Looking for Advice on chickens water

[lurch1014]

I have water dispensers. Your basic plastic ones with red trays. The chickens fill them with dirt etc. When scratching around so it's really hard to keep up with and make sure they always have good clean drinking water. What are some better ways of supplying them clean water? Any help is appreciated. Thank you

 

[rarneso]

I elevated my water and feed. I used 2 x 6 chunks and as my chicks grow I can add another board to raise it. Landscaping blocks would work too.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

They also make nipples that go at the bottom of a bucket and prevents all things from entering. They usually learn how to drink from them pretty fast. They come pre made or you can do it yourself. Here is an example...

https://www.amazon.com/BAFX-Product...d=1493957030&sr=1-24&keywords=chicken+waterer

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I elevated my water and feed. I used 2 x 6 chunks and as my chicks grow I can add another board to raise it. Landscaping blocks would work too.

Hi, welcome also to BYC!

Great suggestion and it works very well.

Raising the height of the feeder to level with their backs also helps to reduce waste greatly.

 

[lurch1014]

Thank you for the suggestions!

 

[OCeggs23]

We just recently "upgraded" from a basic waterer like you mentioned to horizontal nipples we installed on a 5 gal. bucket. Purchased the nipples from Amazon (I think 5 for $11?) and the bucket was $3 at Home Depot.
Our chickens are 12 weeks and learned within a day how to use them. Highly recommend!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

We just recently "upgraded" from a basic waterer like you mentioned to horizontal nipples we installed on a 5 gal. bucket. Purchased the nipples from Amazon (I think 5 for $11?) and the bucket was $3 at Home Depot.
Our chickens are 12 weeks and learned within a day how to use them. Highly recommend!

The horizontal ones are nice... but I wonder how long before the little cups get filled with dirt and debris also?

No concern for home depot buckets not being food safe?

 

[silarajc]

I went shopping for the materials to make a waterer...the cheap buckets don't say food safe, but Lowes also had some white buckets that were marked food safe, so that's what I bought. Home Depot probably has them too. It was only a dollar more.

 

[gooselove]

Any ideas for goslings? I have week old goslings and the water (deep enough for them to get their bills all the way in) is constantly dirty and soaking one half of the enclosure!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I went shopping for the materials to make a waterer...the cheap buckets don't say food safe, but Lowes also had some white buckets that were marked food safe, so that's what I bought. Home Depot probably has them too. It was only a dollar more.

Good info, all the food safe ones I've been seeing were closer to $20, so I will have to do a double check next time I'm there.

My hubby did say he also saw white ones that were food safe at Wally for about $5... but ours is usually sold out of stuff just long enough for me to get it somewhere else.

Any ideas for goslings? I have week old goslings and the water (deep enough for them to get their bills all the way in) is constantly dirty and soaking one half of the enclosure!

Getting ready for ducklings... they say they always put the water up on a wire mesh with a container to catch spill over, underneath it. In this link a little down the page they talk about it...
http://www.metzerfarms.com/RearingInstructions.cfm?affiliate=undef&CustID=15537330

It's what I plan to do to keep the bedding/enclosure drier hopefully.

I also saw someone who used like sour cream containers and cut a portion out of the lid where is was big/deep enough for dunking but kept it more contained and cleaner. It must have been slightly weighted or something to keep from dumping still.