outdoor watering ideas needed

[pattgal]

Quote:
That is a really good website. I liked this one in particular
https://www.gqfmfg.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=194

but your first link would work better for winter, as for the hose freezing problem i would just hook up another 5 gallon outside the coop and fill it manually from the outside. that would be my only modification. just so long as i don't have to go inside and disrupt the peace.

Too bad they don't ship to Canada!!!!

BAH! money is a little tight anyway, we will end up making the homemade one. its not as daunting as i had anticipated

 

[pattgal]

Quote:
YES! its your pictures that got my husband into this idea in the first place HAHHAHAHAH

 

[MrRushed]

I wouldn't use anything else, never carry water, never clean poop out of your water, and don't have stinky spilled water problems. . I had my wife test the water after a month and the test came back fine. I only chang the water cause the weather is getting warmer. The water never feels hot or slimmy, just fresh and clean. I still test it once a month anyways. Still in testing mode.
The best thing about this system is it was cheap to build.

 

[jeb251]

how do you test the water?

 

[MrRushed]

I take a sample in a sterile vile and give it to my wife, she test it in a lab she's a mycrobioligst.
She test it for ph and bacteria.

 

[jeb251]

thats cool can a person do it at home?

 

[FrozenChicken]

Cheapest source of water for poultry is rain water . I run eavestroughing on my tin roof of the chicken barn to a 45 gallon plastic barrel. I purchased a Dare Float Valve from the local UFA farm supply store. Drilled a small hole near the bottom of the barrel (right size I think 3/4 galvalized piping) I ran the pipe down to the float valve and set the float in a
cheap Dollar Store Dish pan. One evening of rain and the barrel fills up and my flock has water for a week.
http://www.ufa.com/products/Animal-Care/Livestock/Equipment/240/Waterers.html (Dare Float Valve $14.99)

 

[Dani1975]

Pattgal -- did you find any place that supplies nipples in Canada. I'm having no luck.

 

[perchie.girl]

I read through very quickly but a question was asked about how much a 55 gallon drum full of water will weigh. 10 gallons is approximately 83.3 lbs fifty gallons would be 458.15 lbs or approximately 460 lbs.

I use a 30 gallon tank sitting on the ground for gravity feeding water bowls for the chickens. The beauty of this is it can be hooked up to a float valve and its fed by a garden hose set to very very low trickle. I calculated it out and my animals can drink off this for ten days even without refilling. This should be sufficient for my 45 guineas once they reach full size.

An interesting thing was said though about water tanks and water going stale. My water comes from a well and is fed to a 3000 gallon holding tank before it is pumped to the animals. I have tasted this water and its very very good. There is no back flow though and the tank is steel and there is a cap on it so light cant get in. I have no doubt there are a few critters that fall in there and float to the bottom.

I don't like nipples but this comes from the fact that I live in a very hot and dry climate I would rather they be able to dip their beaks for a good drink.

WRT heating the tank you only have to keep it above freezing. There are tank heaters that screw right into the bung hole designed especially for water They can be plugged into a temperature sensing connector which will come on when the ambient temperature goes below a certain point.

There would be one advantage to keeping the 55 gallon drum sitting on the floor or closer to the floor and above the dispensing system. Once you get that much water heated up to a certain temperature it acts as a Thermal storage system. Meaning it will aid in keeping the coop warmer in the winter.... conversely cooler in the summer.

Ebay is an excellent source for those nipples as well.... as all the other things discussed here. If you dont want to order from ebay Check with Amazon. You can follow the sources to the business that sell them if you want.

 

[Dani1975]

Found them on ebay, thanks