Feeding & Watering Recommendations Needed!!

[JessieSD]

Virgin chicken farmer here!

Will be getting chicks this weekend for the first time and I am so ready to embark on my chicken journey with my family. Knowing that I have you all here to help and answer questions makes me feel prepared and so excited.

I do need some feeding and watering recommendations.. .Metal or plastic? Hanging or non? Trough type feeder or not? Please share your experiences on what has worked best for you all and what I should definitely avoid!!

We are going to have 4 chicks total.

Thank you!!

 

[Sonya9]

Your talking about feeders/waterers for chicks?

I bought the cheap colored plastic ones and then realized the metal ones (here they are metal with a glass jar on top) were better because they were heavier in the brooder. Chicks will grow fast and waste a LOT of feed scratching and tipping over cheap plastic feeders.

Temperature is also extremely crucial, might want to buy a dimmer switch to adjust the heat lamp and a cheap indoor/outdoor thermometer to measure both ends of the brooder (the warm side and the cool side).

 

[pawtraitart]

Virgin chicken farmer here!

Will be getting chicks this weekend for the first time and I am so ready to embark on my chicken journey with my family. Knowing that I have you all here to help and answer questions makes me feel prepared and so excited.

I do need some feeding and watering recommendations.. .Metal or plastic? Hanging or non? Trough type feeder or not? Please share your experiences on what has worked best for you all and what I should definitely avoid!!

We are going to have 4 chicks total.

Thank you!!

For only 4 chicks, something like this would work great. No wasted food. You can make one yourself or buy one already made.



All'Bout Chickens sells the horizontal nipples if you want to do a DIY project with a bottle you have on hand.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Horizonta...544?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item258d4dca98

 

[JessieSD]

Can I use these for them later in the coop ?

 

[JessieSD]

Im talking feeders/waterers for chicks and also for the coop once they grow.....

 

[mschicklady]

I use the plastic ones and they have worked great since bitties. I haven't had any trouble with them tipping them over. I just use the small ones for the babies and the bigger ones for adolescents to adults. I also have a small trough like thing that I built for feed but they do seem to scratch a lot out. I solved the scratched out feed from being wasted by putting the feeder on top of concrete that I try to keep clean so they can still eat it. You could also use a thin board or something of that nature under it as well.

 

[pawtraitart]

Can I use these for them later in the coop ?

I use larger ones for them when they are adults. Here is a photo of one I use for older babies. Hens can use it as well, but not roosters with big combs.

 

[RIR85]

what is an average height for watering nipples?

 

[JessicaThistle]

I have my first flock going here too. My 8 girls are 6 weeks old. I have learned a couple of things though since starting this new venture. I was personally unimpressed with the cheap plastic feeder and waterers. While they did the job, as the girls grew they started to knock over the feeder. The plastic waterer gets slimy and yucky daily and needs to be scrubbed.

Now for the positive for the plastic: It worked wonderfully in the brooder and tied us over until we got the automatic feeder and waterer done in the coop.

So if I was to take a step back and start over, I would probably purchase the small plastic water and feeder bottoms again but use a glass jar instead of the plastic one. I would only use these in the brooder though and for a day or two once I moved them to the coop and they learned how to use the big chicken feeders. We have constructed the auto waterer with the nipples and pvc auto feeder connected to a plywood box in the coop. We installed them at chicken height and have stacked small boards to make a spot for the chicks to jump onto to eat and drink. As they grow, we will remove them to lower their height until they can reach from the coop floor. The girls learned the new system within 2 hours.

PROUD MOMMA!

I think that just like teens don't use sippy cups, you have to adjust your feeding and watering systems as your chickens grow.