tipping the waterer

[NuthatchKnollChickens]

Does anyone else have a problem with their chickens tipping over their waterer? I have a regular one gallon plastic waterer in their coop and if I don't get their pop hole before they come down off their roosts in the morning I am pretty much guarateed to find the waterer tipped over on the floor. I have pine shavings over a vinyl floor so it's pretty easy to clean up, but I'd love to hear if anyone has found a way to prevent this.

 

[JennsPeeps]

I keep my waterer & feeder in the run. Since this is a constant problem for you, you may want to try doing the same. My girls roost around 5:30p (it was 4:30 a month ago) and are let out between 6:30-7. It's OK for them to not have food & water during that time.

 

[Blackbird]

Put a rock or a cinder block in it.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Could you suspend the waterer? rig up a harness and and suspend it from the rafters--and secure it at the bottom too, so it will just wiggle and not sway.

 

[Pullet Pimp]

I switched to the 5 gallon galvanized type with a wider base and haven't had a spill yet, it's too heavy when filled.

 

[Teach97]

get smaller chickens!

 

[NuthatchKnollChickens]

Thanks for the ideas, everyone! (But I'm not getting smaller chickens.)

 

[patandchickens]

Two things that may help: get a bigger waterer (being heavier, and not emptying as fast, it will still have good weight in the morning and not be as apt to get bumped over), and put it in the least-trafficked part of the coop.

I've had to play around with water and feed locations before finding the least-trafficked parts, btw -- I know that people with more chicken experience would just be able to look at it and *know* where the 'fast lanes' are and where the chickens will all want to hop down from their roost, but for some of us it takes a bit of trial and error

Good luck,

Pat

 

[al6517]

I agree with the bigger waterer idea.

 

[Teach97]

Smaller Chickens I say!!! You bunch of bantam haters!!

Smaller chickens = more chickens