New chicken keeper - deep litter plus waterer equals a big mess!

[UrbanChick101]

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Do you mind adding a picture of PMing me with a picture of your feeders??

I am new to this too, we have had our girls about 11 days. I learned the first night that I needed to have the waterer raised, for the same reason. We didn't have a cinderblock, which I originally wanted, but settled for a tin that was inexpensive at Theisen's to raise the waterer. I only have one waterer right now, debating what to do about having one outdoors as well as in the coop. Bringing it in every day and night, can be yuck ... when there are earwigs over everything (if I get out there a little later in the evening)

About feed... I have been contemplating over mixing all this stuff together, or dishing it separate. I really don't know what would be best, I don't have a good way to mix the feed/oyster shells together. I have been feeding them egg shells, dryed, baked and smashed every other day or so. I haven't given them oyster shells as I don't how the best way to do this is. I seem to have one SLW that loves to tip over/walk in any type of feeding dish I set out. We have sand in the run... is it still necessary to provide extra grit? Oh...all the little things to learn.

 

[viking_chicken]

Thanks for the good advice, yall! I am originally from Memphis (so I say yall) but my husband, horse, goat, dog, cats, and now chickens live near Reno, NV. Everything's sand - no need for grit. I've got a bag of oyster shell that I'm just going to add to the layer mash - do I need to do that before they start laying?

They all have pink combs, and the lowest-ranking chickens are banty sized. They were advertised as laying hens, but I don't think any of them are ready to lay. I got a great deal on them, all 14 chickens and their stuff for $60, so I'm not complaining.

I will need to run an extension cord to the coop/horse run-in for a de-icer for my mare, so I can do one for the chicken water too. I think I will see if the feed store has those nipples (snicker) and maybe make a hanging 5 G waterer. Easier to heat for the winter. Til then I can set the water on a cinderblock.

I'm going to build their nest boxes this weekend. I was planning on raising them maybe 24" up on legs - sticking the feed under there is a great idea.

When I was a kid we had totally free-range banties, so I'm not a total novice. Just very, very rusty. Next year I'm going to try to add some Golden Sebrights, those were the prettiest little chickens we ever had.

 

[trilyn]

To you guys about the oyster shell and grit. I just make two piles of each in my run and the girls decide how much they need. No need to mix it in their feed, this is great because if you've got younger birds in there that don't need the calcium, you're not doing them any harm. They're not as stupid as you think, they can actually make their own dietary choices, providing there aren't too many choices. Just like us, they get overwhelmed pretty easily. No more than 3 choices. Feed, grit and oyster shell. Then they're good to go!! Hope this helps!

 

[joebryant]

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I agree 100%, only I put mine in Anne's plastic quart (maybe they're a pint) freezer containers to keep them off the floor. I put a couple of screws through them to attach them to the walls.

 

[wesleyhw]

I also put my water out side in a ice cream pail. But with cooler weather coming i'll have to close up the front of the coop. It's only 3 sides due to the heat. I was thinking on trying nipples but how many would I need for 9 or 10 chickens?

 

[Beekissed]

I keep my waterer outside in the good seasons and up on cinder blocks in the coop in the winter months. This makes for easier rinsing and filling also.

 

[jeb251]

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I use two per cage, the only reason I do that is in case one plugs up, its never happened but I suppose it could, I have one coop with about 14 birds in it and two is plenty, I have a 55 gallon drum in an insulated box heated by two 40 watt bulbs (again in case one goes out) controlled by a thermo cube, it feeds a 1" pvc pipe with nipples, heat tape and insulation, works great, am putting gutters on my coop when the new breeder coops are done and that will fill the tank.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

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Mine did the same thing. I had to switch to nipple waterers in the coop.

 

[oldchickenlady]

I put both my waterers outside in the run. One is the red and white plastic one you get from TSC and I hang it from the ceiling of the run. The other is a metal one from TSC and it sits on a cinder block. The plastic one I hang because the handle has a indention in the handle that makes it easy to keep level and the water doesn't run out. The metal one doesn't have that feature so it is nearly impossible to get it to hang level. The pop door on the coop is left open all the time because my run is predator proof. The feeder is inside the coop to protect it from the squirrels and I think the food stays fresher until eaten if it is inside the coop. I also think having to go back to the coop for feed gets the hens into the habit of going back to the coop, which is good when they start laying. My chickens free range everyday, but about 2x a day they will go back to the coop for feed and water.

 

[Qi Chicken]

We currently hang both the feed and the water.

I don't have the worlds best behaved chickens but for some reason they do not swing the water here and there. I, however, usually spill it as I bring it in. It is a red and white one with a heated base that you plug in in the winter. Costs about 40$. You have to fill it from the bottom then flip it over. 3 times out of 10 the top will pop off and drench you (and the coop) in water. Usually only if you are late. Now I flip it outside but the bottom fills to the very rim and it still spills. I imagine that this would be lots of fun at 20 below!

Did I mention that I HATE this waterer??? Did I mention NOT TO BUY ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are going to build a 2 gallon bucket with heater inside and nipples. I think a 5 gallon one would be too big and too heavy. We only have 15 chickens. That way I can just refill with a gallon milk jug of water every day or even every other. They don't drink a whole gallon of water in one day. The heated dog bowl sounds pretty darn easy though. I might try it with a regular dog bowl before it gets cold to see how dirty it gets and how quickly.

Gail Deverow (? can't remember her last name, Chicken guru, author of many chicken books) says not to mix feed and oyster shell. You should have it free choice. Putting it in the feed kind of tricks them into eating it when they might not mean to and therefore get too much.

I got these little yellow trays at Theisen's (farm store) meant to hole screws and stuff I think. I screwed them to the wall, one for oyster shell and one for grit. They work perfectly.