hang up the water "fount" or not?

[luvpartridge]

i have a "double wall fount"--a galvanized 5 gallon self-filling waterer, and i am confused.
the directions say "it is recommended that the fount be carried using the inner handle...if carrying a filled fount with the outer handle, use caution as the vacuum can be broken causing potential leakage"
doesnt that mean i cant HANG it by the outer handle???
and how am i supposed to hang it without it tipping anyways, the handle is rectangular, and doesnt have a notch in the middle to keep the chain from sliding off to the side....????
i am getting the idea that i should be sitting this thing up on bricks, but i thought i would hang it up like the galvanized food container, to keep it from getting junk in it care of the chickens.

help!!!

 

[DarkWolf]

Alot of weight to hang, IMO.. I put mine on two concrete cinder blocks.

 

[BlueBetween]

I'm with you, I was so bummed when I got it home and read the directions. Mine is sitting on a wood block right now because I haven't decided if I want to try hanging it or not.

 

[billfields]

I have the exact same one. I hung mine, I just make sure it isn't more than about half full. And I solved the no notch problem by wiring the chain to the middle of the handle. It hangs evenly. I have boards under it to try

and keep shavings out of it

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

doesnt that mean i cant HANG it by the outer handle???

That's exactly what it means.

It's meant to sit on a flat, level surface​

 

[bryan99705]

Nothing requires it to be hung and nothing wrong with setting it on a block.

When using wood chips in my tween coop, I sit mine on a catch pan (metal feed pan or oil drain pan )with a old grill over it to catch spillage and that helps to keep the litter dry.

 

[JackE]

I set mine up on a couple of cement blocks. I tried hanging it, but the chickens would bump it around and make it tilt on the chain, spilling the water out. One other thing, even though the waterer sits on blocks, I still have the chain hanging over it. I found that the hanging chain keeps the chickens from using the waterer as a general roost to hang out on. Without the chain, They would perch up there and crap into their drinking water. With the dangeling chain, they stay off.
Jack

 

[off-grid hen]

Before I hung up the waterer, we had some 6 x 6 beam scraps laying around. They are 3 ft long. I set the waterer on the beams pushed together, that way they have a place to hop up to drink. It also kept the shavings out of the wtaer for the most part. I have mine hanging up now, but the handle is designed for hanging. I think I am going to switch it back though, because it swings and spills a bit (even though it's level) when the girls get rowdy. If you have cinder blocks and your girls need a place to perch to drink, you could just set another cinder block on either side so more of them can get water at once.

 

[ducks_rcool329]

Don't hang them.. I have tried several times, they leak (not all the time...) but the little handles on the top CANNOT support the weight... They bend and break.

 

[ErinG]

Cinder blocks! We use two of the thinner, square kind. Cheap, easy and it won't ruin your fount (or land on your chickens).