Well yesterday was a real bummer. It was warm in the coop, almost 95, 3 fans going and the little buggers filled the waterers with the fresh pine shaving and blocked them up so they couldn't get water. 15 dead birds, I am so upset. They must have been kicking the shavings around because they were fresh and filled the trays of the waterers so no water could flow. I went to TSC and got another waterer, a 5 gallon one last night, I hope they don't mess that one up. I'm out there 3 - 4 times a day exchanging water so it's always fresh but I had to work yesterday so they were alone from 6 to 4.
That is rough. I'd set the waterers up as high as their backs on bricks, pavers, or build a small platform. That way, they don't scratch so much bedding in them. I don't know how it would work with meaties, but building a platform up a foot or more high above the bedding and giving them enough room to stand around the waterer works pretty well at keeping it clean.
So sorry for your losses. It's a tough break when things like this happen. I put my waterers up on flat cinder blocks to help keep shavings, etc. out.
I am so sorry for your loss. We used two methods for our waters. For my layign flock we hang their water from a tree branch. I am not sure how yours are housed. And for my youner birds in brooders, We use a cobination of bricks and old fence wood. The bricks give it the height so they cant throw up any shavings into the water but the bricks can be to narrow so we take a old block of wood and lay on top of the bricks the the waterer as something wide and flat ti sit on. I have 1 gallon waters right now. I think I will be utilizing the milk jug method with my meaties or something similiar.
I would also look into getting a nipple watering system. 3 or 4 nipples and a 5 gallon bucket and you are set. They cannot clog them up.
I have a kiddy pool filled with water all summer, one capful of peroxide every other day to kill mosquito larva - pain in the rear-
