Is this waterer a decent option?

[Happy Novogens]

For just two or three hens, I would probably try something like this:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/harris-farms-poultry-drinker-5-qt-2167654?
It's fairly cheap, and holds more than enough water for that many hens, I think even allowing for evaporation.

I like the look (and price) of that waterer you linked and that may be just the ticket for most of the year. Thinking about it for the summer, I'm wondering if the water will just get too hot (even in the shade) in an enclosed container.

With our sustained summer heat, our prior 10,000 gallon pool reached 94F ! Not sure if the openness of that other one from Cal-Ranch will be any better...

Might just have to test them out beforehand and see if there's a difference.

 

[NatJ]

I like the look (and price) of that waterer you linked and that may be just the ticket for most of the year. Thinking about it for the summer, I'm wondering if the water will just get too hot (even in the shade) in an enclosed container.

Putting the water in the shade helps.

With that style of waterer, I've found that the water in the big container part is often warmer than the water in the trough at the base (I think evaporation is cooling the water in the trough.)

Might just have to test them out beforehand and see if there's a difference.

Testing is a good way to settle questions like that

 

[springvalley123]

Yes, the chickens will peck it and probably eat it.



Some evaporation might be a good thing, because it cools the water that is left.

For just two or three hens, I would probably try something like this:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/harris-farms-poultry-drinker-5-qt-2167654?
It's fairly cheap, and holds more than enough water for that many hens, I think even allowing for evaporation.

You can test for evaporation even before you get chickens-- buy a waterer that looks promising, fill it with water, and check it for the next several days. That will tell whether it evaporates fast enough to be a problem.

I've used those in our desert heat, they're great. You can put ice blocks in them, slosh the water/dirt out of the drinking tray, even put ice cubes in the drinking tray.

 

[springvalley123]

I like the look (and price) of that waterer you linked and that may be just the ticket for most of the year. Thinking about it for the summer, I'm wondering if the water will just get too hot (even in the shade) in an enclosed container.

With our sustained summer heat, our prior 10,000 gallon pool reached 94F ! Not sure if the openness of that other one from Cal-Ranch will be any better...

Might just have to test them out beforehand and see if there's a difference.

The other thing about the hose-supplied auto-waterer: Follow every inch a drop of water passes (or sits for hours). Even if the hose is underground, I bet the spiggot it's connected to is attached to the outside house wall---that gets sunshine at least part of the day. With the "cheapo" 5 qt waterer, you have absolute control of the water that gets into the waterer, and then as with any waterer, you can monitor it throughout the day.