Best Chicken waterers

[blackdog043]

I use horizontal nipples in a 14 gallon drum in my run and I have a 5 gallon bucket in my coop. I put a stock tank deicer in my 5 gallon bucket during Jan and Feb, so the water doesn't freeze. I don't use the drum for those 2 months.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ock-tank-deicer-and-horizontal-nipples.74609/

 

[J Hill]

Oh my gosh this is PERFECTLY timed. I don't want to have to continuously replace the waterers I have for my chicks... This is a perfect setup! I even have the gallon vinegar jugs at home lol. So you just drill a hole at the bottom for the horizontal nipple? (and that hole in the top to equalize the pressure)

Yes, you may have to use Plummer’s tape for a tighter fit when you screw the nipple into the jug.

 

[concrete_boots]

I see people saying drill a hole or leave lid open...I have horizontal nipples on 3 gallon buckets with tight lids and no holes..water comes out ok..

 

[concrete_boots]

 

[blackdog043]

I see people saying drill a hole or leave lid open...I have horizontal nipples on 3 gallon buckets with tight lids and no holes..water comes out ok..

If the container is really air tight, it will create a vacuum and they would stop working. If you turned your bucket upside down, it may leak some, so it's not truly air tight. Even if it took a few minutes to drip. A soda bottle would need a hole drilled in it , if the lid was screwed on real tight

My blue drum in post #11 had a foam seal inside the lid, I took it out so it didn't create a vacuum, but I didn't need to drill a hole in it.

 

[play2mefish]

I use rainwater to water my chickens. It is a 32 gallon trash can that is filled from the rain gutters from the chicken coop. Since it rains a lot where I live, I just pipe the water to the inside of the coop. The water inside the coop uses a 5 gallon bucket with a float valve, and one side of the bucket is cut out so they can stick there heads in and get all the fresh water they want. I used this example from youtube:

and the modified to meet my needs.

I have tried the nipples, the cups, and other things, but this waterer is "SUPERIOR" to all others. Enjoy!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I see people saying drill a hole or leave lid open...I have horizontal nipples on 3 gallon buckets with tight lids and no holes..water comes out ok..

If the lid becomes hard to remove when the water starts getting used up, IMO that's enough of a vacuum forming to be adding a hole to the waterer to allow some air in. Adding a hole doesn't have any negative side effects, so better safe than sorry for me.

 

[wamtazlady]

I use rainwater to water my chickens. It is a 32 gallon trash can that is filled from the rain gutters from the chicken coop. Since it rains a lot where I live, I just pipe the water to the inside of the coop. The water inside the coop uses a 5 gallon bucket with a float valve, and one side of the bucket is cut out so they can stick there heads in and get all the fresh water they want. I used this example from youtube:

and the modified to meet my needs.

I have tried the nipples, the cups, and other things, but this waterer is "SUPERIOR" to all others. Enjoy!

I did not watch all of your video as the sound is so bad. If this system works for you then it is the best system for you. I do wonder how you keep it all from freezing in the winter. Around here I think it would all freeze solid for 4 or 5 months.

 

[play2mefish]

I did not watch all of your video as the sound is so bad. If this system works for you then it is the best system for you. I do wonder how you keep it all from freezing in the winter. Around here I think it would all freeze solid for 4 or 5 months.

The video is on youtube so you could probably just search youtube, and maybe get better video/audio quality. It does freeze sometime...I had the pipes inside the coop until the chickens started to play with them, sit on them, and do the things that chickens do. I've insulated the outside pipes with Styrofoam, but my biggest issue is with the trash cans themselves freezing. I plan to put something in them to keep the water moving but haven't yet. If I do something I'll let you know what I did...

 

[wamtazlady]

The video is on youtube so you could probably just search youtube, and maybe get better video/audio quality. It does freeze sometime...I had the pipes inside the coop until the chickens started to play with them, sit on them, and do the things that chickens do. I've insulated the outside pipes with Styrofoam, but my biggest issue is with the trash cans themselves freezing. I plan to put something in them to keep the water moving but haven't yet. If I do something I'll let you know what I did...

In northern Montana that system would be frozen all the time not just sometimes. If you have electricity to your trash cans you might consider a stock tank deicer. Deicers are pretty efficient as they turn on at 35 degrees and turn off again at 45. My stock tank deicer cost 42 dollars and has worked flawlessly to keep the chickens in water for 4 years now. In that time the temperature has gotten down to -22 F several times.