How do you get water and food to your chickens? (Share your storys!)

[Rich386]

Quote: I am not offended and I sell them!
They are just another tool in your toolbox. They are easier to maintain than some other systems so there are benefits. The larger your flock the more benefit you get.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

I am not offended and I sell them!
They are just another tool in your toolbox. They are easier to maintain than some other systems so there are benefits. The larger your flock the more benefit you get.

Yeah, I'm open minded but its just not "my" style!

So what types of feeders does everyone use? I use a metal feeder that I can just pore 60 Ibs of feed in at one time. Its pretty nifty!

 

[MsChickenMomma]

I use a one gallon plastic hanging feeder. My dad and I are going to start working on the new coop soon, and we are going to build some PVC feeders to help eliminate the waste problems. My chickens have been wasting a lot of feed right now.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

I use a one gallon plastic hanging feeder. My dad and I are going to start working on the new coop soon, and we are going to build some PVC feeders to help eliminate the waste problems. My chickens have been wasting a lot of feed right now.

Nice, how long does it usually take to build one of those? If your having waste problems you can put an aluminium foil dish pan under the feeder to collect the feed. Then you just reuse it! I would love to make a big PVC feeder that I could just dump a whole bag of feed into at once. Just haven't done it yet... Hopefully I will get of my duff and do it sometime. lol But haven't looked into costs for it either.

 

[MsChickenMomma]

Nice, how long does it usually take to build one of those? If your having waste problems you can put an aluminium foil dish pan under the feeder to collect the feed. Then you just reuse it! I would love to make a big PVC feeder that I could just dump a whole bag of feed into at once. Just haven't done it yet... Hopefully I will get of my duff and do it sometime. lol But haven't looked into costs for it either.

I'm not sure how long it takes to make them. We haven't ever built one before. I just read on a lot of threads on here that PVC feeders are the best way to go if you have chickens who have a tendency to waste feed.


What's funny is I already put a pan under their feeder! I did that last week, and it's worked great so far! The only problem is that now their feeder has to be on the ground now, so I'm constantly picking shavings out of it

 

[chikit]

Thanks so much for the info. on the nipple feeders nice to know if we need to go away for a few days our girls will have plenty of water!

 

[jenrysdam]

It wasn't the water in the bucket that froze, but the nipples themselves. They were always wet and at night when they weren't being used they froze up. The aquarium heater worked great for keeping the water from freezing, it was just the nipples themselves that were more exposed and froze. Once that red plastic expanded the metal parts didn't fit the hole right and it would just drip all the time.

 

[MetallicBlue]

Feeder wise I've found one that works perfectly for us. It's actually an old metal dog-food hopper type feeder. I have a waterer that you're supposed to hang, but I put on the bottom of their coop. They also have two more outside. The inside one keeps getting yucky stuff in it. I need a topper of some kind to keep the crud out. I've got a few ideas, but if anyone has had this problem, how did you handle it?

And I'm in Florida, so no freezing to worry about. Only hot hot hot sun.

 

[jenrysdam]

Originally Posted by el pollo rey

Haha! I don't hate the nipple system but I just don't get it, your chickens have to learn a new way to drink for no reason. It just seems like its a waste. (I don't mean to be rude to any nipple system lovers or anything. Please don't be offended)
[/quote. We are not offended at least i am not as far as teaching chickens to drink from a new system it is about as easy as teaching your dog to not drink out of mud puddles , it will take a thirsty bird all of about a milla second to drink from a nipple without interaction from you at all , they work well and are low maintenance but to each there own ,, enjoy

It doesn't really take much to get the chickens to use them. They're red and they LOVE red So they'd peck at them even if they didn't have water dripping, lol!

 

[debid]

It wasn't the water in the bucket that froze, but the nipples themselves.  They were always wet and at night when they weren't being used they froze up.  The aquarium heater worked great for keeping the water from freezing, it was just the nipples themselves that were more exposed and froze.  Once that red plastic expanded the metal parts didn't fit the hole right and it would just drip all the time.

Is your bucket shielded from wind? How cold was it when this happened? I use a 250W utility deicer with thermostat in my 5-gallon bucket. It's in the coop so it is protected from wind but I don't heat the coop at all and the vents are wide open so it's no warmer inside than out. The deicer kept everything working here all winter. I tapped to check in the morning on the coldest days thinking that if it was frozen at all, that would be the time. It was never even a little frozen. Of course, it also never got colder than 10F so I can't promise anything below that but you might consider replacing the aquarium heater with a deicer. Mine was only $25. The deicer sits on the bottom of the bucket and covers a pretty large area.