Help!!!! 25 5 week old chickens pooping in waters

[namato8]

I have 25v 5 week old chickens mix of Black stars, RIRs and Red Stars. They are doing great but I just spent a lot of money on two 3 gallon plastic waters with the screw on tops and they arew roostring on the handles and pooping in their water. I just had 2 1qt waters for a while but the girls are too big for that now and for a week or so they were much cleaner but now they are very dirty with shavings and poop.. They have a roost and some nest boxes too but I can't figure out how to stop them. I have the water that is inside their house on two cement blocks but that does not seem to help. any ideas?

 

[clay]

Maybe you could put the food and water outside the house, Our chickens, ducks, and geese do just fine all night without a midnight snack or drink, and it keeps the coops much cleaner.

 

[BayCityBabe]

I solved that problem by attaching a paper plate to the top of the waterer. I cut a slit in the plate and put it over the handle; I tied it in place with a mesh bag that oranges came in. It is just too weird & wobbley for them to deal with!
I think an aluminum pie pan would work as well.

 

[steffpeck]

Quote:
Good Idea!!

 

[Wildsky]

Like the plate idea - I was gonna suggest a funnel on top!

 

[brandywine]

First time I saw one of the little monsters land on the handle, I knew it would be trouble.

I up-ended a steel dog bowl and wedged it over the handle -- problem solved.

I consider this a design flaw in these waterers, and would not have bought one if there had been any choice locally.

I also have an open-topped feeder that is supposed to hang; at the moment it also has a dog bowl over the top, because it's not hanging yet, and it's just the right size to trap a small pullet that falls in.

If you don't have a steel dog bowl, try a metal pot, or cut a big bleach bottle in half -- whatever will wedge over that handle and be slippery

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:
I have one of those and the first time we put it in the coop - on the floor we didn't hang it right away - by morning they had dug and scratched out every last bit of food - 22 pounds or something totally wasted!

 

[cmom]

I hung mine up so it was just to the top of their back. Problem solved and as they get older I raise it up. I use chains with an S-hook, so I can shorten the chains and rasie their waterer and feeder.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I have one of those and the first time we put it in the coop - on the floor we didn't hang it right away - by morning they had dug and scratched out every last bit of food - 22 pounds or something totally wasted!

I have been there too. The dog bowl is a good idea. I put a plastic plate with a brick on it.

 

[jossanne]

I also have an open-top feeder, and after finding a pretty green egg laid on top of the feed one morning, discovered they make a loose cover to go over the top of that style feeder. That problem was solved. I need to find something to go on the waterer now to keep them off, good ideas!