water/feeders

[chickenforlife]

what are the best kinds of waterers ? what are the best kind of waterers. im looking for a new set of waterers and feeders because the ones i have now my first ladies yes thats right i named my chickens Martha, Dolly, and Jackie all seem to spill there water and food all over the place.

 

[MoonShadows]

I like the nipple waterers. They hold a lot of water (usually 5 gallons) in case I can't change their water on a particular day. They also stay extremely clean. No poop or debris can get in the water, and I never see more than a drop or two of water underneath. You can buy them pre-made or buy the parts and make them yourself.

I like the hanging feeder for similar reasons. They hold a lot of feed and you won't get poop or debris in them. I have a galvanized one...figure it will last longer than a plastic one. However, the girls still have bad table manners and some does get on the floor.

 

[GuppyTJ]

It depends on what type of set up you have but in my opinion, the best waterer is one that the chickens can't spill or poo in and that is easy to clean and fill. AND that is plastic (not galvanized steel) so you can add ACV (apple cider vinegar) to the water. I use this one that I got from Tractor Supply. It's not ideal as I like to hang my feeder and waterer both, and this waterer I have yet to figure out how to hang (you aren't supposed to hang it from the handle). But it's heavy enough that my chickens don't knock it over. I have it raised up on a board so they can't kick litter into it.

Another option is to get this base and use your own bucket but this one, you have to flip. And you can't hang it.

Then, there are the variety of nipple waterer designs. Do a search on this web site and you'll see a bunch of different designs, many of which are home made. BE CAREFUL of any home designs however, that require an air tight seal/lid. I tried to make one and it didn't work because I could never get a lid that would seal properly to create a vacuum. I tried 2 different lids that claimed to be able to create a vacuum seal, neither of which actually did. Which is why I ended up buying the one from Tractor Supply.

I made my own feeder, using this guy's design. It works well. I hang it and have it chest high for my chickens so it wastes ZERO food.

Hope this helps,
Guppy

 

[Bawc]

There are plenty of great videos the above is only one to consider.

 

[chickenforlife]

those are all great waterer and feeder ideas. and i like the 5 gal bucket one. tho it does seem like over kill for my three. one question why not galvanized steel? and why apple cider vinigar ?

 

[MoonShadows]

You can always make a nipple waterer out of a 2 gallon pail, or any size for that matter. You don't want to use galvanized for a waterer if you are going to use acv because the acid in the acv will react with the metal. ACV is used at about 1 tablespoon per gallon to help the birds .It helps to keep bacteria levels down in the water, has helpful enzymes that aid digestion and even wards off or lessens the chances of some chicken ailments.

 

[Bawc]

one question why not galvanized steel?

Galvanized steel also has lead.

 

[chickenforlife]

i didnt know that they used lead in galvanized steel makes me wonder why house hold air ducts are made from it then. anyway that still leaves the acv ?

 

[MoonShadows]

I answered that 3 posts up.

 

[chickenforlife]

ok cool and sorry must have miss read it. what kind of acv ? does it matter ?