Best way to water the flock?

[Mac in Wisco]

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Now that I think about it, that may not be correct. If I think through it, the weight of the rising water column on the supply side probably creates a counterbalance, much like a seesaw, cancelling out any increased height above the reservoir, so that the resulting water pressure is still set by the height of the water in the barrel.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

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After doing a little research, that is correct. That's why the siphon discharge must be lower the height of the water in the barrel, otherwise there would be no pressure difference and the water would not flow. The uphill and downhill side of the siphon just cancel each other out. Any other way would violate the law of conservation of energy and you'd be getting free energy from nowhere.

 

[lfreem2]

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It's just simple math here. The nipples require 1-5 PSI of water pressure max to function. A barrel the size of mine provides way may PSI thanks to the weight of the water. Therefore, the nipples will leak because there is more pressure than they need involved. The PSI has to match up. The Little Giant waterer allows for up to 70 PSI, therefore it will work perfectly.

lfreem2, I don't think you understood my thoughts on siphoning here. Perhaps you have never siphoned a tank of gas, nor emptied a waterbed. It does not matter that you have a lid and therefore have no vacuum. You are not looking to make a feed store waterer that requires suction to pull air back into an inverted water source. No, you do not need a pump.
If you're opposed to sucking on a hose I have nothing for you

1. Water source must be higher than your waterer (one single waterer, each waterer would require its own hose).
2. Take the top off your water source
3. stick a hose into the top of your water source and down to the bottom of the bucket/barrel. Getting air into this end of the line is where you will loose the vacuum.
4. suck on the hose like you are at the 7-11 and just bought yourself a big gulp. This is to prime the hose.
5. here is where you either hold your thumb over the line/kink the hose/or close your previously installed ball valve in order to connect the water line to your waterer.
6. make the connection
7. open water flow to the waterer

As long as your waterer is lower than the barrel the weight of the water in the water line will "pull" water from the tank. If the intake side of the hose ever gets above the water level in the tank, you will have to reprime. the line.

Each waterer would require its own line. As DickGJ said - multiple in line waterers may let air into the line.​

Ah, I totally get what you meant now! You neglected to mention the sucking part. LOL!

The problem with this method is that if you ever lose "prime" for whatever reason, then your chickens have nothing to drink (and Murphy's Law always ensures that something can possibly happen!). With the gravity method, that doesn't happen unless your barrel is empty.

 

[lfreem2]

No, the nipples are not designed to leak. The dampness is from the birds drinking and spilling water. If the water pressure is too high, more water than a bird can drink in one sip is being discharged when the nipple is triggered with the excess going on the ground and creating wet litter. If the litter is too dry that means the birds are getting less than they can drink in one sip, aren't spilling any, and may not be getting enough water. Their recommendation to maintain the litter with a slight dampness ensures that the birds are only getting slightly more than a beak full with each sip, vs way too much or not enough.

Our 2500 birds drink 125 gallons a day. If the water pressure is set too high and for every drop that a bird drinks another drop goes on the floor, I'd have 125 gallons of water going on the floor every day. Obviously that would be quite a problem.

Okay, so this is MOST helpful. What you're saying Mac is that we SHOULD be seeing a bit of dampness on the floor to illustrate that the nipples are in fact working properly. Not outright wet, just simply a slight dampness. If that's correct, then my nipples are working just fine. I was expecting that the chickens would be drinking everything and the ground should be COMPLETELY dry.

My watering system is in my run, so someone putting this in the coop would then have a damp coop floor. So, in this case, if you wanted to water in the hen house it would be wise to opt for the Little Giant waterer or another such cup system, and then stick with the nipples outside in the run.

Thanks for the clarification Mac!​

 

[jmagill]

Sorry, I disagree. My birds get enough and I have no dampness what so ever. I use nipples in the hen house. My birds may not get a full mouthful every time but they go back for as many as they need.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

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Those are the manufacturer's recommendations. If there are multiple birds to a nipple it's possible for some to not get enough water and you'd want to make it as efficient as possible for them to drink.

 

[jmagill]

I can see that in a production sort of setting.

I have one nipple per seven birds in small coops. They do great and they are not walking in wet litter.
For us it is very important during winter to not have wet litter. it effects them worse than having to take make a few extra pecks to get enough water.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

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Exactly. Much of it is dependent on specific conditions, that's why there is no set water pressure for every situation, but only general guidelines. Since we are able to adjust the pressure, I turn the pressure down in the winter to keep the litter in better condition. We burn propane to provide supplemental heat in the winter. Wet litter means higher ammonia production which means increased ventilation rates which leads to higher fuel bills. In the summer when the barn is wide open and the ventilation is at a maximum we can turn up the water pressure to ensure the birds are getting enough to drink in hot weather and not worry about the litter so much.

 

[Sore Thumb Suburbanite]

Ok, I started my project, then it started raining today and I have to wait it out... but I'm going to cut down the size of the barrell today and install it. I HOPE IT WORKS!!!!

Here is the basic frame and the pvc pipes attached to the little giant waterer...the small rectangular frame is going to get burried into the ground and filled with gravel and large pavers

Here is the ENORMOUS barrell that will be cut down to 24 inches (for proportion and weight purposes as well as not to attract attention from neighbors.)

 

[Mac in Wisco]

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So far it looks great! A full drum of water weighs around 475 lbs. Even cut down you'll have some weight there. You may want to put some pavers under the legs to keep it from sinking into the ground.


Added: I just reread that and it looks like you have it covered.