I need a new watering system. Suggestions and ideas appreciated.

[TheRusticRebel]

Currently for 18 chickens i have 2 1 gallon bell waterers. I take them in at night and wash them and fill in the morning. They sit on cement blocks. Except if i have chicks i put one on the ground. Its always worked fine and i like the idea of giving them fresh water every day.

However now.i have a roo. And this winter he got severe frostbite on his wattles. He's recovering now and been living in my house the past week and a half.

I am thinking because his wattles are so long when he bends down to drink they dip into the water and although we dont usually get frosty winters this winter has been super cold.

I need ideas that i can switch to so this doesnt happen again and how easy is it to switch?

If i go with nipples or cups is it easy for say my 5 and 4 year old hens to adapt? I also have some almost year olds and some 2 month olds.

Or should i just raise the bell waterers higher?

 

[NanaK]

I am thinking because his wattles are so long when he bends down to drink they dip into the water and although we dont usually get frosty winters this winter has been super cold.

Yep, that's more than likely it. I had this happen to a roo one time.

Or should i just raise the bell waterers higher?

This is what I would do. Just make sure everyone can reach to drink.

If i go with nipples or cups is it easy for say my 5 and 4 year old hens to adapt? I also have some almost year olds and some 2 month olds.

Since you already have the bell waterers, I'd just stay with that. I use similar but I do switch to rubber livestock bowls when we have these crazy low temps for a few days. Then I put my big waterers back out.

 

[azygous]

A simple fix is to use a narrow basin chick water bottle for the rooster. That works very well as the basin is too narrow for the wattles to fit in it.

That's what I used to do before I figured out life is too short to be hauling water out to the run every day in the freezing days of winter, sometimes multiple times to replace frozen water. I decided years ago to switch to the nipple system using Bright Tap nipple systems that screw right into the spigot on a five gallon Igloo insulated water cooler. Summer and winter, water stays at a near constant temp, and remains clean. I only need to clean the coolers once a year. I only need to fill them every several weeks.

I freezing weather I drape a small heating pad you can get from Walmart for $10 over the nipple system, secured to the cooler by a rope or belt, and it keeps the nipples from freezing. Recently tested this at ten below zero. The nipples remained unfrozen.

 

[Brooks_]

Afraid I won't be much help as it gets even less cold down here, but I like hanging waterers. They can be placed at just the right height that wattles don't get in it.