Newbie seeks advice on waterers and feeders

[Mehjr10]

On my nipple system, I added a heat tape wrapped around the barrel and along the hose.. Made it through the first winter. I insulated it with some foam wrap but the chickens decided it looked edible.. So will have to use something else this winter, for wrap.

 

[LilCtryGal]

I'm still a newbie and learning from my mistakes as well as from this forum. I am NOT liking my water situation in my coop. I spend more time cleaning the coop area from all the water that is getting spilled from the water containers I'm using. Here is my set up.

I have about 23 Hen's, 4 Duck's, 5 Turkey's and 15 Red Ranger's. Everyone comes in the coop night. During the day they have the run and are free to come and go to the coop. I have water buckets out in the run along with 2 kiddie pools in the Hen/Duck area. No food out in the run area. In the mornings I have water everywhere, especially where the duck's are.

Do they need water inside the coop I guess would be my question. I understand in the winter there will need to be and we are still working on how we are going to manage that. I don't have the nipple water system, I have the typical metal can system. If anyone else is using the normal water can's how do you prevent them from getting knocked over and from spilling everywhere?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Overnight when they are sleeping they do not need water. If you do not leave them locked in there for long periods of time when they are awake, you do not need water in the coop.

Ducks are messy with water. It’s just the way they drink.

I don’t use the “normal water can”, whatever that is. If it’s what I think it is, put it in a corner up on a block or something so they don’t scratch as much stuff in it to get it dirty. Put it in a corner or against a fence, post, or some type of support and rig up a bungee cord with a hook or snap lock so you can keep it upright. You might need to put a block or something between the support and the can where you put the bungee cord so they can’t tilt it toward the fence, wall, post, whatever your support is.

 

[LilCtryGal]

Ridgerunner, Confirming that they don't need water in the coop is all I needed to hear! By Winter I'll have a system in place and not have all this watery mess. The definition of "normal water can", the grey metal ones that you turn to lock on that little peg, ha ha my version anyway.

 

[Melinda48]

I should have said that we do NOT have water in the coop. We use chicken nipple system and it is neat and clean and we absolutely love it!