What type of waterer do you use?

[feathermaid]

I use a 2 gallon water bucket with horizontal nipples

I use the 2-gallon size because that's more manageable for me... I can tote it around and rinse and fill it in my laundry room sink, and it fits right under the ramp to the coop. That size lasts my 4 chickens a couple weeks, but even then it's not empty, I just like to change it. The outside gets dirty real quick, but the inside stays clean and every so often I scrub the nipples with a stiff brush and sanitize both inside and out.

I think I've tried almost everything else... but the above system is always what I go back to and find to be the best, at least for me.


These up-side-down nipples might be what you were thinking of... they definitely have to be suspended, and although they seem to be the easiest for chickens to get water from, they drip A LOT. And I don't like wet bedding. Maybe mine were defective, but they just didn't work for me.


I've heard so many fantastic things about these cup drinkers, but my girls are apparently not very smart... they just won't push hard enough on the paddle to let the water out no matter how many times I show them. They just drink the water out of the cups and walk away. Even hours later the cup is still dry so I'm not sure if they were getting water when I wasn't looking, so I just keep using the horizontal nipples for now-- they do not leak.

Maybe if you could find those "float valves" that @HH.Wench mentioned, they sound pretty good.

I know there's tons of articles out there touting the marvelous benefits of ACV, but I think it's more of a fad than anything. I did use it when my girls were chicks, and it still may be beneficial occasionally, but it's not really necessary to offer all the time. My husband will drink ACV sometimes for his own health, but have you tasted it? I much prefer plain fresh water myself, so that's what I give my girls too.

Oh, and for the winter, I stuff a string of xmas lights inside the cinder block. It's just enough heat to keep the water from freezing.

 

[imnukensc]

This is what I use. Well, this is what the chickens use.

 

[feathermaid]

I use the clay water pots. They're like old clay bottles with a cup at the base on one side. There are six of those here. each one gets swilled out and fresh water put in once or twice a day.
They help keep the water cool in the summer and don't seem to freeze like open bowls or plastic waterer's.

Sounds interesting... would like to see a picture. Not sure if I've seen anything like this available around here.

 

[TomZilla43]

Like many on here I use a 5 gallon bucket with horizontal nipples. I keep a 50 watt aquarium heater in it this time of year and plug it up when the temps drop below freezing. It doesn't pull much in terms of power and has done a solid job of keeping the water liquid.(Although we haven't seen much in the way of cold weather here in TN yet)

 

[perchie.girl]

I use a black tub with a stock tank float valve... In the desert water volume and depth help keep it cool. They are easy to clean.... as well. The tub holds two gallons at a time. and YES it gets dirty...

easy to scrub in place and dump out and let fill... takes about a minute.

 

[Doc7]

Two of these 5 gal buckets with horizontal nipples.

Dump out and replace weekly.

Light bulb in a cinderblock below it on nights below 27F or so.

I will likely never be convinced there is a better way.

I do vertical nipples for first 6 days and chicks go to this bucket on day 7 after hatch.

 

[blackdog043]

Nipple waters on a PVC pipe that has water pumped through it from a 5 gallon bucket out side the coop. Takes up no space and it rarely freezes.

I think this would depend on where you are located. Since you don't have a general location in your profile, I would guess your in a warmer climate.

 

[robinwhiskers]

I've used nipple drinkers in the past, some I had issues with...in the summer I switched to an open pan type waterer and I definitely like it. It doesn't hold as much water and gets dirtier easy but I change it every day or two and I do scrub it once a week. Even in below freezing water I've noticed the water only froze once (and only halfway) unlike the nipple waterer where the water would freeze often.

 

[Criticalicious]

How quickly the metal degrades from the ACV may depend on the concentration of vinegar you're using, according to this article. From what I've read here and elsewhere, the benefit of ACV to chickens is the probiotics found in the ACV with mother and/or to raise the acidity to kill bacteria in dirty water. Based on that assumption, I don't use ACV at all. Rather my chickens get FF daily to provide them with healthy probiotics and their water is kept in a closed container with the nipples for drinking. But everyone's chicken keeping practices are slightly different. Do what works for you and yours!

 

[Shezadandy]

Cups all the way! I also keep shallow pans (almost always have a broody hen with chicks around somewhere) in their run - not so deep a chick will go in and not be able to get out. But my main waterers are the cups in the coop.

The setup lasts longer if you put a PVC pipe into your 5 gallon water bucket - and screw the cups into the PVC … NOT the side of the bucket. Splits in the bucket around the cups from accidental run ins (usually me catching one with my ankle) or the stress of lifting one that still has water in it will help cause stress cracks.

If you choose to go that route - (cups into a bucket) --- make sure you LEAVE AN EMPTY SIDE. Unless you're incredibly strong and can lift the entire thing in the air and tip it over without leaning it on one side. Now, if you leave a side empty, you can just take it a short distance and lay it over to drain. OR -- having a valve at the bottom of the bucket to empty the bucket without having to tip it is very handy.