DIY waterer for quail?

[TwoCrows]

Imagine if you will, an empty measuring cup and a 16 ounce water bottle full of water. If you were to open the water bottle and turn it upside down and hold this bottle so that the opening of the bottle was at the half cup line inside the measuring cup, the water will empty out of the bottle only to the point of the opening of the bottle. So it will fill to the half cup line. The water will not continue to come out of the bottle. Just like a water cooler works in your home...the water only dispenses as far as the opening of the jug when turned over.

So you will want your water source opening below the top of the pvc and you can adjust the height of the water by how high you place the water source opening.

 

[Sians quails]

Check this out...Mrs Ak_Birdbrain posted this a while ago. I found some at a show we just went to for 1$ each and they work wonderfully!

Edit to add the link

http://www.gundogsupply.com/-4449-2-.html

ive got these and they are not good at all
i couldn't find a bottle to fit them
water goes green well before the water is finished.
after i made some sort of pipe contraption so i could use them i now have to squeeze the bottle to fill up the water-er as it just wont fill on its own every time.

So I've bought some chicken nipples so hopefully can make something else and use them instead, I cant wait to throw my soda bottle waterers in the bin!

 

[iamkingtim01]

Sians,

I have a small "smart water" bottle in my soda bottle waterer. It is working fine. With 10 birds in the pen, I only have to fill it every three days. Here is a pic of my set up. Doves on top, Quail on bottom. It works well so far.

 

[luckydux]

Geez...I've heard the easiest things are so simple but never quite understood what that meant

Thanks twocrows!! I actually tried a very similar experiment earlier before i posted my fabulous question and it didn't work. I just read your post out loud to the misses and she said I should try the experiment again except this time to not cut the bottom off the water bottle

I've been online for way too long today trying to find a different way so I'm very relieved that I can do it the way that seemed easiest.

By chance has anyone ever put a bucket above your watering tray/bottle and just had a tube/hose connecting the bucket to the tray? I've seen a hundred different ways to set up an auto waterer but don't recall seeing this version so its making me think I'm missing something...am I? Seems like the easiest and cheapest way to make sure they always have water.

 

[iamkingtim01]

From the pic I have in my head of what you are saying, it should work. As long as all the water doesn't drain out as soon as it is hooked up. The bucket will have to have an air tight lid on it too. If the hose is below the full line of the tray, air shouldn't be able to enter into the hose until the quail drink it down. When the water I low enough to let the air in the hose, the water tray should fill back up and stop when the air can no longer get back into the hose. You will have to crimp the hose when you remove the bucket lid to refill the bucket.

You have given me an idea, and I going to try to make something of this sort this coming weekend. I check on my quail daily and don't really need a bucket sized waterer, but I like the idea.

 

[luckydux]

I think you see exactly what I'm picturing myself tim. Just a grommet through a bucket or whatever, push a barbed connector through and attach a hose or even a pipe if you wanted to be a fancy pants, put it on top of your hutch and connect it to your water bottle...wouldn't cost $5 total, minus the bucket. If you added an inline valve like this, http://www.midwestsupplies.com/in-line-valve-for-3-8-id-tubing.html ...you could remove your bucket easily.

You could just poke a hole in the top of your existing bottle with a dab of silicone to seal it and continue to use it to water with.

It would work great for most of the year but I'd need to figure out a way to keep it from freezing.

 

[iamkingtim01]

Ok. Now I totally get what you mean. It would be a great idea if I go on vacation or something. I do actually plan on taking one of those some day. Both the feeder and waterer that I use now are small, but I would need something like this if I am not going to be able to check on them daily. I get so many ideas from people on this site. Thanks.

 

[luckydux]

Thank you as well...everything little bit helps!