Our first chicks are 4 weeks old and out in coop with heat lamps. It is a constant battle to keep water clean of pine shavings. I just bought a 5 gallon waterer and stopped using the chick waterers in hopes it would help reduce changing water/cleaning pine shavings out. It was littered with shavings in the water this morning. Is there anything bad that will happen if they drink water regularly that has had shavings sitting in it? I guess hanging the waterer is an option..though they r still lil yet. Messy lil buggers.
I sit my water up on cement blocks in the henhouse and run. In the brooder I use a small piece of 2x4. edited to add: My chicks have no trouble getting on the blocks to drink.
My chicks kept their water filled with shavings, and now that they are in the coop, they keep the water full of grass, chick starter and poop. I keep the water up on a brick, and that helps a bit, but they still have a talent for getting stuff in the water. I think that as long as they can get the water between the shavings and the stuff in the water is not fermenting or moldy, the chicks will be fine.
Hi, We have all been in the same boat with shavings in the water. However, get rid of the new waterer.....you will have drowned chicks if the lip is too wide. Chick waterers have a narrow lip for a reason....to keep them out of it. Yes, shavings in the waterer are a pain in the a** but it is what it is. You'll have the same problem when they are bigger as well. Try putting waterer up on a few blocks of wood or bricks. They will jump up to get to it...might keep out some shavings. But, the shavings are pine...dried...not poisionious....they will still drink the water and will not die from drinking it with some shavings in it. Hope this helps and good luck. Tough being a slave to your babies, isn't it? Trust me, I know the feeling. Erik
I put my chick waterers up on bricks- works like a charm- just leave them a part of a brick to stand on (or those flat concrete blocks).
Hanging it helps, sitting it on something helps but they are gonna get stuff in in it. The good news is that they outgrow it---kinda. as they get bigger you can raise it higher and higher off the shavings and it stays cleaner---cleanER but not always clean. It's just how chickens are.
Yeah my big girls hanging waterer is constantly full of MUD and it is 8 inched off the ground. Best I can figure is they have dirty beaks from scratching around and it gets in the water. Now there are 5 3 day old babies in there and it is an impossible joke to keep stuff separated. But chickens have raised babies in farm yards for thousands of years so they must be alright.
Thanks. Hmmm. I suppose I should take out the 5gal waterer and put the lil chick ones back in..... they are 4 weeks though and dont think they can even get both feet in there if they wanted to. One thing I just did was open the whole coop up to them (4x8) put the roost down (its on hinges) and put the 2 heat lamps at different heights above roost/floor so there is a 80 degree area on floor, and also roost and most have been sleeping on the roost at the height they like based on temperature. They really took to it quick.....