New coop that had an ice chest cooler as water source

[Hen Mistress]

Someone posted photos of their coop that had an adapted red cooler as the water source. Thought I had saved it but hadn't so I searched the site and now cannot find it. Found some great incubator adaptions but not the waterer.

Since it was a design/construction post, I post here rather than the feeding/watering section. Any reason one couldn't add Tek Supply nipples to a cooler the same as to a 5 gallon bucket? The cooler would keep cold water and ice longer than the uninsulated bucket.

Thanks!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Hi Hen Mistress, You might have seen my waterer, it is made with chicken nipples and a red cooler. I have pics on my BYC page. I'm also going to make waterers as you suggest with 5 gal buckets to distribute around the yard as soon as the weather cools. Oh, BTW,

 

[Hen Mistress]

Thanks ever so much for the welcome and the reply.

I do appreciate your great construction photos. With all the heat we have here, the ventilation is one of my concerns. The other concern is predators so I am researching and planning, and then doing more.

 

[nelgkel]

Quote:
I just did this with a cooler!! http://www.igloo-store.com/products/iglbeverage/bevmaxcold Will have to take pics...I took out the dispensing valve and used a pvc adapter and made a hugepvc run for the nipples...will be a couple weeks before I can get pics up....works great for keeping water cold! i use 2 litter bottles~cut the tops off and fill them with water and freeze them for ice for the cooler.

 

[StupidBird]

I'm thinking this will also keep the water from freezing in the winter? Not that YOU have that problem. Now I know why I've kept that old cooler around.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
I would think it would help, it all depends on how cold it gets where you are. I thought that if I lived in a colder climate I would put a heat tape around the pvc pipe to keep it from freezing near the nipples and some sort of submersible heater for the cooler. The cooler works great for me; I can drop a frozen gallon of water into it and keep it frosty all day long. Now it doesn't take up space in the garage either!

 

[JustDawn]

Hi,

I was just wondering how you cleaned out your watering systems that have the pvc piping and nipples? I really want to set up something like this but I was worried about the cleaning of it.

Thanks
DAWN

 

[StupidBird]

I have seen set ups here on BYC where important joints are the screw apart types, not glued joints. Like the ones under my kitchen sink. That is what I plan on using in the next coop setup.

 

[nelgkel]

Quote:
I used the pvc joints with the red handle to turn on off...can stop water flow from cooler to pipes so I can take it off and wash it...also going to put one on the end of the long pvc pipe so I can turn it on and have everything wash through the long pipe...will take pics soon...look forward to hearing other suggestions.. I have not had any issues and I live in hot, sunny FL

 

[JustDawn]

OK great! Thanks!