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

[Leahs Mom]

Info on small cup waterers:
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON "ROAD LESS TRAVELED"... RE-POSTED HERE BY REQUEST
Sorry so long - this is several posts cobbled together to get all the info into one post.


PHOTOS BELOW!
Quote: (Leah's Mom)
Quote: (Leah's Mom)

Here are some photos. Like I said originally, not sure if the mechanism will keep from freezing with the bird bath heater or not - that remains to be seen when the weather goes below 25 degrees.

They have 2 different cups. I originally bought 1 of each to compare them.



Here's what the bucket looks like. BE SURE NOT TO PUT A TIGHT FITTING LID ON TOP. Same for nipple waterers. If a lid is closed, it creates a vacuum and no water will be let down. KEEP YOUR LID AJAR.


You can see a strange chain up there. The only reason I have it is to keep the birds from jumping on top of the bucket and roosting. I was concerned that they'd jump up there and end up IN the bucket of water since the lid is always ajar.


Here's the bird bather heater looking down into the bucket. You can see the glass pyrex in there. When it gets colder, I'll turn the glass upside down and sit the bird bath heater on top of the upside-down glass. This will get it closer to the waterer mechanisms and, I think, give me a better shot of keeping them thawed.



Cup type A. (So far I like this one best. It is the less expensive at $1.70 ea.)



Cup type B ($3.00 ea. Mechanism is replaceable inside when the internal sealing ring goes bad.)



On both of these: As the chicken puts their beak in, it moves the nipple and releases more water down. The cups stay mostly empty - it's tripped when they beak in the cup.

Easy to clean out. When stuff gets in the bottom of the cups from their beaks, I either take a wadded up paper towel or an absorbent rag and sop up any water and wipe out the cup. You can also just turn them upside down to dump the water then wipe out. I don't do that because mine is inside the hen house and I don't want any water on the floor.


****************
When I first started using them I'd trip the trigger and fill the little cups up all the way to the top so they'd know there was water in there. I did that for the first week or so but prob. didn't need to do it that long. (I still fill 'em up on occasion when I'm out there just for the fun of it.)

So sorry I haven't been able to find the drill bit size. I'm going to keep looking...I know I have it somewhere.

Oh...BTW...when I called the distributor (cornerstone) and asked if I could use them on a bucket like that he said they prob. wouldn't work. (They're designed for a low pressure, pvc/hose system.) He was wrong.

****************
Here are both links for the 2 kinds of waterers (since I only included the one kind before.)

Waterer A
http://www.cornerstone-farm.com/equipment/poultry-float-valve-226


Waterer B
http://www.cornerstone-farm.com/equipment/poultry-float-valve-363

 

[Beekissed]

Thank You, Leahs Mom!!!!


I think this info is invaluable for those wanting easy and effective watering features for their coop that cuts down on work and worry. Excellent info...and I'm switching over my simple poultry nipples to these more effective models. They are cheap, easy to install and easy to train poultry to.

 

[Mountain Momma]

I'd cull it!

That came out of your abdomen?

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote:
My son tried this this year ...despite the drought his corn grew large & had cobs ...we gave it no fertilizer ...just water ..the beans didnt do real well...they got lost in the weeds ..his idea to not weed .LOL the squash did take its own route across the garden ...we had one acorn squash that grew up on a corn stalk ..very amusing

 

[unkadan]

Info on small cup waterers:
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON "ROAD LESS TRAVELED"... RE-POSTED HERE BY REQUEST
Sorry so long - this is several posts cobbled together to get all the info into one post.


PHOTOS BELOW!

Here are some photos. Like I said originally, not sure if the mechanism will keep from freezing with the bird bath heater or not - that remains to be seen when the weather goes below 25 degrees.

They have 2 different cups. I originally bought 1 of each to compare them.



Here's what the bucket looks like. BE SURE NOT TO PUT A TIGHT FITTING LID ON TOP. Same for nipple waterers. If a lid is closed, it creates a vacuum and no water will be let down. KEEP YOUR LID AJAR.


You can see a strange chain up there. The only reason I have it is to keep the birds from jumping on top of the bucket and roosting. I was concerned that they'd jump up there and end up IN the bucket of water since the lid is always ajar.


Here's the bird bather heater looking down into the bucket. You can see the glass pyrex in there. When it gets colder, I'll turn the glass upside down and sit the bird bath heater on top of the upside-down glass. This will get it closer to the waterer mechanisms and, I think, give me a better shot of keeping them thawed.



