Water'er Question

[stormhasit]

I am wanting to get an automatic water set up. I have 23 chickens - the pic below is one I am thinking about as it seems easy to hook up and keep. Anybody have any experience with it or would something else be better? Currently I have 2 - 1 gal plastic that I am changing/filling daily (sometimes more!!) Any input here Appreciated!!!!

 

[Davaroo]

Nice, but they and their supply lines will freeze in winter unless you heat them.

Bear that in mind.

 

[AK-Bird-brain]

Down in Texas I doubt they'll have much of a freezing problem.

I would be more worried about hooking it to a garden hose that sits in the sun all day. the water coming out could be really hot.

We hang the water cans to keep them up of the ground, this helps keep dirt and debris out so we don't have to clean them out as often. We also have an automatic system hooked to a 5 gallon bucket that gravity feeds into small cups. The birds hit a lever with their beak and it fills. So far this system is working great. When Mrs. AKBB goes out to the coup she takes a gallon jug with here to add to the bucket so it never runs out and the cups are mounted at chest height and are small enough not to get dirt and crud in them.

 

[ZooMummzy]

We don't have this type of auto waterer - ours is the hanging kind - but to prevent the water from heating up in the hose, my husband covered it with white PVC pipe and we haven't had a problem. Granted, it's not ice cold, but it's not warm either and it sits in the west facing sun all afternoon and early evening.

I love my automatic waterer. I cannot believe I went without it for even a week!

 

[Davaroo]

And dont bank on no freezing temps in Texas. Oh sure, they dont get winter conditions like, say, in Alaska, but it can most assuredly freeze there. And freezing is freezing, no matter where you live.

A good point was also made about keeping that waterer, and indeed all of them, out of the dirt.
That looks like serviceable enough, but, you'll want to keep the birds from perching on it, which they will do to anything that is standing around.
You would need a grate of some sort over it, something so they could only insert ther heads to drink.

 

[AK-Bird-brain]

I know it occasionally freezes in Texas I was just messing with you David.

I would think that the freezes they do get thaw the same day so any frozen hoses are a short term problem.

Running the hose through a pipe now that's redneck ingenuity!

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
The problem is that with most of those auto waterers made of plasti,c the frozen water expands and cracks something. Then they either flood or stop working.
So you gotta be careful.

 

[stormhasit]

I know exactly what you mean about the plastic parts freezing!!! I went thru 2 washing machines cause plastic parts kept freezing & cracking!! (my washer was out in my shed) Hadn't event thought about that in this instance... thanx for the heads up!!!

I had no idea when I brought these guys home - this is all a learn as I go - boy am I learning!!!

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Ever heard the expression, "There's no such thing as a free puppy?"
It applies in spades to chickens.