If you use shavings and have a poultry fount, how high is it?

[gale65]

I'm asking about regular waterers that have a trough. NOT nipples or cups. So if you have one of those, how high do you put it up for regular heavy layers? Our chickens seem to be kicking shavings in it. I raised it another 6" or so but I'm afraid it's going to get rickety. I can't hang this type of waterer and don't really want to. Is there a better way to raise it? It's on bricks right now (leftovers from another project).

I do not, at this time, use nipples or cups. I use a fount so I can set it on a heated base for winter. It gets too cold here to use the others in the winter, and I don't want to use an aquarium heater.

 

[gryeyes]

About chicken back height.

I say "about" because I have large fowl and bantam breeds in my flock, and many of all different ages. So I have more than one waterer... A couple wall-mounted with nipples, the one connected to the water source at standard chicken back height, one fed from a five gallon bucket with a float valve and I have it up on a wide board on the ground (shavings) for all the chicks or anybody else who likes drinking from it. The wide board helps some in keeping the shavings out of the water, but it doesn't eliminate it.

 

[gale65]

ok thanks. It is probably just above back height now. Our smaller chicken had no problem drinking from it so I guess it's ok. I wonder though, if I should buy some kind of slotted spoon to spoon out the shavings. Dumping it sure wasted a lot of the water.

 

[KimM]

Ours is probably six inches off the ground and it stays pretty clean. I have it up on an old saucepan.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

there isn't much else you can do cause it seems like they will kick the shaving in no matter what, have to scoop em out..I have mine on a large wood block, with smaller block as a step for smaller chickens, but stuff still gets kicked in, the main thing is to keep the poop out! and so far, it does.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Use some scrap lumber to build a box to set it on so it will be stable, or find a big "cookie tin" and make a heater before it gets too cold

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I put mine on a concrete block if I have shavings around (I don't currently). It is the perfect height for large fowl. For bantams, I use two of the flat concrete blocks. I have two on pallets right now and that works well (outside).

 

[gale65]

Quote:
I think that's what I might have to do. If I can get dh to cut the wood for me I think I could build the box but he's going to be so busy the next few weeks (hopefully!) getting the crops in. Maybe I could just go to HD and have them cut the wood for me. I'd have to buy new but it would be better than the water falling over. I don't think I can lift the big cinder blocks myself.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I use the old guideline of the height of the shortest chicken's back. I start when they're in the brooder.

Concrete blocks are useful for adult chickens, as they're taller to start with. No matter what I'm using, I have it placed directly on the floor, not on the shavings. Resting things on the shavings can make them unstable and wobbly. You need a stable, level surface for water fonts or the water can end up draining out of them.

 

[mikeh88]

the best way is to hang it.Ive got shavings and no shavings get into the water