Feeder and waterer for chicks

[chicks44]

Can anyone suggest a cheap method for feeding and watering chicks. Mine come next week. My first time! I am interested in homemade ideas and inexpensive already assembled ones with the pros and cons to each would be so helpful. I heard the water gets pretty dirty, so thoughts on that too. Thanks!!

 

[NancyP]

Hi, It's not homemade but Cackle hatchery has some nice ones pretty cheap.

 

[PunkinPeep]

i got just about the cheapest models from the feed store, and they worked great while the chicks were little. i got mine when they were 3 weeks, so i'm not sure about for smaller chicks.

http://www.strombergschickens.com/images/feeders/SLID_l.jpg
here is a similar feeder. the one in the picture is longer than mine.

http://www.flemingoutdoors.com/1gapofo.html
the waterer is like this one, only mine only holds 2 or 3 cups of water, so it's very small.

my solution for keeping them from pooping in their feeder and waterer was just to put them up on blocks.

everybody here suggests keeping them about back-height to the chicken. that way they're less likely to do their business in the wrong place.

as far as the problem of getting the shavings or whatever in the water. i haven't really solved it.

once my chicks got a little bigger, i switched to the galvanized 12 pound feeder and 3 gallon waterer. but the little ones i bought while they were chicks cost me a total of less than 5 dollars, and they did the trick. and of course, while they were chicks, i was checking on them every five minutes, so cleaning out the waterer wasn't really a problem.

congratulations on getting your new babies. that's very exciting.

many blessings for you and your new flock!

 

[NotTheMomma]

I might be going against the grain here, but don't buy a waterer that holds less than a gallon. IMO, it was a waste of money as the chicks had outgrown the quart waterer in about two weeks time, and I was having to refill them at least twice a day! Not worth it!

I use two of the one gallon plastic waterers from TSC, and in the run I have a 5 gallon bucket converted into one. I've noticed they rarely use the 5 gallon one for some reason, and I fill one of the gallon waterers on my way out to the coop in the morning, and take out the other one. That way they are getting fresh water each morning.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You can get some ideas from these threads.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=153754

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=109158