poll: which waterer is best

[numzldr]

No worries MeepBeep Lol Everybody has a system that works 4 them n sometimes u read something that works better than ur doin so u adopt it. Internet n forums r great that way. I can't leave 150' of hose drug out across the yard n driveway just to give the chickens water so while ur setup works for you it just won't do the same for me.
How does the barrel n water lines not freeze during the winter?

 

[Blooie]

No worries MeepBeep Lol Everybody has a system that works 4 them n sometimes u read something that works better than ur doin so u adopt it. Internet n forums r great that way. I can't leave 150' of hose drug out across the yard n driveway just to give the chickens water so while ur setup works for you it just won't do the same for me.
How does the barrel n water lines not freeze during the winter?

Not MeepBeep, but Yep! I always say that if there was only one right way to do raise these critters, this entire forum could be read in half an hour!

 

[numzldr]

Not MeepBeep, but Yep!  I always say that if there was only one right way to do raise these critters, this entire forum could be read in half an hour!  

All 17,000 + posts in the fermented feed section included???
Thats some fast readingLol.

 

[MeepBeep]

No worries MeepBeep Lol Everybody has a system that works 4 them n sometimes u read something that works better than ur doin so u adopt it. Internet n forums r great that way. I can't leave 150' of hose drug out across the yard n driveway just to give the chickens water so while ur setup works for you it just won't do the same for me.

I agree, every situation is unique very few black and white ways to do things in this hobby...

How does the barrel n water lines not freeze during the winter?

My coop is heated to 35°-40°F to prevent freezing of the pipes (yes my coop has running water inside) and this in turn also keeps the water barrel from freezing... I also keep an additional heater in the barrel the holds the barrel water at about 40°-45°F just to be safe and this also prevent condensation from forming on the barrel... I could run a regulator and pipes for their water, but then I would have to worry about those pipes freezing or increase the temp I heat to, only heating to just above freezing means parts of the coop on very cold nights can drop slightly bellow freezing

I love automating anything I can when possible, a few minutes here and there adds up by the end of the week...

I also picked up a sprinkler timer at Goodwill this year, and hooked that up to hose for my llamas/goats, now they get fresh water that flushes out their water trough every day a 9am for 10 minutes... Their barn isn't heated so not looking forward to winter and having to deal with heated buckets for them... I considered building a small heated box around the no freeze water hydrant in the barn and using a heated RV water supply hose, but those hoses are stupid expensive... My other option is to repair one of the two heated cattle water fountains left by the previous owners of the property, water and electric is plumbed out to cement slab in the pasture for the fountain to be mounted on, just never bothered fixing them and seeing if they actually work...

 

[kwhites634]

All 17,000 + posts in the fermented feed section included???
Thats some fast readingLol.

Me, I subscribe to the KISS principal...Keep It Simple, Stupid.
I'm in the 11% that likes the rubber dog bowl approach. Yeah, they muddy the water some, but it doesn't take any extra time to carry a gallon jug of water along when I go out to collect eggs & put fresh water in the bowl. Best part is, when it's frozen I either stomp a hole in it or flip it over & stomp on the bottom. No heaters, no pipes or nipples to run or repair. Haven't heard any complaints yet. 'Course, I'm only talking about 7 birds 100' from the back door, too.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'd do the same if I had 7 birds.

 

[desertrocks]

We started with 2 trough watering cans but we're a bit concerned with it getting too dirty during the course of the day due to them perching and pooping, etc. We added 2 vertical nipple waterers and hung them so one set hung at eye level for the tallest bird and the other at eye level for the shorter ones. We left the 5 gallon can in the pen setting up on bricks 9" or so off the floor.
They still use the trough but have seemed to transition to the nipple waterers quite readily.
It doesn't hurt to have 24 in the same pen as there some that are very curious/adventurous and nothing that goes in the area that is not quickly put under some close scrutiny.
This generates a lot of monkey-see/monkey-do action.

 

[elkinsacres]

ChickenCanoe is dropping wisdom here.

I'm not sure where you live, but there is another consideration that makes nipple (closed) systems best - evaporation. I use 5 gallon buckets (transitioning from white to black now, to reduce algae growth) with horizontal nipples drilled into the bottom. With the number of birds in each tractor (and I tend to way underpopulate my tractors!), that 5 gallon bucket should last a week. The water doesn't get fouled, spillage is minimal and evaporation is non-existent - time savings and resource savings.

I will also second the need to clean any watering system you have regularly. Yes, your chickens will be exposed to all manner of things, things that they can survive. However, good animal husbandry is about your animals thriving and not just surviving. Give them the best conditions possible.

 

[shortgrass]

ChickenCanoe is dropping wisdom here.

I'm not sure where you live, but there is another consideration that makes nipple (closed) systems best - evaporation. I use 5 gallon buckets (transitioning from white to black now, to reduce algae growth) with horizontal nipples drilled into the bottom. With the number of birds in each tractor (and I tend to way underpopulate my tractors!), that 5 gallon bucket should last a week. The water doesn't get fouled, spillage is minimal and evaporation is non-existent - time savings and resource savings.

I will also second the need to clean any watering system you have regularly. Yes, your chickens will be exposed to all manner of things, things that they can survive. However, good animal husbandry is about your animals thriving and not just surviving. Give them the best conditions possible.

How hard is it to get them used to a nipple system after using hanging waterers? I would have switched already but it actually looks like more hassle than just refilling a 5 gallon bucket with a hose...

I like the cleanliness of the nipples, but I have a hose in my hand most if the day anyway, shooting water to into their bucket us just a swish if my hand lol... Winter is a different story; I can't get anything without a heater to stay thawed longer than 4 hours....

@Blooie how do you keep your water thawed up there?

 

[Pork Pie]

I use a bucket / nipple system and also attach nipples to plastic soda bottles. The main reasons i prefer to use this system is cleanliness, but it is also a little more useful when medicating the flock (i.e. once you medicate a small quantity of water, you don't have to remediate when the water becomes dirty and you replace it). Additionally, i add aloe vera (minced up) to my water so it provides an ideal filter, preventing the leaf matter passing through.

In terms of getting chickens to use a nipple system, simply remove your regular water system and crouch down and tap the nipples - we all know how curious chickens are! They will soon get the idea. I started using nipples by using it with my first batch of chicks - they soon got the hang of it, taught it to mum, who then showed the rest of the flock.