What do you place your waterer on?

[SD Bird Lady]

I just have the quart waterers and place them in old sour cream or cottage chees containers without lids they fit pretty good and you can just cut them to size.

 

[Chambersfam]

I have those plastic quart containers and I put them on a 2x6 piece of wood in the brooder. I also use those pellets for bedding on the food/water side of the brooder (seem less messy), and I use pine shavings on the sleeping side (seem cozier). My chicks are just a week old, but so far it's working well. I clean the water out once a day, but it stays pretty clean. The food still gets kicked out everywhere, don't know what to do about that. I'm sure they'll get messier as they get older, but so far so good!

 

[tammylynn4647]

Well I checked this morning and their bedding was dry, there were only a few pine chips in their water and best of all, no poop! (I ended up placing the Tupperware container on the floor of the brooder and putting the pine chips around it making it level). Thanks for the tips! So happy I am not changing out there bedding right now!

 

[tammylynn4647]

I just got my order in of the bottle top nipples....amazing! I was worried that the chicks wouldn't understand how to use it, but within minutes they were all climbing over each other to give it a try.....thank you so much for this idea- I think it will save me soooo much time!!

 

[Onyx9370]

Just for reference, when my chicks were in the brooder I sat my waterer on one of those plastic flats that stores get 20 ounce sodas in. I just turned it upside down and sat the waterer on it. It has holes so all the bedding and poop falls through, but the holes are small enought that the chicks can walk fine on it. Its a little high up for the newly hatched chicks, but my week olds had no problem jumping up to get a drink. I never used it with bantams though, they would probably have to be a little older.

 

[runneranne68]

Thanks....sounds like I am doing most of that. They still manage to fling pine shaving and poop into the water. I might get a hanging waterer to see if that does the trick. I find I am changing the water a few times a day because it gets contaminated. I only have 4 chicks but they really seem t make a mess.

 

[runneranne68]

I like that idea too. Thanks!

 

[captmark]

good info

 

[Gentry1350]

I am new to chickens. I just got my first chicks this last weekend. I ordered a bunch of these...
http://www.gundogsupply.com/-4449-2-.html.
My brooder is a plastic tote. I just drilled a couple of small holes in the side so that I could use the spring wire to attach it to the side. I took a Sharpie and colored the rim so the babies could see the opening better. They can use it just fine. They've gotten a little bit of food in it, but otherwise have kept it pretty clean. It doesn't leak, but some water will come out whenever I take it out to clean the brooder (still using paper towels). We'll see how we'll it works when I change to regular bedding.