Quote:
I should have clarified that the feeders and two of the waterers I keep in the coop. I have additional waterers available outside. One of the outside waterers is something I rigged up, not a sure-nuff chicken waterer. It consists of a basin that once was the trough of a feeder in the commercial houses, set on the ground below an elevated hose. The hose is set to drip real slow, keeping the basin full of fresh water at all times. This is the waterer I've most often seen black snakes around (four snakes this summer). This particular waterer is refilled from the well, not the town water, and DH says he doesn't mind the few extra pennies it costs in electricity to leave this hose dripping. This is the waterer my chickens seem to prefer most. Can't say as I blame them as the well water taste much better than the water from the township. I keep another waterer out in the orchard (close to the chicken yard), so the chickens aren't forced to walk all the way back to the coop area for a drink of water.
Once the juvenile coop is moved out to the same area the adult coop is in I will have to use a slightly different strategy, due in large part to the cornish Xs sharing that coop. I intend to keep all the feeders in the coop for the majority of the day. In the afternoons I will set a spare feeder outside, because the CXs aren't all that great at foraging and I want them to get their crows full before nighttime. A spare waterer will be kept outside all day & taken up at night. They will also have access to the drip waterer.
It's a bit of a hassle, but worth it to me.
I should have clarified that the feeders and two of the waterers I keep in the coop. I have additional waterers available outside. One of the outside waterers is something I rigged up, not a sure-nuff chicken waterer. It consists of a basin that once was the trough of a feeder in the commercial houses, set on the ground below an elevated hose. The hose is set to drip real slow, keeping the basin full of fresh water at all times. This is the waterer I've most often seen black snakes around (four snakes this summer). This particular waterer is refilled from the well, not the town water, and DH says he doesn't mind the few extra pennies it costs in electricity to leave this hose dripping. This is the waterer my chickens seem to prefer most. Can't say as I blame them as the well water taste much better than the water from the township. I keep another waterer out in the orchard (close to the chicken yard), so the chickens aren't forced to walk all the way back to the coop area for a drink of water.
Once the juvenile coop is moved out to the same area the adult coop is in I will have to use a slightly different strategy, due in large part to the cornish Xs sharing that coop. I intend to keep all the feeders in the coop for the majority of the day. In the afternoons I will set a spare feeder outside, because the CXs aren't all that great at foraging and I want them to get their crows full before nighttime. A spare waterer will be kept outside all day & taken up at night. They will also have access to the drip waterer.
It's a bit of a hassle, but worth it to me.
