I was out watering my turkey poults today when I dropped their waterer and it broke
the tabs broke off their one gallon waterer and it is not usable. I am afraid to put a deep water bowl in there because as we all know turkey poults can be kinda um simple lol and they may drown in it if its too deep and our heat index will hit 115 today so I have to have plenty of water on hand for them.
I had to wait a little bit for my local Orscheln's to open to pick up parts to make a waterer for them like I had made for my bigger chicks so I decided to fab something up real quick to make sure they have water until I get back. I have made a few 5 gallon bucket waterers and they all work great but I have never attempted a 2 liter bottle one so I thought I would share.
I dug around to see what I could find to use, I had a clear pepsi 2 liter bottle and I knew I needed a small flat bowl, I remembered I had some of those cheapo re-usable sandwich containers for lunch boxes. I do not have my camera charged up so I just got some pics online to show you what I used, the first pic is the bowl type that I used, NO LID of course lol. I put the bottle in the bowl to see how high I wanted the water level, I marked that with a sharpy and then poked about a 1/2 inch hole in it with a knife tip spinning it around to make the hole as round and smooth as I could.
Then you fill the bottle through the cap ( plugging the hole with your finger helps lol. ) or you can tip the bottle upside down and fill it through the hole you drill, that works best for me but makes no difference which way you do it, does the same thing lol.
Then you place it in the bowl bottom down, the water will fill up in the bowl to the top of the hole you drilled and air can no longer get in the bottle so the water level stops there, it works the same way as the waterers we all pay for at the local farm stores it was just free.
I will be making another 5 gallon bucket waterer today so this will be put away for next springs chicks, cant beat free and if you need something in a second this is simply the best route.
PS the 5 gallon bucket waterer has been displayed many times on here before but since I referenced it above I will post a couple pics of it and a short "how to" that I used to make the ones I have made.
What you need.
5 gallon bucket with a good air tight lid ( I use the Gamma seal lids because they have rubber gaskets and screw on and off, much easier than prying lids off )
Food grade 5 gallon bucket, you could probably use a paint bucket that has been cleaned well but I usually buy pickle buckets or other food grade for 2 bucks at a deli
A flat bottom pan or bowl bigger in diameter than the bucket, I use the galvanized "hog feed pans" that I get at Orscheln's for 5 bucks or so.
1/2 inch drill bit.
1/4 drill bit ( to hook the pan to the bucket, you do not have to do this but I find it easier to move if needed )
2 bolts long enough to reach through the pan and bucket, 4 rubber washers, 2 metal washers
I start by putting the bucket in the galvanized "hog feed pan" and marking with a sharpy marker where I want my water level, I then drill a 1/2" hole in that location ( I have tried two holes and had issues with it overflowing the pan sometimes, you only need one hole.
I lay the bucket top down and put the pan upside down on the bottom part of the bucket, drill two holes through both the pan and the bucket. I then put a metal washer on each bolt and two rubber washers then feed them through the holes into the bucket. Then you tip the whole assembly up right and put two more rubber washers and a metal washer on the bolt and then the nut, tighten down tight but dont overtighten or you could split the rubber washers.
Then you take the lid off and fill it up, sometimes I will plug the hole on the bucket while filling it, this keeps if from overflowing. I have seen some better setups where they put a pvc pipe out the top of the lid with a turn ball valve where they can fill it without removing the lid, handy but I have not tried it yet............... Sorry for the pics, I need to charge my digital cam so I can take pics of my actual setups, I will update them as soon as I can with my own pics, if anyone needs a more detailed "how to" shoot me an email I will be glad to help.
I had to wait a little bit for my local Orscheln's to open to pick up parts to make a waterer for them like I had made for my bigger chicks so I decided to fab something up real quick to make sure they have water until I get back. I have made a few 5 gallon bucket waterers and they all work great but I have never attempted a 2 liter bottle one so I thought I would share.
I dug around to see what I could find to use, I had a clear pepsi 2 liter bottle and I knew I needed a small flat bowl, I remembered I had some of those cheapo re-usable sandwich containers for lunch boxes. I do not have my camera charged up so I just got some pics online to show you what I used, the first pic is the bowl type that I used, NO LID of course lol. I put the bottle in the bowl to see how high I wanted the water level, I marked that with a sharpy and then poked about a 1/2 inch hole in it with a knife tip spinning it around to make the hole as round and smooth as I could.
Then you fill the bottle through the cap ( plugging the hole with your finger helps lol. ) or you can tip the bottle upside down and fill it through the hole you drill, that works best for me but makes no difference which way you do it, does the same thing lol.
Then you place it in the bowl bottom down, the water will fill up in the bowl to the top of the hole you drilled and air can no longer get in the bottle so the water level stops there, it works the same way as the waterers we all pay for at the local farm stores it was just free.
I will be making another 5 gallon bucket waterer today so this will be put away for next springs chicks, cant beat free and if you need something in a second this is simply the best route.
PS the 5 gallon bucket waterer has been displayed many times on here before but since I referenced it above I will post a couple pics of it and a short "how to" that I used to make the ones I have made.
What you need.
5 gallon bucket with a good air tight lid ( I use the Gamma seal lids because they have rubber gaskets and screw on and off, much easier than prying lids off )
Food grade 5 gallon bucket, you could probably use a paint bucket that has been cleaned well but I usually buy pickle buckets or other food grade for 2 bucks at a deli
A flat bottom pan or bowl bigger in diameter than the bucket, I use the galvanized "hog feed pans" that I get at Orscheln's for 5 bucks or so.
1/2 inch drill bit.
1/4 drill bit ( to hook the pan to the bucket, you do not have to do this but I find it easier to move if needed )
2 bolts long enough to reach through the pan and bucket, 4 rubber washers, 2 metal washers
I start by putting the bucket in the galvanized "hog feed pan" and marking with a sharpy marker where I want my water level, I then drill a 1/2" hole in that location ( I have tried two holes and had issues with it overflowing the pan sometimes, you only need one hole.
I lay the bucket top down and put the pan upside down on the bottom part of the bucket, drill two holes through both the pan and the bucket. I then put a metal washer on each bolt and two rubber washers then feed them through the holes into the bucket. Then you tip the whole assembly up right and put two more rubber washers and a metal washer on the bolt and then the nut, tighten down tight but dont overtighten or you could split the rubber washers.
Then you take the lid off and fill it up, sometimes I will plug the hole on the bucket while filling it, this keeps if from overflowing. I have seen some better setups where they put a pvc pipe out the top of the lid with a turn ball valve where they can fill it without removing the lid, handy but I have not tried it yet............... Sorry for the pics, I need to charge my digital cam so I can take pics of my actual setups, I will update them as soon as I can with my own pics, if anyone needs a more detailed "how to" shoot me an email I will be glad to help.
