Okay - water bottle *lix-it* or pop bottle fount?

[HennysMom]

So - after hours and weeks looking through posts and debating on which to switch to - I'm still torn on which is better for full grown birds

Some people say the Lix-it ball bearing type of bottle and others the pop bottle fount.

My concerns are two fold on either:

With the Lix It ball bearing type: will they get enough water?

With the Pop Bottle Fount: again, enough water issue and having a plastic soda bottle in heat

I cant find a glass bottle that size and that would be my choice.

The Pop Bottle fount seems like they'd get more water that way, it'd be cleaner and I know they'd absolutely get the water (I can see it in the little fount obviously)...but I so worry about plastic and heat. I'm wondering if I could put it inside a cooler to keep it cold/out of the sun ?

They have a galvanized waterer now but they get it soooo dirty even up on blocks; my other concern is when we go away for a weekend. I want to ensure they have CLEAN water vs. having someone have to change the water 3 times a day.

So - all of you with founts / ball bearing type waterers... do tell.

Thanks in advance.

 

[riderbecky]

I prefer the ball bearing waterer when I'm brooding chicks...their water stays clean this way. They get plenty of water and have a blast pecking at the shiny metal ball.

I'd use this method with my hens as well but I can't find a tip with a bearing big enough for for their beaks.

So I have to suffice with the regular founts.

My fount stays fairly clean. I put it on one of those cheap step stools from wally world (great stool also when helping little ones toilette train) and use a bungee cord to secure it so those hens don't knock it over.

As far as going away watering goes...

I never go anywhere long enough to worry about it.

 

[HennysMom]

Quote:
Thats my concern is their beaks will be too big for the "clicker" type.

How many birds do you have? I have 6 Red Stars and they drink alot of water actually... they seem to love the stuff LOL! I mean, more than normal - they can drink quite a bit as I always see them at the waterer now so I need something that will hold enough. I'm not above having 3-4 bottles around the pen, I just want something that will give them enough water and stay cleaner than what they have now.

Is your water inside or outside? What about heat and the plastic bottles?

 

[riderbecky]

I have 19 hens (GLW, SLW & BR) and a BR roo. Am expecting 34 chicks around may 15th. Adult bird will definately be too big to get water from those ball bearing water tips. I have vague ideas about using a marble inside a rubber nipple used for calves...wondering if a scenario like that might work.

For the time being, I use the small plastic water fount from the feed store (white top, red bottom I think its 1 gallon?) I have two and just switch them out once or twice a day. My birds are free range so they get alot of water from natural sources. However, in the winter I'll go through 2 full founts a day. I used a heat lamp above the fount this winter to keep it from freezing. Worked fine. I don't really think about chemicals leaching into the water from the plastic...I don't worry about those things so much. I don't use plastic bottles though as they'd be too small and I'd be forever filling them.

 

[HennysMom]

Oh.... okay so you have a standard waterer then....I have something similiar to that now, but mine is galvanized.

The ones I'm looking at fit a 2 litre soda bottle inverted.

Anyone have that type? Pros/Cons?