best way to water chickens in cages?

[sunket77]

I am going to set up my show chickens in separate cages to get them ready for show. I am worried if I use the small chick waterers they will kick them over. Does anyone have any suggestions on another way to water them or a way to secure the other kind? what about rodent waterers? thanks!!

 

[G Wiz Ranch]

Try the GQF Drink cups. I use them in the coops and runs.

 

[sunket77]

oh yes is something I was looking at... please how do you set it up, I am having a hard time finding out how. thanks!

 

[chickenwhisperer]

All my tiny chicks learned very quickly how to drink from rodent bottles.

I think its a great way to keep water clean and where its supposed to be- in the bottle or in a bird.

Im even gonna set up an autowaterer using 6 rodent valves from my rack.
It should take too long for the chicks to learn how to use the new valves, hopefully.

Those cups look pretty nifty, but I bet they get pretty grimy on the bottom.

 

[Akane]

My chicks will drink from a water bottle before they'll start drinking from a dish or chick waterer. The adults pick it up immediately. In the time it took me to leave the room to get the camera and come back I had 5 pullets drinking from a large rabbit bottle. I've had some with no access to water for 6months or more except the bottles and they show no signs of having trouble getting enough.

 

[G Wiz Ranch]

Quote:
You can use a pressure reducing valve and attach it direct to a hose. Or you can use a gravity bucket. I use a bucket that I made and installed a toilet float valve in so that I can add ACV or whatever. Your bucket needs to be about 4ft higher than the drink cups. They sell both the valve and the bucket. The cups don't store water like a float valve, when the chick puts its beak in the cup and pecks the yellow tab, it releases water in the cup. The cups are SUPER easy to clean. It does not freeze here, but I could see that this will not work where it will freeze. But if you have them in a cage, I would hope the room is warm enough to not freeze.

I like the cups because I almost never have to clean or fill anything, about every 3 weeks, I clean the bucket and then remove the cups and clean them with bleach. But it is an easy process.

 

[cristina33]

zip tie some yogurt cups to the side of the cages and use spare cups to put in zip tied cups if that makes sence lol

 

[Chicky~Buddy]

I use those blk coop cups from cutler for our birds too! we live in frozen land they are freeze resistant so when we do winter chores if frozen can just top with hot water or hit the blk cup hard to get the ice out. (they are strong cups! I have not broken one yet!

I have have broken tons of the standard red lid poultry drinkers

) yes we tried all sorts of things with the regular quart ones and they spill them and fill them with bedding.

on most of our rooster cages I cut hole in wire large enough for them to stick their head through (all the birds quickly learned to stick their head through and they seem to enjoy doing that) I make sure to fully cover wire sharp edge with foam so they dont poke themselves and I clip the black coop cups on the outside of the cages. this has been a huge time saver in providing fresh water and feed to the birds also keeps it a bit cleaner being outside of their cage. also great for the bit ornery boys or the flighty birds to be able to feed and water from the outside esp when you have young kiddos helping with chores.

oh yeah the cups do get grimy on the bottom I collect them once a week in a 5 gallon bucket add a bit of bleach water and scrub them to keep the cups clean for the birds. because I clip them on the wire they are quick to remove and put back.
fairly quick to clean compared to the standard screw top quart drinkers.

hope that helps
PS. the wire on the front of our cages is the hardware cloth mesh...I think doing this with chicken wire would be difficult and not work out so well.

 

[Black Creek Poultry]

May want to look into these as well! We use them on a daily basis! www.blackcreekpoultry.com.
John

 

[BellevueOmlet]

Drink cups are perfect for that