget the exact size but I could check. It was 30 dollars I think.

 

[freeflyin]

Thanks! It seems like a good system. I looked hard for the two lengths of PVC across the top center of the pen, but I couldn't see it. And how does the plumbing in the bucket look? Does the pump just hook up to a hose or something that then connects to the PVC?

 

[tricid]

ah yea, after zooming in the angle of that shot is perfectly blocking the longer pipes. I'll take some more tonight or this weekend, whenever I'm home first and its daylight

the pump is submersible, and the hose comes from it to the first pipe. Then another goes goes from the outlet side of the pipe to a push on fitting on the bucket lid.

pics will really be worth a thousand words here lol

 

[Bill g]

Mine will not use the cups had them plumed up with a 5 gal bucket they worked fine, but the bobs would not use them. I use rabbit water bottles now and the drink just fine from them.

 

[flg8r]

Does anyone have a bucket system for the cups (or nipples) that they can show me? I just got the cups but I haven't started to think about how to attach them to the bucket. I know before when I tried to plumb a bucket (hydroponics) it was almost impossible to get it to not leak.

 

[Bill g]

You tube has some good videos, that's the sorce I used.