Height of Food and Water in Run

[3KillerBs]

Make sure the is an air hole in lid if using horizontal nipples as we found out water was not flowing without a hole. ( Lid was too sealed and water wouldn't come out when they depressed plungers.

I made that mistake with my first nipple waterer too!

 

[jreardon1918]

Our main feeder is about a foot high. The hens have to reach in. It prevents them from beaking out food. The Horizontal nipplesare 4-12" above the ground. As the hens have dug quite a hole on one side of the bucket. Not seen is a chick feeder in the brooder in the run. That is currently hanging about 6" off the ground for 7 week chicks. The HN bucket is elevated just a couple inches. The chicks are using the run main bucket. They can't quite reach the main food supply. Next week. we will add a step to assist the chicks reach the main feeder.

 

[GaDawgChic]

I made that mistake with my first nipple waterer too!

You know...I didn't even think about having an air hole. I mean it works fine if I hit it with my finger and the girls were able to get something when they pecked it. I left a corner of the lid unsealed and the water came out much easier! I do not think the instructions said anything about it but I remember wondering if I should have done an air hole as I did with the drip irrigation system I made for my planter but figured the instructions would have said to do it.

Our main feeder is about a foot high. The hens have to reach in. It prevents them from beaking out food. The Horizontal nipplesare 4-12" above the ground. As the hens have dug quite a hole on one side of the bucket. Not seen is a chick feeder in the brooder in the run. That is currently hanging about 6" off the ground for 7 week chicks. The HN bucket is elevated just a couple inches. The chicks are using the run main bucket. They can't quite reach the main food supply. Next week. we will add a step to assist the chicks reach the main feeder.

You have a nice setup there for your flock. I'm going to see what sort of changes I can make from all of the suggestions here starting this weekend. Tomorrow is the last day of school for my son so I will have more time to figure things out. Let me know how the step helps out.

 

[Banana01]

I have seven different waterers shared by ducks and chickens of all ages, from 3 day old chicks to full grown.

I have a baby waterer that is 1/2" off the ground, meant for babies, but it is actually the favorite waterer for many of the hens.

I have two adult waterers that are 1.5" high, but they are sitting on top of bricks that are about 4" off the ground, making them about 5.5" off the ground.

So anywhere from 1/2" to 5.5" is really safe for using. You should really have at least two, but preferably 3 waterers depending on your level of maintenance desired.

 

[affacat]

Water - they dip, then raise their head and swallow. If the water is low, it is a bit harder for them but they still manage (most of our water are waterers at ground level).

Food... They have no issue pecking for food low. If you feed them daily and avoid overfeeding, they will clean everything up for you. If you have a constant feed source, keeping it off the ground may lower chance of spoilage or rats... But I recommend against constant feed sources personally (rats!).

 

[3KillerBs]

You know...I didn't even think about having an air hole. I mean it works fine if I hit it with my finger and the girls were able to get something when they pecked it. I left a corner of the lid unsealed and the water came out much easier! I do not think the instructions said anything about it but I remember wondering if I should have done an air hole as I did with the drip irrigation system I made for my planter but figured the instructions would have said to do it.

I ended up both putting a 1/8" drill hole just under the rim of every waterer and not snapping the lids down firmly -- though that's more because the lids are so hard to get off with my arthritic hands than in order to break the vacuum.

 

[utefan47]

They can eat and drink at any height they can reach. Under natural circumstances, they eat from the ground when they forage and they drink from puddles on the ground, so they don't need height. The height is for us, to minimize the mess so that stuff isn't kicked into the feeder. Try a height and watch them eat/drink - if they seem to be struggling, adjust. If they're not - you're done.

I was wondering the same thing and your answer provides reasonable and simplicity. We just try to make it to hard sometimes. Thanks for bringing me back to "the height is for us" and "puddles on the ground". I've watched them through all of this.

 

[DavidReaves]

I was wondering the same thing and your answer provides reasonable and simplicity. We just try to make it to hard sometimes. Thanks for bringing me back to "the height is for us" and "puddles on the ground". I've watched them through all of this.

It was sort of a revelation for me, too.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thanks for bringing me back to "the height is for us" and "puddles on the ground".

I was refilling waterers yesterday and, because it has been desperately dry and quite hot, I dumped the old water into the run with the intent of them having a moist place to dig into.

They ignored the fresh, cool water in the waterers and drank from the puddle that formed in the run.

 

[K0k0shka]

I was refilling waterers yesterday and, because it has been desperately dry and quite hot, I dumped the old water into the run with the intent of them having a moist place to dig into.

They ignored the fresh, cool water in the waterers and drank from the puddle that formed in the run.

Mine ALWAYS do this! Doesn't matter what kind of filth I'm washing off, the water poured on the ground always tastes better than fresh water in a clean waterer...