Ultimate Waterer

[sourland]

 

[RodNTN]

Hello there! And It is wonderful to have you here with us! I hope you enjoy BYC, best wishes!

 

[Birdinhand]

it would take a lot of convincing for me to go back to anything like a water pan waterer. my list of needs is pretty short: 1) no leaking 2) no mess to clean 3) can be filled in place 4) easy to monitor water level without opening 5) has room for defroster.

this nipple waterer fits the bill for me, no leaks, best verticle nipples on the market, fills in place, see through sides, easy to fill, no mess: http://www.atwoods.com/poultry-feeders-watering/cheery-chicks-chicken-kooler-35-gallon.htm

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you've joined us!

 

[Bryan Kane]

Birdnhand - I appreciate the feedback. If I can ask - how many birds in your flock? I assume your defroster is a small tank or bird bath heater you submerge? how often are you refilling on average? How do you support this? Hanging from the handle or by another method? Can I assume the pan water issue related to contaminants entering the pan? Although you may not have immediate complaints about your suggestion, what would be beneficial to have as a feature you don't have today?

 

[Teila]

Hey Bryan

Only having 5 x bantams, an expensive watering system is not really something I would be interested in but I may be able to help if you are looking at an all climate type situation. Sorry if you are learning more towards the ‘water not freezing’ type market.

Our climate is tropical.

I currently use 2 x the below waterers in the run. 2 because of our heat, I can not risk one being knocked over and leaving them with no water. They sit on bricks to keep clean.

Water is changed daily and the containers require to be washed out with soapy water at least once a week due to black mold which is a problem even with ACV in the water.

Leaving water for a week in any sort of container is definitely not recommended in our climate.



The beauty of the above is that they are easy to clean and when I am eventually losing the battle against the black mold, I can through them out and get new ones

 

[Eggcessive]

Glad to have you here on BYC. We always like to learn about new inventions.

 

[Bryan Kane]

Teila, Thanks for your comments! The heating system is optional in our system. It can be operated with or without it depending on your climate (read this as you do not spend money on an unnecessary system). Have you tried any type of Stainless Steel container to see if this helps your mold condition? We are not tropical however I have operated our system in 100 Plus degree heat in direct sun without any issues for maybe 3 weeks at a time. The stainless cleans easily even if it develops algae or mold. I would think this would be fine in Australia. Out of curiosity what is your average humidity and temperatures that generate the black mold? Does it happen all year round or is it more aggressive during a specific time of the year?

 

[Teila]

Hey Bryan

Thank you for that!

I had not considered stainless steel in the past and it may be worth looking into. However, I do like to give the girls ACV in their water for various reasons and we live in a small coastal village so it would have to be good quality SS due to the salty air; not sure that I could get good quality SS waterers but worth looking into. I do know that SS dog bowls eventually succumb to the salty air which is why we stick to plastic.

To answer your questions:

Just this week it has rained for 4 days with 4 inches falling in just a 2 hour period. Relative humidity has been in the 90’s and maximum temps around 84F [29C]

January our average max temps are 86F [30C] and average RH 76%

February 86F [30C] and average RH 81%

March 85F [29C] and average RH 74%

April 82F [28C] and average RH 76%

May 78F [26C] and average RH 74%

June 74F [24C] and average RH 74%

July & August 73F [23C] and average RH 73%

September 78F [26C] and average RH 74%

October 80F [27C] and average RH 73%

November 82F [28C] and average RH 74%

December 85F [29C] and average RH 75%

It is more “aggressive” during the ‘wet season’ which is October through to March.

 

[Bryan Kane]

Teila,

Thanks again for the information and reply! I would think a 300 series stainless material would work well. 400 series definitely no which is typically used in home grills for the barbie. I have found them to start corroding within a couple of years without salty air! You can source home brewing pots on the internet as an option. Insert some nipple feeders and make a stand for supporting it above your chickens and that may solve your problem. I prefer a permanent solution. If I spend $20 to $40 on a waterer every 1 to 2 years it does not take long to pay for a higher end stainless system. If you are handy this may be the easiest solution for you. Our RH in the mid-west USA was between 65% and 85% for northern Illinois where we completed 3 years of testing. No issues with mold. temps were similar to yours, also both higher (105F) and lower (-20F). Our annual rainfall was about 36". In the Rockies we have tested the system for an additional 3 years with RH closer to below 35%, rainfall near 16" annually, however temps between zero F and prolonged periods between 95 to 105 F. Our system would also solve your problem I believe. One avenue to market I am considering is to offer a license to build one yourself when you purchase the plans for a nominal fee. If you are moderately handy this could be an option. You would have the option to source the critical parts from us also.