gqf water cups

[calihawker]

I would assume some of you use these. I hooked mine up but they didn't work the way I was hoping. The biggest problem is my brooders are indoors and the cups were making a soaking mess. is it something in how I hooked them up?
Any help is appreciated.

 

[JJMR794]

Auto Waterer In Brooders? Eh Thats A Recipe For Disaster. I Use Them In Grow Out Pens And Breeder Cages... But They Are Way Too Undependable To Use In Brooders. You'll End Up With A Bunch Of Cold Wet Dead Chicks

 

[calihawker]

Oh yes, I'm sorry. I'm meant breeder pens. Certainly not brooder.

 

[JJMR794]

YOUR STILL GOING TO HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEVER ENDING DRIPPING HEADS... THEY ARE QUITE FINICKY, 1 LIL THING OUTTA WHACK AND THEY DRIP NON STOP CREATING HUGE WET AREAS. NEXT THING YA KNOW YOU'LL END UP WITH SOAKING WET CHCIKS AND THEN THEY'LL DIE RATHER QUICKLY. IF YOU DONT LOSE CHICKS FROM THE WET THEN IT WILL WET DOWN YOUR BEDDING AND GET RATHER NASTY IN A MATTER OF HOURS CAUSING HUGE MESSES AND LOTS OF LABOR INTENSIVE WORK TO CORRECT AND KEEP CORRECTED.

DONT GET ME WRONG... I LOVE THE AUTO SYSTEMS AND USE THEM.... JUST NOT IN BROODER SITUATIONS. THEY WERE DESIGNED FOR OPEN WIRE CAGES OR BREEDER BATTERIES AND WORK LIKE A CHARM IN THEM... BUT IF THEY GET THE DRIPS ITS NO BIG DEAL IN THESE AS THEY JUST DRIP ON THE GROUND UNDER THE BIRDS WHO ARE ELEVATED ABOVE IT.

SOME TIPS I HAVE LEARNED FOOLING WITH THEM--- CHECK EACH DRIPPING HEAD CLOSELY. MANY TIMES THERE'S A REASON THEY DRIP- FIND THE REASON AND CORRECT IT AND THEY WILL STOP....UNTIL THE NEXT TIME

I OFTEN HAVE TO DISASSEMBLE THE HEADS THEMSELVES AND REMOVE DEBRIES THAT ACCUMULATE THEN REASSEMBLE. MANY TIMES HARD WATER SCALE WILL FORM IN OR AROUND THEM--- A NICE LONG LIESURELY SOAK IN CLR REMOVES IT.. OBVIOUSLY IT HELPS TO HAVE SPARE HEADS SO YOU CAN SWAP OUT A DRIPPER FOR A CLEAN NON DRIPPING HEAD AND THEN YOU HAVE THE LUXURY OF TIME FOR "FIXING" THE DRIPPER. IT HELPS IF THEY ARE MOUNTED SO THE CUP ITSELF IS LEVEL... THE SUPPLY SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CLEAN OF DEBRIES. IF USING THE SYSTEM WITH A REGULATOR THAT LOWERS YOUR SUPPLY PRESSURE BE SURE THE REGULATOR IS WORKING PROPERLY AND ACTUALLY LOWERING THE WATER PRESSURE AS DESIGNED. IF YOU'RE USING GRAVITY FEED SUPPLY YOU MAY NEED TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO YOUR SUPPLY... I HAVE FOUND A LARGER SUPPLY SET QUITE A BIT HIGHER THAN YOUR HEAD DELIVERY HEIGHT OFTEN HELPS... SEEMS LIKE GRAVITY FEED DOESNT APPLY ENOUGH PRESSURE TO THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE HEADS THAT OPERATE AS THE VALVE.. ADDING ADDITIONAL WATER AND FORCE (ELEVATION) HELPS INCREASE THIS AND THEY WORK MUCH BETTER--- 1 OF MY SYSTEMS WAS ORIGINALLY SUPPLIED BY A STANDARD 5 GAL BUCKET AND DRIPPED NON STOP... IN MY HASTE I ADDED A 2ND 5 GAL BUCKET TO THE SUPPLY TO PREVENT THE BIRD FROM RUNNING OUT OF WATER.... THE EXTRA FORCE FROM THE ADDITIONAL WATER DID THE TRICK! NOT ONLY DID IT STOP THE BIRDS FROM RUNNING OUT, BUT THE EXTRA FORCE WAS JSUT WHAT THAT SYSTEM NEEDED TO OPERATE CORRECTLY AND MY DRIPPING HEADS STOPPED LEAKING

THESE ARE NOT MAINTENANCE FREE SYSTEMS... THEY OFTEN REQUIRE RECURRENT ATTENTION. BECAUSE IF THIS TRAIT I DONT USE THEM FOR BABIES- JUST TOO UNTRUSTWORTHY IF YOUR WORRIED ABOUT LITTLE ONES GETTING WET

 

[backyardcovey]

First two batches of coturnix quail are 5 weeks old today. Build two cages to fix into my GQF rack this weekend and installed the GQF water cups. Over the weekend I have been able to check the water levels but now it's Monday.

Any hints on training the little pea brains to peck the yellow water trigger?

http://www.gqfmfg.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=182

Build the cages in 20" and 10" sections. Hens are in the larger sections with backup mason jar waters. Roos are in the smaller sections. The little dears are calling as I type.

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
JUST KEEP WATER IN THE CUP FOR THE 1ST WEEK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE... THEY LEARN TO GO THERE FOR DRINK... SOONER OR LATER THEY WILL GO THERE AND NO WATER??? THEY GO AWAY AT 1ST, THEN COME BACK- STILL NO WATER??? AGAIN GO AWAY, THEN COME BACK- WHAT THE HECK? WHERE THE FREAKIN WATER? I'M STARTING TO GET REALLY THIRSTY... MAYBE THERE'S A LIL MOISTURE IN THE VERY BOTTOM OF MY CUP? LEMME SEE... IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO REACH THE BOTTOM THEY WILL TRIGGER THE VALVE... BINGO! WATER!

WONT TAKE BUT 2 OR 3 TIMES AND THEY'LL GET IT. THEY CAN BE QUITE DUMB IN MANY AREAS BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE BARE NECESSITIES FOOD, WATER, MATING... SHEER STUPIDITY CAN EASILY BE OVERCOME THRU DESPERATION

 

[joe125]

Well...for coturnix, I suggest putting in what ever LEGACY water device with ACV in it. They do not like ACV and will seek out the fresh water, and even learn to flush the toilet if needed. In the mean time, they will not thirst to death during the transition.