Metal vs. Plastic? And other feeder/waterer questions from a newbie.

[3KillerBs]

I was looking at feeders and waterers at my local feed store today. What are the pros and cons of metal and plastic feeders and waterers?

Also, can you educate me about various forms of drinker system with cups/nipples? I've always liked water bottles rather than dishes for my cockatiels and guinea pigs because they stay clean.

Additionally, what do you use to put the oyster shell in?

And the overgrown vegetables/leftovers/etc? Do I need a dish at all for this or do I just throw it into the run in confidence that they'll deal with it?

I'm going to start with 8 chicks, being raised for me by a friend, and end up keeping my favorite 4 hens so recommendations about sizes for this many birds would be helpful too.

If there is a feeder/waterer FAQs post I've missed looking back through this forum please link me to it.

Thank you very much.

 

[chfite]

I like a nipple water arrangement in the run, because any spillage is on the ground. When mine forage during the day, they generally drink from the dog's water bucket.

You can put oyster shell into any suitably sized bowl such that they cannot turn it over. I stapled a peanut jar lid to a piece of plywood. Once they go out in the run, they likely won''t need it because they will get grit from soil.

Vegetable scraps I just toss into the run. What they don't eat will eventually decompose in the sand.

Chris

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you. The more I hear about them the better I like the nipple system concept.

 

[EggsnQuackers]

We have metal and plastic feeders and waterers...
For the trough type chick feeders I like the plastic better. The metal ones bend and it can be hard to slide the lid back to refill. Where as the plastic ones the lid just pops off and stays attached to the base with a hinge.
For water founts we have the 1 quart size plastic bases with either glass or plastic jars. And a 1 gallon all plastic fount. I've never used a metal water fount. So, can't compare them.
We also use LOTS of 3 gallon feed pans... metal and rubber. They are great. We mostly use them for water but also use them for temporary feed pans, puting kitchen scraps in, taking ducklings for a swim... They only time the rubber ones really outshine the metal ones is in winter as they don't bend and it's easy to pop the ice blocks out of them.
I also use the metal pans to put oyster shell in as they don't tip very easily and the birds can hop in and scratch around... If it's muddy I'll put kitchen scraps in them just to keep the food out of the mud. Otherwise, scraps go right on the ground...
I can't lend any insight into the nipple system. They look like a nice concept, but we have ducks and I don't think it'd work as well for them.

 

[scali1971]

Use what works best for you. A 5 gallon bucket with pvc attached to a water hose works great. Add a piece of copper to your waterer, with the copper you don't have to scrub algae, since it inhibits the growth.