Water in the coop?

[RooptyDoo]

We are getting ready to build a larger coop, 12X20. In considering where to put it I have sort of settled on a spot close to our meter pole for electricity. There is also a good well that is very close by. Has anyone ever built over a well and put on a hand pump for watering located inside the coop? I know that we will have to address the problem of making sure the floor will be kept dry. If anyone has any suggestions on the type of pump, or any design plans that have worked or not worked for them I would appreciate some input.

 

[polar chicks]

I was going to do a sandpoint inside the barn but ran out of money and opportunity (loft went up to quickly) to do this year. I think the hand pump would of stopped the water at 3 feet below the ground. At ground level it was 18 degrees tonight so I dont know how well this will even work. I use the heated dog dish for right now.

 

[Just-Like-Hatching]

I would not build directly over the well. I would worry about the contaminates in the feed, like the meds, leaching down around the well casing and contaminating the water supply. Close by would be fine, just not right over it.

 

[LynneP]

Still, if you had a pump house alongside the coop, properly insulated, where you could use a hand pump and kept warmish with a light bulb and/or certified heater tape you'd be all right. You'd need to check zoning regs too, while such construction was used years ago there are some caveats now, such as distance of livestock from a working well.

Is this an extra well or one that supplies your house, too? We have an old well like that in our front yard, and unfortunately it's not located in a suitable place for the coop. Another option is to have an above ground electric pump (jet pump) in your coop and plumb the well water underground via pvc...not sure if you want to go to that degree of construction...

 

[patandchickens]

I am not really sure whether you can run a hand pump *and* your electric well pump on the same well at the same time... talk to a company that services wells and well pumps.

If you can, I know there are hand pumps that claim to be able to raise water 20 feet but I'm not sure you can go any lower than that, so it depends what the water level is in your well. (Frankly if your well is that shallow I hope you are doing regular and thorough water testing before drinking, washing or cooking with it in the house

)

I am not at all clear on what's your concern about keeping the coop floor dry??? Being near a well usually ensures *dryer* ground (just because wells are, or anyhow should be, built on somewhat higher rather than somewhat lower pieces of ground, so water shouldn't puddle there).

I'd really suggest not putting more than just a couple chickens very close to a shallow well, though (that is, shallow enough you can hand pump from it) because you do not want nitrates and fecal bacteria from their poo getting into your wellwater (by leaching thru the soil, moving a short horizontal distance to the well, and then migrating down along the well casing such as it is into the aquifer). This would not be much of a concern with a deep drilled well with a good top and casing but a shallow well it *would* be a concern. Not only do you not want to mess up your own well, you don't want to mess up others' nearby.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[chicken rover]

I agree that contaminates will leach into your ground water depending on how deep the well is.
As far as a manual pump handle, it brings to mind the very old saying: "As useless as chicken poop on a pump handle"
I grew up on my grandmother's farm and she had one in her chicken yard. Be sure to wear gloves!