Water at Night ?

[MissPrissy]

I have my waterers in my barn up on concrete blocks. They have to reach up to get water and can't kick bedding in to the tray. Also if you have a something you can put up at the top of the waterer they can't get a grip to roost there. I don't have any problem with mine.

We will be swtiching over to a gravity fed auto water for summer. I just haven't gotten around to it yet!

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Quote:
This would concern me too, I always keep a waterer and feed inside the henhouse just for this reason...

I never have problems with my waterers inside they are up on bricks....

 

[patandchickens]

Personally I don't feel comfortable having them separated from their water supply for more than like 6-8 hrs. And not having to worry about it lets me sleep in on mornings when that's an option -- something I would not willingly trade away for ANYTHING <g>

To keep them from roosting on (and thereby pooping in, or tipping over) a waterer that is up on blocks on the floor, either:

-- put it near a wall and build a shelf over top, like Welsummer's;

--hang a squirrel baffle or trashcan lid or the like from the ceiling over top the waterer; they won't be able to land on the waterer itself 'cuz the hanging thing's in the way, and they won't be able to land on the hanging thing b/c it will swing and tip.

--build a cone-shaped (i.e. perch-proof) 'hat' for the waterer that bungees on top of it. (Bunge it to a piece of wood the waterer is sitting on, on its platform).

Good luck,

Pat

 

[GallowayFarms]

First animals will be fine without water for that long at night. Just not during the day. That would be bad.

here is a drawing of what i do in my coop.

I have my waterer sitting up on some bricks, A wood block would work too, just make sure it is off the ground enough to escape flying litter. The ply wood roof will keep the chickens from roosting on it.

here is the simple drawing.

Good Luck

 

[purr]

i have to keep water in the coop as the saying goes "$&it happens" you never know if one day you won't be able to get to the coop to let them out. I have asthma and sometimes end up in the emergency room in the middle of the night and don't get home till next afternoon.
We are going to try the gravity fed auto waterer. but i am going to try to hook it up to a rainbarrel so it doesn't deplete the well.

 

[naturemom]

I keep the feed and water outside because my chickens are in a tractor and the enclosed portion is just too small to fit them in. They do fine without it at night. I don't worry about some emergency that would keep them without water because: 1. I have 2 little children, so there is never, ever a time when there isn't someone in my house up by 7:30 2. There are 4 adults in my house, so even in an emergency, there would be someone around to take care of them. 3. My 5yo daughter doesn't sleep in, even when she's up late, and she likes to let them out.