Feeding/watering my chickens.

[CynthiaN]

I'm very new to the world of chickens. I just bought a metal coop from a friend of my daughter and the 2 of us plan on building a run in the next few weeks (we rarely have a day off together). Then I plan on getting 4 chickens to start with. I'd like suggestions on how to make something to water/feed my chickens from stuff I might already have at home. Any suggestions?

 

[rosemarythyme]

If they're adult chickens (or at least past the chick phase) you can use something like a dog food dish, a pie plate, etc. They'll be prone to wanting to jump into it but that's about as simple a solution as you'll find. I feed my fermented feed in small dog bowls since they're easy to wash and small enough that the chickens don't wade in it.

For chicks, I would caution against using any plate/dish that's too deep, as they'll drown themselves, get themselves soaking wet, etc.

 

[CynthiaN]

I have one of those dog watering dispensers that none of my dogs like, the bowl is about an inch deep, does that sound like a safe depth for young but past the chick phase chickens?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Once they get past the first few weeks the danger of drowning diminishes. If it's a concern at all, put some large pebbles in the bowl, it'll keep the water level more shallow.