Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Seslar]

It might not work for everyone, but for our three chicks, this has been swell. Out of desperation because we were cleaning out the water dish three times per day still not keeping up with it, we started using this dog kennel waterer that we had lying around and it's worked great. Anyone else had any experience with something Iike this?
[=http://www.petco.com/product/109183/Lixit-Dog-Plastic-Water-Bottle.aspx][/]

I'd post a pic of the chicks using it, but I can't post pics to BYC from the iPad. Grrr...

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

It might not work for everyone, but for our three chicks, this has been swell. Out of desperation because we were cleaning out the water dish three times per day still not keeping up with it, we started using this dog kennel waterer that we had lying around and it's worked great. Anyone else had any experience with something Iike this?
[=http://www.petco.com/product/109183/Lixit-Dog-Plastic-Water-Bottle.aspx][/]
I'd post a pic of the chicks using it, but I can't post pics to BYC from the iPad. Grrr...

I've never tried those. For me, my waterers have to be able to hold at least a gallon of water and last more than one day. (I don't have the time or the want to change four chicken waterers every day). Were you cleaning it out 3 times a day to beat the slime and that kind of thing? Personally, I don't think a little dirt or slime or even poop is going to hurt. It can help the chickens build immunities and they actually seem to like the water better the grosser it gets anyway. As someone on here has mentioned, it's "water with body". You can add apple cider vinegar to the water and that will keep the slime to a minimum as well. Don't worry about cleaning the waterer out so much, it doesn't have to be sparkling clean. Of course, this is all just in my opinion. I use either free ice cream buckets or black rubber pans for water.

 

[fultzie]

I think if he had had other birds his own age(drinking from his waterer, who was the same height as him) he might have picked it up by example, but I don't think watching the chicks had the same effect for him. I killed him before I ever felt the need to train him to the system but it's sort of a monkey see, monkey do prospect. If you can get one hen to peck at the nipple and receive a drink, the others seem to join right in.

i love this woman

 

[flagirl]

I have 2 waterers, one a 3 gallon metal and another a 1-gallon plastic with ACV. They prefer the ACV. I am on well water and it stil,.even the ACV gets slime after a day.

 

[Seslar]

It might not work for everyone, but for our three chicks, this has been swell. Out of desperation because we were cleaning out the water dish three times per day still not keeping up with it, we started using this dog kennel waterer that we had lying around and it's worked great. Anyone else had any experience with something Iike this?

[=http://www.petco.com/product/109183/Lixit-Dog-Plastic-Water-Bottle.aspx][/]

I'd post a pic of the chicks using it, but I can't post pics to BYC from the iPad. Grrr...

I've never tried those. For me, my waterers have to be able to hold at least a gallon of water and last more than one day. (I don't have the time or the want to change four chicken waterers every day). Were you cleaning it out 3 times a day to beat the slime and that kind of thing? Personally, I don't think a little dirt or slime or even poop is going to hurt. It can help the chickens build immunities and they actually seem to like the water better the grosser it gets anyway. As someone on here has mentioned, it's "water with body". You can add apple cider vinegar to the water and that will keep the slime to a minimum as well. Don't worry about cleaning the waterer out so much, it doesn't have to be sparkling clean. Of course, this is all just in my opinion. I use either free ice cream buckets or black rubber pans for water. 

No, it was the pine shavings that were getting in the dish and soaking up all the water and pretty soon it was a dish of wet shavings, instead of a dish of water. One chick, particularly, seemed to delight in standing in the water then hopping out then hopping back in with shavings all over wet feet,then back out, back in, etc. it was a losing battle. I didn't want to go buy one of those chick waterers and they are no bigger than this dog waterer gizmo. So we gave it a whirl and it's worked great. But yeah, for the hens, we have a huge galvanized water tank. I can go a week between refills, even in the heat.

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

No, it was the pine shavings that were getting in the dish and soaking up all the water and pretty soon it was a dish of wet shavings, instead of a dish of water. One chick, particularly, seemed to delight in standing in the water then hopping out then hopping back in with shavings all over wet feet,then back out, back in, etc. it was a losing battle. I didn't want to go buy one of those chick waterers and they are no bigger than this dog waterer gizmo. So we gave it a whirl and it's worked great. But yeah, for the hens, we have a huge galvanized water tank. I can go a week between refills, even in the heat.

Oh ok. That makes sense. For my chicks, I use the chick waterers raised up on a board. So long as the board is big enough to leave standing room for the chicks, it works well. I was having the same problems with shavings getting in the water and the chick waterer-on board-method has worked quite well to fix that problem. If the waterer you are using is working, then I think that's fantastic. What ever works, works.

 

[Seslar]

Trying to post a link to a pic of the chicks using that dog waterer. Again, I realize this would not work for people who have more than about three chicks using it, but it has worked for us so far. . Once they go out into the pen with the hens, they'll have outgrown this and can use the main watering tank. Apologies if link doesn't work.

Editted to say: And no, it doesn't work.

 

[JulieNKC]

What do you guys consider free range? I'm in the city, but on a .97 acre lot. Not including juveniles I only have around 15-20 birds at a time. The chickens/ducks/turkeys/geese have free range of the yard except for occasionally when they are being pia's and are locked in their yard. Technically they also have the 2 acres next door available to range since there's not that much of a fence there and they are welcome there, the drive gate is almost always open too, but they choose to stay in the yard. Fenceline is heavily wooded in some areas, lots of fruit trees, garden, etc. I've just been selling my eggs as "backyard" eggs since they aren't really "farm fresh" eggs, lol, but was wondering if I would be stretching the truth by calling them free range?

 

[bruceh]

julienkc,
you are not stretching the truth at all . i would use the term pasture raised instead of free range.

 

[Beekissed]

I call it free range. I think it all depends on your stocking numbers. If you are stocking one acre with 100 birds, I'd call it pasture raised as they are on pasture but not necessarily enjoying much individual freedom or space...and the forage will be pretty picked over.

If you are stocking almost a whole acre with only 20 birds and they have an additional 2 acres to bleed over on, I call that free range. Chickens won't range much over 2-3 acres anyway, so freedom is relative to space and ability to roam the available space, IMO. They will have adequate forage that will provide constant protein and greens off their range...and that is what is relevant for your eggs and the advertising thereof, isn't it?

The days of absolute free range are rare unless you live on huge ranches out west, so I consider a chicken getting to roam as far as they would naturally go anyway as being about as free as it gets.