Homemade Waterer.....With 5 gallon bucket???

[rigagirl]

ok this might be a dumb question but i am going to ask it anyway. when its time to fill the bucket again you take the lid off to do it, what stops the water from running all over the place? doesn't the lid give the bucket a sort of suction to help with flow so when its taken off nothing stops it is my thinking but correct me i can take it

 

[TammyTX]

To prevent overflow I just put my finger over the hole until the bucket is full and the lid is on.

When filling my bucket it does run out, but I don't mind because it's on a slight slope and it just waters the grass. The bucket fills up faster than it can run out.

 

[swtamour]

I was thinking of doing this also. But I'll probably put the hole at the top of the bucket so I don't have to plug up the hole while filling the bucket. I would just fill the bucket up to the hole and put the lid on and turn it upside down.

 

[TammyTX]

I considered doing that too, but I didn't want to lift 5 gallons of water. I'm strong but my back sometimes, not so much!

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
then use a smaller bucket..

 

[TammyTX]

Quote:
then use a smaller bucket..

....yeah, a smaller bucket would work better for 50 chickens. Gee wish I had thought of that.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

mine is done the opposite way.

I put the holes in the bucket just below the top lip. Below where the lid would would snap on. Drill your hole/s, fill it, snap on the lid and then flip it over into your pan. It will stop when pressure equalizes.

 

[dipence71]

I did this but I think I put too many holes in as mine overflowed also. I dumped some of the water out and left it only 1/2 ish full and it seems ok. Will have to get another bucket and put less holes in it lol. but it works for now until I can get another bucket and I want to try a plastic pan instead of metal so I can use acv in my water.
Any suggestions on what kind of pan would work being plastic????

 

[TammyTX]

I just have one hole about 1 inch long and 1/4 inch wide.

You can use a Rubbermaid container and cut the sides down?? It doesn't have to be round.

 

[Mystery Peepers]

I was just complaining this morning about having to buy a heavy duty waterer for my chickens!!!! I was trying to figure out how I could make one for less money (i would have to pay 20$ to get one from TSC!) I'm sooooo glad i found this post!!!

I was also wandarin' if you could use this waterer as a feeder also if you made the holes a little bigger?

-M.P.