Best way to water the flock?

[Neil Grassbaugh]

Quote:
Here is some information that goes over "rules of thumb" that have more or less sortet themselves out over the years.

http://www.poultry.msstate.edu/extension/pdf/cktalk2.pdf

General instuctions in broilers and floor layers - "Raise the water colum height to the point that there is some wetness underneath the nipples then back the pressure down just a little"

Some of tThe wetness problems I hear about from the backyard growers can also be attributed to improper nipple height. That to will cause water wasteage/floor dampness.

With backyard birds there is often so much space and so little demand on nipples that the minor unused water delivery on the floor is not a problem and goes unnoticed.

 

[Sore Thumb Suburbanite]

ok, the system is up and functioning inside and outside of the coop!

temporary wire supporting the pipes for tonight.

I just rigged it to see if it would work for tonight, I got impatient and because it rained today, I didn't end up getting those pavers for the back legs... but I will on thursday, and will re-seat the tower. The indoor and outdoor pipes will get real supports (the dang geese are testing how stable everything is already) and the indoor waterer already has a little elevated wire mesh base so the bedding doesn't get too soaked. I will add a bit more gravel (smaller sized) and some very thin bricks that I have so the birds won't have to walk on the sharp rocks, but the drainage system is definately working great---no mud! FINALLY! and I don't have to monitor the water FINALLY!

The barrell will get a nice outer facade--I'll wrap it with some oxidized sheetmetal that has text painted onto the surface and the cone roof will come next week and be wood. So far I'm just happy it works and doesn't leak (yet, at least).

I can't wait until tomorrow evening, I'll check the water level and determine how much they drink in 24 hours.


THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP WITH TROUBLESHOOTING AND ADVICE EVERYONE! I NOW HAVE A SUCCESSFUL WATERING SYSTEM THAT CAN SUPPORT MESSY WATERFOWL!

 

[lfreem2]

Looking forward to see this in action. I just bought the same Little Giant waterer last week, but have not yet installed it. Please do let us know what you think and if you run into any snarls.

 

[Sore Thumb Suburbanite]

Quote:
I installed the waterers with a 1/2" threaded pvc connection and all you have to do is wrap a little teflon tape around the pvc threads before you screw it in and you're pretty much set...no problems on the waterers end.

After first night in action i know I have to secure the bowls with brackets because they can still be moved by my malicious geese. I also need to adjust the water level on both bowls, I think the one inside should have a very low level so they don't have as much to play with; after the prep and original setting for their water level they still managed to dampen their bedding. They must have been drinking all night long.

My experience with these little giant waterers has been FANTASTIC, They are simple, the right size and very consistent. I highly reccomend them. I'm very happy with the watering system overall too.

 

[RedfogsFlock]

We use a 5 gallon bucket with 3 inch circles cut out around the whole thing. Then we hooked it up with a float. Used a washer hose to attach it to a faucet & sat it on the ground no mud! We had ducks, chickens, geese, & turkeys all sharing it for over a year. Now we just have the ducks and chickens sharing it and we have no problems.

 

[lfreem2]

Quote:
I installed the waterers with a 1/2" threaded pvc connection and all you have to do is wrap a little teflon tape around the pvc threads before you screw it in and you're pretty much set...no problems on the waterers end.

After first night in action i know I have to secure the bowls with brackets because they can still be moved by my malicious geese. I also need to adjust the water level on both bowls, I think the one inside should have a very low level so they don't have as much to play with; after the prep and original setting for their water level they still managed to dampen their bedding. They must have been drinking all night long.

My experience with these little giant waterers has been FANTASTIC, They are simple, the right size and very consistent. I highly reccomend them. I'm very happy with the watering system overall too.

How do you adjust the water level on these?

 

[jfoley]

i have been useing nip-cups since i started. i fed them w/ 3/4" pvc useing teflon tape on nips before installing in pipe. no leaks at all.
water is in a 10 gal. bucket 2' above the 3/4 horizontal pipe that the nips are in. hope this helps.

j foley in florida.

 

[MyChickenWishList]

I really love some of the photos posted to this thread. I too will need a better water system after we get the new coop done.
I am so excited!!

 

[jfoley]

see my set up on my view my BYC page. uploads.

 

[ChicksOnBikes]

SUGGESTIONS FOR A SMALLER FLOCK AND THE LESS HANDY:

I'm not quite so creative or mechanically inclined. In fact, I did the refurbishment of an old dog kennel building into a chicken coop and promptly gave my handiwork the slogan "functional mediocrity" b/c it works, but it ain't that pretty.

I have 12 chickens.

I found this website: www.avianaquamiser.com
they have chicken nipples that do not require any water pressure, they release water when pecked kind of like hamster water bottles. I bought a five-gallon plastic bucket and put 3 nipples on the bottom of it. I take a 1-gallon pitcher of water down with me every day when I check the hens and collect eggs, and dump it into the bucket. (I have the bucket suspended bracket on the wall, and the bucket has a lid)

The only trouble is that the water freezes in winter, and it tends to be the nipple that freezes first. So, I have 2 large pitchers with nipples on the bottom that I can hang in the coop. It's a bit of a pain, but I will switch the pitcher every day when I check them, using warm water to fill it. I store a second pitcher in the basement (where the wood stove is), so it's nice and warm when I take it out, and lasts most of the day unfrozen.

It doesn't get really hot where I live in Appalachia, and the coop is half-shaded, so I'm curious to see how much they will drink during the summer, and how well this plan will continue to work. I have a second bucket I can assemble and mount outside in the run as well, so I might do that.

I hope that's helpful for somebody. I'd love to rig up something like the things that have been shared here, but... well, it would take me forever because I've never done anything like that before.