Question about "Homemade Waterer.....With 5 gallon bucket???" thread.

[joebryant]

I'm not a physicist, and maybe I'm wrong, but...

It seems to me that the world would go around a lot faster if the lid of the five-gallon bucket were removed, holes drilled in the bucket at the top, the oil pan put on top over the holes, and the bucket and pan turned over with the pan's sitting on the ground.

Am I missing something?

 

[Gazinga]

No, in essence that would work. However, ive found it just works so much easier to drill one single hole near the top of the bucket near the top rim place the snap lid back on the bucket, then when you fill the bucket (by inserting garden hose into the drilled hole) its easy to fill, easy to carry to/ into the coop and when you flip the bucket back over into the awaiting pan its no muss or fuss. You can just leave the lid snapped on at all times (except to clean it out)

I have used solely 5 gallon plastic buckets for feed and water since day one and its worked like a charm, i love it, so easy.

 

[Gazinga]

thusly..........


The water.....

and the food......

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
The picture that I was looking at showed the lid's being on the top when the waterer was in use.
Are you saying that you leave the lid on, drill a hole below the lid, turn it over into the pan making the LID sit in the bottom of the pan? If that's the case, I agree with you; your plan would be better than what I suggested above.

Thanks, I see what the problem is now. You posted your pictures after I made my reply to you. I was going by the pictures in the thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=166631&p=1 . I fully agree with you and your design. THANKS AGAIN! I'll never buy another waterer; your design is perfect.

 

[briteday]

I have the lid side up when the waterer is in the pan. I don't have much upper arm strength and have a difficult time turning a full 5 gallon bucket of water upside down...and to land it in the small pan. So the holes are near the bottom of my bucket. When it needs to be filled I plug the holes with those foam ear noise protection plugs, take off the top, fill the bucket, hammer the top (with a rubber gasket in it) back on, and remove the plugs from the holes. The trick is to have enough buckets for water that they only need to be filled weekly. Then it's not such a chore.

I have 25 chickens and for a feeder I took a regular round 35 gal (?) outside garbage can, drilled holes a few inches off the bottom, and set it inside a large round shallow pan. It holds 100 pounds of feed that lasts 2-4 weeks. All but 6 of my chickens are 8 weeks old. Right now we're going through quite a bit of feed. But it's easy enough to fill, just unsnap the lid and fill. I got a can with a domed lid so that the birds won't sit on it and poop on the can.

 

[dipence71]

Quote:

I agree I can't lift and flip a 5 gal bucket full of water. I like the design I have where you drill a hole and plug it to fill then pull plug and done no flipping a bucket full of water.
Not Everyone is going to like the same thing or it wont work for everyone that's why I love all the different ideas on here.

If one doesn't work for you keep looking and there is another one.

PS I got my buckets at Home depo and they have the gasket in them so they work great for my way. The ungasketed lids probably wouldn't work because no air tight seal.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:

I agree I can't lift and flip a 5 gal bucket full of water. I like the design I have where you drill a hole and plug it to fill then pull plug and done no flipping a bucket full of water.
Not Everyone is going to like the same thing or it wont work for everyone that's why I love all the different ideas on here.

If one doesn't work for you keep looking and there is another one.

PS I got my buckets at Home depo and they have the gasket in them so they work great for my way. The ungasketed lids probably wouldn't work because no air tight seal.

Five gallons of water would weigh 40 pounds. I'm sure that there are MANY people who could not manage that, so your Home Depot bucket with a gasket would be ideal for them.

 

[briteday]

The only downside that I have with my pickle buckets with the rubber gasket is that it takes a pair of adjustable pliers to get the lid off and a hammer to get the lid back on. Are the Home Depot buckets that tight, difficult to get the lid on and off?

 

[Rootball]

Look around the forum....I saw someone with a neat design. It was a 2.5 gallon bottle (the kind you put in a water cooler) that was flipped over into a 5 gallon bucket that had holes cut out for the chickens to stick their heads into. Looked really slick.

 

[startingaflock]

I have just finished making my feeder and waterer. I used a 5 gallon pail (from Home Depot). I drilled some holes all the way around the bottom of each pail (larger for feed, smaller for water). I then attached a hard plastic tray from a flower pot to the bottom with a nut and bolt. I just have to take the lid off, fill up the pails and replace the lids. The only time I will have to lift the pail is to hang it (if I even do that). I think that it should work fine.