Feeder/waterer that dont get full of shavings/straw?

[gemd]

My chicks will move to their coop next week. Thus far in the brooder, they keep kicking shavings into their water and food, enough that it either clogs up the water so they dont have any water or covers their chicken feed. I did see a diy bucket where there were holes for chickens to put their heads into the bucket to get food, with a feeder set inside (those feeders that have a round base with feeding holes and a cylinder middle full of food). I also saw a 5 gallon bucket with either a planter bottom or foil pan bottom so it is like those cylinder feeders. Which is best? And for water....the diy bucket (just bucket with drilled holes over a planter bottom) said fill quick and close bucket top quick so suction works...that seems like it would easily flood out. I odnt have a way to make a pvc waterer (or feeder) as I dont have a way to cut the pvc. So....what waterer that tractor supply has is the best?

 

[wamtazlady]

Easiest and best waterer to keep your birds in clean water are ones that use nipples. I prefer the horizontal nipples rather than the vertical nipples as they don't leak as much. Easiest container is to use a 5 gallon bucket with lid and your nipples of choice. Don't forget to drill a couple small holes near the top of the bucket so a vacuum is not made inside and keeps the water from coming out.

I use a regular gravity fed feeder. However, I keep it up on a cement block so they can't easily kick dirt into it. I would love to build and try a feeder that is a container with PVC elbows in the sides that allow the birds to get the food. I just don't have a hole saw that would be large enough yet. Will eventually find someone to lend me one.