Whats the best watering divice out there?

[dnenella]

So i'll have close to 50 Chickens from Bannies and Standards to Giants well I have been using 50 gallon buckets that i cut in half and sand down smooth. Well I went out of town and Dad did not clean the watering buckets just dumped and re- filled them. I keep getting this green stuff (I think Algee) in there to the point that sand paper wont remove. I tried the metal cover water that you hang up and they refuse to drink out of it. I have chick watering things in there but is there anything else out there that I don't have to refill a couple times a day I don't think they will do the nipple things either. Should I just remake the old ones and if so how do I keep the algee out.

Thanks
NELLA

 

[Xanthro]

They'll do the nipple thing. It might take them all of two hours to learn how.

 

[Wolfwoman]

Nipple waterers in the bottom of 5 gallons buckets and ACV for algae.

 

[muddstopper]

Clorox will clean the algae from your waterers. Just pour some in it and let it set for a couple of hr's and then rinse. Just dont let the birds drink the clorox/water mix.

I have been considering using some 4in pvc pipe and drilling holes for my birds to stick their heads in to drink. I would cap the ends and use a float valve to regulate the water level and just hook a garden hose to the float valve. If You dont have running water close to the pen, you could use a plastic barrel filled with water and a small hose to gravity feed water to the float valve in the pvc pipe.

Right now I am using the 5gal plastic waters in each pen, but my pens only hold around 6 birds each. I bought a large rubbermaid tub with lid that I keep full of a clorox water mix. I soak my waters in the rubbermaid tub at least once a week to clean. Since I have extra waters for each pen, its simply a matter of swapping the dirty one for a clean one.

 

[Wolfwoman]

If you put a teaspoon of AVC in 5 gallons you don't GET algae, and then you don't have to clean it

ETA: You don't have to clean it as OFTEN.

 

[dnenella]

ok thank you i will try everything on here and see what works the best

 

[Sandrachx]

what is AVC?

 

[Opa]

I think they meant ACV or apple cider vinegar

 

[newchicksnducks]

Yeah, ACV is apple cider vinegar. They recommend the natural or organic vinegar with "mother" in it - the sediment that lays in the bottom of the bottle. You can usually find this in your usual grocery store.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I like my Fortex rubber bowls from tractor supply. Work great in the winter also, when they water freezes. Just put the bowl upside down and stomp it with your foot and the ice pops right out.