How to use galvanized waterer?

[annmarie]

I feel really silly asking this, I'm not a newbie, but I've never used one of the traditional galvanized chicken waterers, and I'm taking care of a friend's chickens and that's what she uses. It's a very large one, and it appears to be sitting on maybe a heated base. It has a handle on the top, but when I tried to pick it up the water started glugging down into the reservoir, so I'm afraid that if I lift it by the handle, will the whole top of the thing pull off and the water will go everywhere? Am I supposed to lift it from the bottom? I hate not being able to inspect it empty first so I can see how it works, and it's in a dimly lit corner of the coop so I really can't see much! Fortunately it seems heavy enough right now that they should have plenty of water for today but I do need to figure this out, hopefully without soaking myself and her coop! Also, once I've got it out of the coop, how to I disassemble it to fill it, and is there a trick to flipping it back over without dumping water all over myself, or what am I doing with this thing?

 

[peterlund]

The top "cover" should turn about 1/2" counterclockwise, and the cover will pull off upwards. The water slopping around shouldn't be an issue. The cover will have a vacuum effect as it comes off, so dont fret... Just tug it upwards. The cover as it seats pushes in on a rubber stopper to allow water to pass into the drinking rim. Good luck!

 

[greyhorsewoman]

Also, if's a big waterer, it is not good to carry it full by the handle.

 

[annmarie]

Ah ha! Thank you! So it is okay to carry it to the water spigot by that handle on top then, correct?

 

[annmarie]

It is a really big one. She does have some buckets around so I bet she fills the buckets and adds water that way. Thank you both!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

It should have a pin at base of center tower. Slide the entire tower to unlock then pull it off. It will undo the vacum so water will overflow. After filling, yes water overflows as your filling, slide tower back on and lock it. Vacum is created and works as normal.

Think that makes sence.

 

[muddyhorse]

if you look on the side of the waterer near the bottom you will see a metal pin sticking out. It may be below the water line, this keeps the inner and outer pieces together. they do make a glug sound when you lift them no big deal. in order to refill it you will have to twist the two pieces appart. hold the bottom with your foot and twist the handle about an inch.

 

[annmarie]

Thank you, thank you, and thank you! I think I understand what you're all explaining. I'll make another attempt at it this afternoon!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Yes, there are two parts.

The outside cover has the flimsy handle. I never carry the waterer by that handle, especially when full. It puts a lot of pressure on the handle and the locking mechanism. The cover slides over the main part of the waterer. You can use that handle to twist the cover, which will unlock or lock it to the main/inside/bottom part of the waterer. If you look carefully on the side, towards the bottom, you will see the small bump of metal on the main part of the waterer, that the little hole/groove on the cover slides over and how it locks on or off when you twist the cover slightly.

The main/inside/bottom part of the waterer, has the container that holds the water, the tray they drink out of and a really sturdy handle for carrying. I always carry it by that sturdy inside handle when it has water in it. When I get the full waterer back to the coop, then I slide the cover back on and twist it to lock it.

 

[chynasparks]

Got my peeps June 7. I bought plastic feeder and plastic water. Peeps finally moved into their home yesterday. I'm going to toss both those plastic feeders. First, the feeder; peeps bump it (hanging) spilling feed everywhere. Waste waste waste $$$. Even hung at the back height they run around and bump it. So I googled and made a pvc gravity feeder. Still some feed gets out but it's on a brick platform, they can still eat that. Now the waterer. This waterer was fine until it got to where I could hardly twist the thing open to fill it. You know, the kind you fill, twist the fish back on and turn it over. Well, as this short time went on it got harder to twist the thing apart. It's so hard now that I'm not gonna even try. Going to go get another one trying galvanized this time. I washed my plastic one so I know it wasn't because of dirt. It seems the two parts are becoming abraded (rough) making or hard for the two places to not slide over each other easily. If the new one disappoints me I may have to make one.