Recommendations for waters...

[RebekahTN]

Then they started leaking. Too lose, too tight, like an old toilet, the O-rings could only do so much. Spent the $$$ to buy a bunch of PVC tees off of Amazon, pre threaded 1/8" NPT. Haven't had problems since.

That was my problem, they worked fine at first, but then would start leaking, I'd mess with it and it would stop leaking for a week or two then start again. I finally just gave up after trying several different styles.
I have seen the PVC Tees on Amazon and was wondering if they would fix the issue. I think I will go ahead and take the plunge and get some now. I like to have different options for the youngsters to have clean water.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Even if they do start leaking from the tees, and mine haven't yet, there's teflon tape and plumbers goo to "fix" the threads, so its not a lost cause the way it is when the hole in your PVC pipe or bucket gets a little imperfect.

 

[RebekahTN]

Thank you! guess I will order another as a back up JIC! doesn't hurt to have 2. I have a 42" long crate. Should I have 1 near the MHP at least at first so they don't have to go all the way across the crate to drink? Also should their food be on that side at first as well?

I have mine sitting ON the heat plate and the feeder is right next to it. This is/was the brooder set up for the first week. This is actually a rolling under the bed tote with a lid that folds up at half way. The heat plate and probably 4 inches is all that fits on one half. I like the lid covering the second half as it helps keep heat and baby chicks in.
By the second week or sooner if they start jumping out they move down to a taller tote that is also clear (better for viewing baby chick tv) with pretty much the same set up but unfortunately no lid. You can kind of see the lid and set up in the second 2 pics. The bottom chick is sitting on the side of it's tote watching baby chick tv. It has a different feeder at that point, to keep them from pooping in the food.

The feeder is here because that's all the room in that area so that I don't have to raise the other side of the lid to add water or food. I would probably put it wherever is most convenient for you to refill, but close to them at first is fine. It is only a few hours before they are all over the place.
My little shows them how to do the water and puts their beak in the food then under the heat plate they go... after that they are everywhere.

 

[Isadora]

Here's our 5 gallon waterer with the horizontal nipples. Pretty basic but cheap and effective

 

[cmom]

I like the nipple waterers but for me they aren't very practical with all of the birds I have. They drink a lot of water especially in the summer months.

 

[Farm Up North]

I have one of those basic, 2-gallon rubber feeder pans. The chickens CAN step in it, but rarely do. I fill it up every day with fresh water, and clean it when it looks like it needs it, which is a pretty easy wipe-out. Sometimes I even just grab a hangful of grass and give it a quick scrub and then rinse with a little of the bucket water. I'm all about fast and easy with that chore. I do have to break ice in the winter, but it's really no big deal to do that for me and because it's flexible, I can just turn it over and stomp on it if I let it get really frozen overnight or something. I used to use a gravity-fed chicken waterer, but I hated having to find level ground all the time and cleaning it was annoying.