Rain Barrel: Hose or rain filled? Simple setup ideas?

[RoyalChick]

Which rain barrel do you use?

I was following until you mentioned the hose part. Do you hook a hose up to the barrel and then fill water bowls for the chickens from the hose? So you'd have to drain the hose in the winter before turning off the valve so it doesn't freeze in there.

Some people have a PVC nipple system like the one in the photo. That's pretty interesting and something I'd really like to try to do. I'm worried about freezing water in the PVC though.

Do you have problems with algae in the summer? My husband mentioned using a pump kind of like in a fish tank.

My original plan was exactly what your husband is thinking. A PVC pipe system and a small pump to keep water flowing to stop it freezing.
I never implemented that and now I think I would constantly be maintaining or repairing it so I am very happy with my simpler system. I think it nets out less work.

I think this is the rain barrel I have. Water in from down pipe at the top and out at the bottom via a spigot.
I keep the spigot open and have a hose attached that has its own shut off. I hang to hose on a hook above the height of the barrel so the hose is not always completely full of water (also so I don’t have to bend down to the bottom whenever I want to fill waterers).

Good Ideas RW50-OAK Rain Wizard Rain Barrel 50 Gallon, Oak https://a.co/d/dOks2Vc

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

My original plan was exactly what your husband is thinking. A PVC pipe system and a small pump to keep water flowing to stop it freezing.
I never implemented that and now I think I would constantly be maintaining or repairing it so I am very happy with my simpler system. I think it nets out less work.

I think this is the rain barrel I have. Water in from down pipe at the top and out at the bottom via a spigot.
I keep the spigot open and have a hose attached that has its own shut off. I hang to hose on a hook above the height of the barrel so the hose is not always completely full of water (also so I don’t have to bend down to the bottom whenever I want to fill waterers).

Good Ideas RW50-OAK Rain Wizard Rain Barrel 50 Gallon, Oak https://a.co/d/dOks2Vc

I REALLY appreciate you sharing your experience. This is so immensely helpful. I won't do the pump.

So the freezing is minimal. That's good. What about in the summer? Do you have any problems?

 

[RoyalChick]

I REALLY appreciate you sharing your experience. This is so immensely helpful. I won't do the pump.

So the freezing is minimal. That's good. What about in the summer? Do you have any problems?

Summer is the mosquito issue and I assume algae and stuff grow more so I pay more attention to emptying it out more often and try and give them an option of faucet water by continuing to use that in the 5 gallon nipple bucket.
Honestly though when it rains they drink the most disgusting water from puddles so I am more being cautious to always provide faucet-clean water as an option.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

Summer is the mosquito issue and I assume algae and stuff grow more so I pay more attention to emptying it out more often and try and give them an option of faucet water by continuing to use that in the 5 gallon nipple bucket.
Honestly though when it rains they drink the most disgusting water from puddles so I am more being cautious to always provide faucet-clean water as an option.

Do I have this right?

The mosquito issue is remedied by the thing you put in the water.

There is potential algae in the summer but because you empty your barrel often (every week? couple of weeks?), you don't have a problem with this.

You don't empty the water in the winter much and you don't clean out the inside of the barrel. The water sometimes freezes and in that time you can get a little out of the unfrozen at the bottom or you fill their water from the faucet.

Your current system is the downspout into the barrel with pantyhose. You take the pantyhose off periodically to empty the junk and then you put it back on or you change it out here and there.

Your current system for the chickens is you transfer water from your rain barrel into a 5 gallon bucket with nipples. You have a spigot on the rain barrel that you attach your hose to.

 

[I-Love-Pallets]

This is a great thread…very informational. I just set up a rain barrel system. I bought these barrels several years ago, and used the water for my garden. I never had a problem with algae or mosquitoes, but I'm glad to here about the dunk, in case that becomes a problem.

Here’s my YouTube video, showing my system.

Rain Barrel Chicken Waterer

 

[Chicalina]

I've set up a very simple watering system, which I fill with the garden hose, but eventually I'd like to have a gutter catching rain run-off from the run roof to fill the container.

I've put it in a sheltered spot, up on bricks so I'm hoping it won't freeze or maybe only a little bit. I'll poor hot water over the valves if it does.

I got the cups and valve kit really cheaply on Amazon.

I got a similar kit for feeder holes too. Now I don't have to fill food and water daily. It will take my flock a couple of months to empty these. And no spillage or waste.

ETA the containers are 42, 50 and 70 litres in size. The 42 litre box holds a whole 20kg bag of feed.

 

[wrathsfarm]

This is a great thread…very informational. I just set up a rain barrel system. I bought these barrels several years ago, and used the water for my garden. I never had a problem with algae or mosquitoes, but I'm glad to here about the dunk, in case that becomes a problem.

Here’s my YouTube video, showing my system.

Rain Barrel Chicken Waterer

Nice simple setup. Do you by chance have a parts list to what size PVC line, cups you used and the T fittings size for them? I like your setup and would like to copy it.

 

[I-Love-Pallets]

Nice simple setup. Do you by chance have a parts list to what size PVC line, cups you used and the T fittings size for them? I like your setup and would like to copy it.

I used 1/2” PVC

The fitting for the spigot:
Orbit 53368 1/2" Slip x 3/4" FHT Fitting Hose-to-Pipe Fitting https://a.co/d/7OrpDUt

The Tee Fittings that the cups attach to:
(12 Pack) Cruzadel PVC Tee Fittings For Threaded Poultry Cups Chicken Waterer - Schedule 40 PVC 1/2 inch Slip X 1/2 inch Slip X 1/8 inch FPT https://a.co/d/fsEUvaq

The cups:
Chicken Waterer Cups 8 Pack Automatic Chicken Water Cups for Poultry LANARP Float Style Gravity Chicken Watering System, Water Feeder Kit, 5 Gallon with Mounting Hole Opener https://a.co/d/7uUGFJe

 

[wrathsfarm]

I used 1/2” PVC

The fitting for the spigot:
Orbit 53368 1/2" Slip x 3/4" FHT Fitting Hose-to-Pipe Fitting https://a.co/d/7OrpDUt

The Tee Fittings that the cups attach to:
(12 Pack) Cruzadel PVC Tee Fittings For Threaded Poultry Cups Chicken Waterer - Schedule 40 PVC 1/2 inch Slip X 1/2 inch Slip X 1/8 inch FPT https://a.co/d/fsEUvaq

The cups:
Chicken Waterer Cups 8 Pack Automatic Chicken Water Cups for Poultry LANARP Float Style Gravity Chicken Watering System, Water Feeder Kit, 5 Gallon with Mounting Hole Opener https://a.co/d/7uUGFJe

Thank you very much for the info.

 

[I-Love-Pallets]

Thank you very much for the info.

You’re very welcome. And thank you…your post prompted me to put the info in the video description. Still trying to get better at that!