Watering system???

[dburge1]

i have seen around my area people are using PVC Pipe 3”-4”. It runs along side of coops and has nipples screwed in to it. Has anyone done this?
I am curious on how you would keep water from going stagnant and getting crud in the line (alagae, film). Want to water my birds but don’t Want to make them sick from bad water. Let me know if you have any answers to recommend or not please.

 

[Dr.GarryTTucker]

Well, that depends on how long the water has stayed in the pvc. Typically, depending on the time of year and if I am FF them, 15 birds go through 2 gallons in a day and half. You can add acv to water to suppress bacteria and algae from growing. But replenishing it will keep the bacteria from building.

As far as line the pipe with algae, having a clean out at one end is always a good idea. So you can wash it out. Running a brush through the pipe will clean most of the junk out. But no matter what you use algae and bacteria will grow it’s just how easy do you want it to be to clean out.

 

[coach723]

Also depends on your water supply. I tried a PVC system and gave up. Too hard to clean and I am on well water with high mineral content. Was constantly having leaking nipples which caused wet bedding and ground, and a mess. I don't use vinegar, especially in the summer, I don't want to put them off water in any way, mine will choose non-vinegar water over treated every time, no matter how little I put in. There are those that love the PVC systems, so it's a matter of what you consider to be too much work (ie; cleaning it), and what works for you.

 

[TheBeardie]

I have two pvc waterers, one is a big barrel, the other one is a automatic bucket that is tapped into some pvc under the house. I also have another bucket waterer that is not automatic.

The big barrel waterer. I need to go clean it out soon. It's not too algae-y
Since no sun can get in the big blue barrel. I change out the nipples every so often on all of the waterers. A hard squrt of water tends to get most gunk out.

This is the automatic bucket waterer. It has a toilet valve kit in it. It fills up when it gets too low.

This is where it connects under the house.

 

[blackdog043]

I like my 5 and 14 gallon waterers with horizontal nipples. Vertical nipples tend to drip on their own and I wouldn't want to clean out PVC. If you live in a cold winter climate, vertical nipples will freeze.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ock-tank-deicer-and-horizontal-nipples.74609/

The water in the tray is from the chickens using the nipples, they don't drip on their own. I use the tray inside the coop to keep the bedding dry. I don't use a tray in the run.