hanging water vs. resting waterer on something

[Anny]

What does everyone one here use for their water? A hanging out, a automatic filling one? one that is perches on a platform?

If you have pictures show them!

 

[AllChookUp]

I started with a couple 1-gallon waterers that I sat on large cement blocks to keep them up off the floor.

Now that winter is approaching, I've changed to a 3-gallon hanging heated waterer. I like it a lot so far. I made sure there's also a short rope going from the top of the waterer to the adjacent wall, to keep the swinging to a minimum if the chickens happen to bump it with their shenanigans.

Edited to add: I'll try to get a picture tonight.


.

 

[dftkarin]

I have a dilemma: I have 4 hens, a tiny coop that tilts slightly and no electricity and I would LOVE to buy a hanging waterer so that I can feel safer about the birds knocking it over and/or spilling water in the coop in the winter - but the smallest hanging waterers I find are all huge!! They would take up a huge amount of space in the coop! Does anyone make a thinner/smaller hanging waterer?

 

[Portia]

I have an assortment. In the coop there is one hanging and currently one placed on some blocks in the corner so the chicks have access (they can't reach the hanging one just yet). Usually one placed on the floor or on something gets knocked off and spilled quite quickly, so this time I tucked the small chick waterer up against a little used corner so it has little chance of spillage. With the days getting shorter and colder the time in the coop has increased and I am now finding the hanging waterer buffeted about with water spilled below...so I'll have to come up with a solution for that

My chickens range over an acre, so I also have range feeders and waterer about. I've found that hanging in the way to go. This keeps them fresh as long as possible and also keeps them from getting spilled. With winter coming I have a heater to put into one of them to keep it from freezing. I also have many containers of water, including a low bird bath, placed around the yard that the birds use for water. I guess its sort of a whatever works. If you do place a waterer up on something, beware, in time they typically knock it off when it is light enough for them to move.

 

[setter4]

I had to take my hanging one down that was out in the run. I finally figured out that the reason my motion light was on all the time was because the least breeze would move my waterer. lol
It now sits on a cement slab.

 

[Mikeeeeeeeeee]

Quote:
what shenanigans? Chickens having shenanigans?

Surely you jest.

 

[Anny]

Quote:
I have 5 hens and I use a 1 gallon waterer it doesn't take up to much space it's smaller then one hen. Maybe you could look into putting the waterer out side if you coop is extreamly small...or you could build another coop

 

[patandchickens]

Anny, have you tried putting the waterer up on a tall block atop a plywood platform as mentioned in another thread, and in a CORNER (they cannot knock it over in the corner, unless they try to perch atop it, which you can easily prevent with simple measures).

With four chickens I'd suggest that's your best option (with a 1 gallon waterer).

For completeness though I will show you my compact very small homemade waterer I was using in my tractor last summer, not as the main waterer (that was outdoors) but just so my 2 ISA Browns did not get too thirsty if I let them out a bit late:

This is really too small for 4 chickens though (in principle it could be sized up, but I can't think offhand of what materials you'd use so scrounging just the right things could be a real problem). Seriously, I cannot see why a properly-raised non-roost-on-able 1 gal waterer in the corner should not be quite satisfactory.

(Oh wait... stray brain cell firing... is yours the coop in the garage that we were discussing how to add an extra bit of roost to b/c you got an extra chicken? IIRC, the waterer and feeder are hung right in front of the popdoor? There's your problem, I betcha -- try reversing things, put the roost over on the popdoor half of the coop and the feed and water in the right-hand half (waterer in the corner). Honest, I betcha your problem is just having hanging feeders/waterers in a major traffic route

)

Good luck,

Pat