Cheap DIY waterer?? Need help

[FDaniels]

We're getting 7 chickens in a couple of days--5 from one flock & the other 2 from a different flock. We have to keep them separated for about 3 wks (what I was told by the owner of the 5) and give them antibiotics. We got some probiotic & electrolyte packs that they sell @ TSC--the 3 pack kinds. It says to mix 1 pack of each kind with a gallon of water & have plain water in a different container out for them as well. We are going to use milk jugs we've got in the house for both the waterers & the feeders. For both we are going to cut out an opening several inches above the bottom of the jug so that the food & water will be contained. So there's no problem there but here is the problem: we can't figure out what to use for the 1 gallon waterers that will have the pro/electro mixture?? We obviously can't cut an opening in a jug for this because it needs the full gallon of water and not whatever amount the opening would hold. We really don't want to spend the kind of money that the store gallon waterers cost because we'd like it to be as diy as possible. If what I'm asking makes enough sense to you guys can you please help us figure it out? We only have 2 days til we get them.

Thanks!

 

[Mountain Man 60]

You can use chicken nipples with any size jug. One in the lid or two in the bottom of a gallon jug should work. Nipple vary in cost but most are under $2.

 

[pawtraitart]

We're getting 7 chickens in a couple of days--5 from one flock & the other 2 from a different flock. We have to keep them separated for about 3 wks (what I was told by the owner of the 5) and give them antibiotics. We got some probiotic & electrolyte packs that they sell @ TSC--the 3 pack kinds. It says to mix 1 pack of each kind with a gallon of water & have plain water in a different container out for them as well. We are going to use milk jugs we've got in the house for both the waterers & the feeders. For both we are going to cut out an opening several inches above the bottom of the jug so that the food & water will be contained. So there's no problem there but here is the problem: we can't figure out what to use for the 1 gallon waterers that will have the pro/electro mixture?? We obviously can't cut an opening in a jug for this because it needs the full gallon of water and not whatever amount the opening would hold. We really don't want to spend the kind of money that the store gallon waterers cost because we'd like it to be as diy as possible. If what I'm asking makes enough sense to you guys can you please help us figure it out? We only have 2 days til we get them.

Thanks!

You can use poultry nipples (horizontal are less messy than vertical and you won't have to hang the jug with horizontal) or if you can seal up the cap to form a vacuum, you can then place your jug in a pan with a 1 to 2 inch lip, cut a small hole at the bottom of your water jug....and the water will fill the pan only a bit above the hole you made. The trick with that is the lid/cap has to be airtight. It's easier to just use nipples. Hope that gives you some ideas for what you want to do.

 

[FDaniels]

Would weldbond adhesive work to seal the lid?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Place the jug in a pie pan or water catch for flower pot. Cut small holes in jug at level you want the water at in the pie pan. Voila, a gravity fed one gallon water fountain.

 

[FDaniels]

Thanks!! How do I seal the lid? Would an adhesive glue like Weldbond work?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Why would you need to seal the lid? Just leave it on, I assume when the cap is screwed on it's air tight or milk would go bad quickly. At the bottom of jug you can cut a small hole to fill with water and then you flip it quickly into the pan. The water will seal and create the vaccum so the water level in the pan is only the height of highest small hole on side bottom of jug even though the jug is full of water.