Dirty water...

[Cleebee]

I was all proud of myself for making a waterer out of a big bucket, and it's served us well through the summer. Except - the water is always dirty. Two of our girls roost on top of it at night (it sits on the ground). They add to the dirt and droppings. When I clean it I try to spray off all the algae but it's not perfect. Now it occurs to me that the whole thing is gonna freeze in a few months. I'll have to go find one of those horse bowls I guess. But what do you do about poo in the water? I know it's not going to be a perfect mountain spring, but I worry about germs. We have six hens.

 

[airmechreed]

Ok you need chicken nipples.... Google them you can make a waterer that is dirt free, however with the winter coming soon in Colorado you will need some type of heated system

 

[aggie9296]

keeping them from roosting on it would help. a funnel taped to the top would work.

 

[southerndesert]

Clean water is very important to your chickens and changing it once a day is a good idea though sometimes they seem to prefer a muddy puddle...

Nipple systems are a good option as mentioned and we use them as well as a simple dish pan we clean every morning.

 

[Cleebee]

Does the funnel go up or down?

We change it often, just not daily. We didn't get a heater last winter, we just refilled our little one every couple of hours when it got really cold. But it was plastic and broke. So our new system may need some revising. Maybe I'll just get a rubber horse bowl for winter and a hanging metal one for summer.... the nipple idea is a good idea, too.

 

[nurse_turtle]

Quote:
I swear by these nipples!

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

I usually hang my waterers , or have them sitting on something so they aren't on the ground. It keeps the chickens from roosting on it, scratching straw into it, pooping in it etc.

 

[KDK1]

Quote:
The funnel goes upside down... pointed end up!

 

[BellevueOmlet]

Chicken cups are also a good source of water that does not collect poo and is easy to clean/refill/maintain

 

[gale65]

Our waterer has a screw on lid on top and one of ours would roost on it. I couldn't find a big enough funnel that would actually stay on top (I have to be able to remove it to add water) so I took a flowerpot (one of those thin ones that flowers come in when you buy them) and taped a funnel to the bottom of it. I used about 10 lbs of foil tape. Then I just put the flowerpot/funnel on top and can easily take it off, but it stays on. Is the top of yours flat? You can make a cone from something and tape that on but keep in mind how it is to access it so the funnel or cone won't be in the way.