Hi! Being new to chickens, I get a little neurotic. I used to water them with a canister thing, but it was really too big, and the water got full of grass and dirt pretty fast. So now I use a plastic bowl. I see them drink out of it occasionally, but not all of the time. I'm sure they're getting water off of and out of the grass and veggies they get, but I'm giving them oatmeal, scratch, and pelleted food, and I don't want them to get bound up (that may not even be a real problem). Especially in the cold, is there a waterer that is the best? Do all of you use different types? I'd be curious to hear about what others are using... Thanks! Liz
There is no 'best' waterer. But there are a ton of really good ones. If you are worried about the water getting dirty - look for a nipple watterer. They are a bucket with a valve that hangs down & the chickens will peck at it to get the water out. These are easy to keep clean & do a good job. The only caution I have on using a bowl of water is that chickens are not ducks - they will drown as quick as falling off the perch if the water dish is too big. They really dont get it. Second would be in cold weather - you don't want your birds getting wet - The regular plastic or galvanized waterer's are great - but like you said they get pretty dirty. Oh - & the chickens will drink all they want & no more - so if they are not drinking a lot - they dont need a lot. Hope this helps.
I use a plastic waterer that I got at the farm supply store. Very simple. Turn upside down to fill, screw on bottom, turn right side up. It might help to set the waterer on top of a cement block of some type so it's off the group. This will prevent some of the "goodies" from getting into the water.
Either setting the waterer up on blocks or hanging it will help keep grass, shavings, dirt, etc. out of the water. With a small flock you will also want a small waterer so the water isn't sitting in the jug for days growing algae, etc. If you do those two things you should be able to keep any basic canister type waterer reasonably suitable for your flock.
For my adult hens they drink out of a bucket full of water. I have one regular sized bucket in their pen (they either perch on the side of it and drink or stand next to it and lean over) and then 3 extra extra extra large buckets for the goats and dogs to drink out of that my chickens like to perch on and drink out of. The baby chicks still drink out of the white and red plastic chick waterers from TSC until they are full grown.
