The Moonshiner's Leghorns

[pozees2]

@The Moonshiner I know you've said, probably even recently, but I forget, do you have White Leghorns?

 

[The Moonshiner]

No I don't have any whites anymore.

 

[pozees2]

No I don't have any whites anymore.

Thanks

 

[Miami Leghorn]

Let me guess....
3 or 4 dozen mille fleur and a dozen each of everything else?

For starters...

Mille Fleur,
Blue Mille Fleur-if available-
What else do you have going on?
The fans want to know.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Took some pics of the barrel and attachments for my watering system. The barrel is on top of an eleven foot pedestal.
I have a line coming out the bottom and going two directions to the pens. A larger pipe on bottom running through the wall to outside as a drain when needed. Larger pipe at top as an air vent and overflow.
Later i'm gonna run it to the chick building next door. Gonna add a barrel over there for chicks and when I fill this barrel it will overflow into the second one so I won't have to fill both separately.
Next to that is a fitting with a garden hose attached for filling. The hose has a quick connect and I already have a hose run to that building so just a quick hook up and fill when needed.
I should be ready to test it tomorrow. I have about 120 foot of pipe running to 15 pens and I think 23 waters. 11 cups and 12 horizontal nipples.
I've capped a few places where I'm gonna add on later and have 4 different spots to be able to drain the whole system.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

That right there sir is a candidate for entry in Popular Mechanics Farm Issue.

and don't think I'm not taking notes

 

[The Moonshiner]

Lol. I'll see how functional it is first.
I've been winging it the whole way so I'm sure some things will come up that need attention.
Been kinda a pain running all the pipe to get where needed with the pens preexisting and not designed for it.
But what can I say besides.... Looks like hell but took a long time...
I have had my little one helping so exciting to see his excitement.
I tried to post that last night so today will be first test and he's ready to go through and hit them all to see if water really comes out of all them.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Well I tried out the waterer system yesterday.
The water made it easily through the system and all the cups and nipples had water coming out when tested and many of the chickens took right to the waterer. Thats about where the good news ended.
A couple of the cups and a few of the nipples leaked and dripped. As did all the screw on caps I used to end the different runs of pipe.
The birds using the cups had no problem drinking but none seemed to understand how to hit the lever to fill them back up.
The big issue was the whole system heating up. After a few hours I went through and filled the cups back up and noticed the water was really warm. Warm enough that it concerns me. I had worried about the water in the 1/2" pipe getting warm since temps are in upper 80s lower 90s here.
Short term fix is gonna be rework it so I have two places where pipe ends instead of four and replace screw on end caps with valves.
Then I can open valves a few times a day until I feel cool water draining out. That should purge the system of warm water.
IDK maybe over thinking things or maybe my system is a design that will work well.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

Moonshiner what is your water source; is it rain water,or is it a well, or city water?

 

[The Moonshiner]

As of now its city water.
We just got city water out here about 10 years ago so we do have a well. I used it until two years ago when the pump went out. Been meaning to fix that but never got around to it yet.
The pens I'm running this set up to is in a metal barn and my chick building is an old farrowing house (converted from original house on property) right next to it so with some guttering I can do rain water in tbe future.