Watering my birds

[TrystInn]

Chlorine is very harmful to your chickens, please make him stop immediately! Chlorine has been proven to cause arteriosclerosis in chickens, a very painful heart disease. Not to mention the eggs and meat are harmful to you and yours.

 

[BWKatz]

TrystInn
Today 12:21 amChlorine is very harmful to your chickens, please make him stop immediately! Chlorine has been proven to cause arteriosclerosis in chickens, a very painful heart disease. Not to mention the eggs and meat are harmful to you and yours.




per MSU http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/solutions.html

They have alot of other common treatments too.


SANITIZING SOLUTIONS

These solutions will reduce or eliminate slime and most disease organisms in water, drinkers, and water lines.

For Constant Use

1 teaspoon chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite) in 5 gallons of drinking water

This solution provides 11 ppm chlorine for sanitizing. The birds will drink the water and not be harmed by drinking it. They may need a short time to become accustomed to this solution. A more dilute solution with half the above level of bleach can be offered for a few days before using the 11 ppm solution. Clean the waterers thoroughly each day to get the best effect.

Weekly Sanitizing Rinse Solution

1 oz Chlorine Bleach in 6-8 gallons water

Rinse, soak, or expose equipment to this solution. Let stand at least one hour, then rinse with fresh water. This solution contains equivalent to 45 ppm chlorine. The procedure is most effective if conducted on a weekly basis. Remember, chlorine disinfectants are inactivated by organic matter. Clean all equipment well before using chlorine rinse solutions.

 

[Matt-B]

I bought some nipples from QC supply online, and they are on the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket.

They have been set up for about 4 days. First two, I took the other waterer away. My girls are not using them yet. I put the other water bucket back in yesterday, then last night held them down and forced their beaks into the nipple, with a few drops going down until each took a small drink. Then they ran away and didn't want anything to do with it.

How do you get your birds to use the nipples?

How high should the nipples be off the ground?

 

[briteday]

High enough that they have to reach up for it, about 18-20 inches off the ground for standard layers. You can put a cement block under the nipples for the little chicks or banties to reach if necessary.

I sat out in a lawn chair next to the bucket one evening with a stick in my hand. As the chickens came over to sit with me I would tap the nipples, they would see the drop of water hanging and go over to investigate. Next day I did not fill water bowls and they were fine.

That being said, if you are anywhere with high heat and humidity I would be putting out bowls of water until it cools down a bit. Your girls may not get enough time at the nipple waterers, some of the newbies may be fascinated with just pecking the nipples at first and hog the show, and you don't want dehydrated birds in hot weather.

 

[Ohhhdear]

I use one of those 2 gallon chicken waterers TSC sells, plus 4 of the quart sized waterers. I just bought the bases for the quart sized ones because I have lots of canning jars that fit the bases. New fresh hose water (not softened water) every day in all the containers.
I keep the big waterer under the deck in the shade where they rest all day, the quart jar waterers are set out around the yard.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I use those rubber fortex bowls you can get at tractor supply. They work great in the winter too. When the water freezes the ice just pops right out.

 

[farmboydj]

here is a link on how to make a water with a 5 gallon bucket a lot cheaper than buying the nipples hope that helps..... https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-waterer.htm