Cup type A. (So far I like this one best. It is the less expensive at $1.70 ea.)



Cup type B ($3.00 ea. Mechanism is replaceable inside when the internal sealing ring goes bad.)



On both of these: As the chicken puts their beak in, it moves the nipple and releases more water down. The cups stay mostly empty - it's tripped when they beak in the cup.

Easy to clean out. When stuff gets in the bottom of the cups from their beaks, I either take a wadded up paper towel or an absorbent rag and sop up any water and wipe out the cup. You can also just turn them upside down to dump the water then wipe out. I don't do that because mine is inside the hen house and I don't want any water on the floor.


****************
When I first started using them I'd trip the trigger and fill the little cups up all the way to the top so they'd know there was water in there. I did that for the first week or so but prob. didn't need to do it that long. (I still fill 'em up on occasion when I'm out there just for the fun of it.)

So sorry I haven't been able to find the drill bit size. I'm going to keep looking...I know I have it somewhere.

Oh...BTW...when I called the distributor (cornerstone) and asked if I could use them on a bucket like that he said they prob. wouldn't work. (They're designed for a low pressure, pvc/hose system.) He was wrong.

****************
Here are both links for the 2 kinds of waterers (since I only included the one kind before.)

Waterer A
http://www.cornerstone-farm.com/equipment/poultry-float-valve-226


Waterer B
http://www.cornerstone-farm.com/equipment/poultry-float-valve-363

I used nipples and a cheap aquarium heater in the bucket here last winter,,,worked well except for the water that always gets on the floor using nipples. I plan to try these cups this year with same heater,,,,

 

[Miss Lydia]

True story!

The girl who answered the phone at the Market Bulletin was also uneducated concerning Naughas. She asked what column to put the Naughas in. I told her to put them in with the rabbits, as they weren't for eating, but bred for their hides. She said, "Oh that's where Naugha hide comes from !"





Old "Uncle Arthur" is giving my fingers fits this morning.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just to torture you all with pictures of fluffy toilet paper.

Mort as a young chick. His full name at the time was "Mort -- I'm Not Dead Yet."
This picture conveys far more abject misery than he actually seemed to feel, as here he's asleep. Looks horrible, though:




And Mort all grown up (well, about 5 months old in this picture):

Aww what a transformation, Mort actually looks like a crow in the first pic, but is actually a beautiful chicken in the second one.

 

[Mountain Momma]

Now, folks, ordinarily I am all up for a good hi-jack and never really think there is such a thing when folks are just sitting and talking...love the diversity of conversations. But this isn't the ordinary hi-jack...this is a hi-jack with a crew of guys who directed the pilot to fly to Libya and are dropping the passengers out the door one by one as they fly along.

Maybe open a new thread on which to discuss the GMO dilemma? I know that feeds and feed sources fall under flock management but.....maybe we could get back to the ordinary questions about housing, feeding, breeding for this or that, health management, etc.? This new topic really deserves it's own special thread on which the information can be fully reviewed, dissected and discussed!

We OTs don't get our panties too much in a wad over the GMO thingy, though we don't like it anymore than anyone else. We just know that you take what life gives you and make the best of it...change it if you can, but if you cannot, just deal with it. We are currently just dealing with it.

You are right and thanks for the gentle reminder. I am glad that generally people know about these issues and how they impact chicken feed.

Last night got down to 15 degrees, it was 25 in the coop at 11pm and again this morning. I left the windows wide open all night . All chickens seem not to have noticed. The ff has not frozen but I have it on a bench by the window and it absorbs sunlight in the day. The water in the 5gal waterer in the coop also has not frozen or even had a frozen layer yet. The water bucket outside did freeze so I poured boiling water into it from the coffee this morning. It was very easy to just lean over the deck and pour it in. That unfroze the layer of ice so all is good. Looks like I might not need to micro manage the water unless it stays below 20 for more than a night.
We ate the turkey eggs for breakfast and honestly they were fluffier and creamier than the chicken eggs. One was a double yoke. If she keeps this up DH will not want to eat her. The feral cat "Beep" finally went back outside and didnt want back in so I think the mtn lion must have moved on.
My chickens used to love cracked corn but now after eating ff for sometime they leave it and only get a smple now and again. The scoop I threw out for them Friday is still there. They still get excited about the ff though. The jays arent trying to eat the cracked corn either.
I introduced Emma the pup to the chickens yesterday. They started getting all noisy when they saw her and treated her like an intruder and she ran behind the door. When they quieted down she peeked back out and watched them in the run while I piddled around. They are used to the other two numbskulls and even run to the fence and greet them. Emma ate chicken poop. I was mortified but then got over it. Someone had said it has enzymes etc if its healthy poo not to worry so thanks for saving me from extra worry because I just marked it off in my brain as okay!

