DIY Automatic Waterer

[PurpleChicken]

Just caught this post. Nice design FutureCH.

An inexpensive aquarium heater can take the place of the light bulb if
anyone is concerned.

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

Quote:
That was the only hitch for me, good idea PC, wondering if the chickens will stick heads in holes for h20

 

[carugoman]

one meter= 3.28 feet
one meter= 39.37 inches
one foot=30.48 CM
one inch=2.54CM
one yard=91.44CM
one horsepower=745.7 Watts of power

I learned these things several decades ago on my way to becoming an EEE...ask me about it some OTHER time.

 

[FutureChickenMan]

great conversion tool

http://www.worldwidemetric.com/metcal.htm

 

[Mareloo]

TxChiknRanchers.. Yes, they do. They naturally curious of anything new in there coop. They didn't even took 10 minutes to figure it out! I also got a broody in the same coop with the teens, I was concerned that she only spend a limited time of the nest. She use it like a old pro!

Carugoman.. Thank you.. Does your head hurt?

FutureChickenMan.. I will get what ever is needed. We not big on copy right around here. If there is money to be made from a part, there will be a pirated version flouting around here. LOL. Sad but true.

I am so very glad I decided to push my luck and ask, Thank you!

I will check in regularly for any pics. Good luck!

 

[mudhen]

Just love it FutureChickenMan !

I've just about had enough of the mess they make with the traditional waterer, I would love to have an automated one like you've designed!

Only thing, I have to deal with freezing temp in winter and can't run a hose to the coop. To make your design work for me, I'm going to have to figure something out to get water to the coops ... maybe it's time to invest in a plumber....

 

[FutureChickenMan]

Quote:
do you have electricity out there?

 

[mudhen]

Oh, yes! Electricity isn't my problem, just getting water from about 50-60 feet away.

 

[carugoman]

try a gravity fed system w 3/4 inch thin wall copper tubing, direct buried at 30 inch minimum depth with a bed of 3 inch under and 3 inch over tubing soft sand (kiddie sandbox) make sure no sharp objects in sand...don't want it punctured some day. Or you could skip the thin wall and use thick wall with no sand bed but with the price of copper these days thin wall tubing/ sand bed is the cheaper solution. Besides, with a sand bed and that depth being shallow and above your frost-line, you should have no problems with heaving due to freeze/thaw cycle. Otherwise, with the thick wall pipe, the trench has to be below the frost line which is 50 inches depth in your area; more back-breaking digging or going to the rent-all place and spending $200 to rent a ditch-witch and all that jazz. If you wrap heat tape at the beginning of the water run, you won't have to worry about running electricity out in a separate trench just plug into your outdoor on the side of the house receptacle. Heck...this receptacle doesn't have to be connected to a GFCI circuit, since you could use the 50-60 foot of copper tubing as a ground! Hope this helps? All y'all take care!

 

[mudhen]

Yes, looks like the most logical way to go. Thanks!