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

[Mr MKK FARMS]

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

Chickens nuatraully eat of the ground. They don't mind, after all they dig for bugs that are covered in dirt.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

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.

That stinks!

And then it gets the coop all wet too, right??

I put my plastic waterer outside so that they don't spill it inside the coop. That way the wooden floor won't rot!

 

[RoseMarie1]

That makes sense! Dish pans would be great for geese and ducks. Great job

I agree, everyone has to take their own paths!

I like the coke bottle one with the piece under it. How did you attach the piece to it? I have a couple I made for my chicks and they drip water so I have a pan under them so the floor wont be sopping wet but I like this idea!!!

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

I like the coke bottle one with the piece under it. How did you attach the piece to it? I have a couple I made for my chicks and they drip water so I have a pan under them so the floor wont be sopping wet but I like this idea!!!

I think they just glued it. I think that would be good for chicks or bantams especially!

 

[Rich386]

Horizontal nipples don't drip and are less prone to freezing. They are spring loaded and have a rubber O ring seal. They have less metal to transfer cold just spring and pin.

 

[Mehjr10]

I like the coke bottle one with the piece under it. How did you attach the piece to it? I have a couple I made for my chicks and they drip water so I have a pan under them so the floor wont be sopping wet but I like this idea!!!

If you are talking about the Coke Bottle on Page 8 , I just put the nipple through the cap and poked a vent hole in the top of the bottle.. for the drip cup I cut the bottom out of another bottle with a long cut up the side of the bottle to give a handle or tab. I then taped it to the water bottle with the piece of wire to make the hanger.. I adjust the bend in the wire as the chicks get bigger. I usually start them on it at about day 4 with the other waterer and then remove the floor water after I see some using the nipple.

 

[Mamahumecky]

I have about 150 birds and I use the drink cups for water and build my own custom feeders out of 5 gallon buckets.

I made my own low pressure valve by putting a float valve in a 5 gallon bucket and hanging in 5 feet off the ground. This gives me about 2.5 psi of pressure for my system. (see pic below). It is connected to a constant water supply. If I want to add something to the water I can just put it in the bucket and it gets administered to the whole flock. If it is dosage critical, I can just turn the water supply off and fill the bucket with the correct dosage. I tap and tread 1" schedule 40 PVC pipe for the drink cups and thread them directly into the pipe.







For feed I make these five gallon buckets.










For long term automatic feeding I use this more advanced model.

this is brilliant! i love the feeders and prefer the cup drinker to the nipple one.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Hmm... I like all this ideas and I like to be creative but I like the simple stuff to tell you the truth.

 

[RoseMarie1]

If you are talking about the Coke Bottle on Page 8 , I just put the nipple through the cap and poked a vent hole in the top of the bottle.. for the drip cup I cut the bottom out of another bottle with a long cut up the side of the bottle to give a handle or tab. I then taped it to the water bottle with the piece of wire to make the hanger.. I adjust the bend in the wire as the chicks get bigger. I usually start them on it at about day 4 with the other waterer and then remove the floor water after I see some using the nipple.

thank you!

 

[debid]

Hmm... I like all this ideas and I like to be creative but I like the simple stuff to tell you the truth.

I guess that depends on how you define "simple". For me, no daily upkeep = simple. And, I'll happily invest an hour in construction time for a feeder and waterer that allows me to go on vacation without fear that the chickens will die a horrible death in my absence.