Someone special ordered a huge roll of welded 1 inch wire at Ace Hardware in the spring and then didnt want it. Ive been watching that roll all summer. They wanted $649.00 for it in May. By August they wanted $349.00 for it. Well Tada! I told the manager his roll was dusty and taking up space he needs for snowshovels but I would take it for $150.00. He looked it up andsaid he paid $194.00 for it. I said just because he paid too much doesnt mean I need to and obviously I am the only one that wants it on the whole mountain. lol. So he gave in to me and I got the fencing! 48 inches high and enough feet to do the garden plus additional yard this spring for $150.00 Yeah baby! I forgot how many feet long it is but the roll is tightly rolled and is about 18 inches in diameter and barely fit in the car. I cant wait till spring!!!

My friend with the sick chicken has been heating her chickens.....She just cant bring herself to leave the lamp off. She has 11 chickens in a double walled plastic storage shed about 10x10 with a dog kennel run. The shed has windows that open. Its a great set up and she consistently gets 10 eggs most days.

Well, better get busy!
Have a great day!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Info on small cup waterers:
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON "ROAD LESS TRAVELED"... RE-POSTED HERE BY REQUEST
Sorry so long - this is several posts cobbled together to get all the info into one post.


PHOTOS BELOW!

Here are some photos. Like I said originally, not sure if the mechanism will keep from freezing with the bird bath heater or not - that remains to be seen when the weather goes below 25 degrees.

They have 2 different cups. I originally bought 1 of each to compare them.



Here's what the bucket looks like. BE SURE NOT TO PUT A TIGHT FITTING LID ON TOP. Same for nipple waterers. If a lid is closed, it creates a vacuum and no water will be let down. KEEP YOUR LID AJAR.


You can see a strange chain up there. The only reason I have it is to keep the birds from jumping on top of the bucket and roosting. I was concerned that they'd jump up there and end up IN the bucket of water since the lid is always ajar.


Here's the bird bather heater looking down into the bucket. You can see the glass pyrex in there. When it gets colder, I'll turn the glass upside down and sit the bird bath heater on top of the upside-down glass. This will get it closer to the waterer mechanisms and, I think, give me a better shot of keeping them thawed.



Cup type A. (So far I like this one best. It is the less expensive at $1.70 ea.)



Cup type B ($3.00 ea. Mechanism is replaceable inside when the internal sealing ring goes bad.)



On both of these: As the chicken puts their beak in, it moves the nipple and releases more water down. The cups stay mostly empty - it's tripped when they beak in the cup.

Easy to clean out. When stuff gets in the bottom of the cups from their beaks, I either take a wadded up paper towel or an absorbent rag and sop up any water and wipe out the cup. You can also just turn them upside down to dump the water then wipe out. I don't do that because mine is inside the hen house and I don't want any water on the floor.


****************
When I first started using them I'd trip the trigger and fill the little cups up all the way to the top so they'd know there was water in there. I did that for the first week or so but prob. didn't need to do it that long. (I still fill 'em up on occasion when I'm out there just for the fun of it.)

So sorry I haven't been able to find the drill bit size. I'm going to keep looking...I know I have it somewhere.

Oh...BTW...when I called the distributor (cornerstone) and asked if I could use them on a bucket like that he said they prob. wouldn't work. (They're designed for a low pressure, pvc/hose system.) He was wrong.

****************
Here are both links for the 2 kinds of waterers (since I only included the one kind before.)

Waterer A
http://www.cornerstone-farm.com/equipment/poultry-float-valve-226


Waterer B
http://www.cornerstone-farm.com/equipment/poultry-float-valve-363

Leahs Mom just had to tell you i just did my first copy paste into my word thingy all by myself...

Thank you.

 

[Beekissed]

Great score on the fencing!

The terms "sick chicken" and "heated coop" are often synonymous on this forum and are most often found in the same sentence....we hear that a lot in the winter months.