XP: how to keep chicks water dish CLEAN?!

[Judy]

I keep them all chest high to the adults, on concrete blocks, and make steps up to them with scraps of block or bricks for any young ones. Not perfect, but much better.

 

[BarefootMom]

Put the waterer in a pan with raised edges. Or get a 1 gallon waterer that you can hang. At 1 month I could imagine that they are drinking a quart of water pretty fast anyway- unless you only have a couple chickens or have a few waterers.

 

[debid]

Quote:
I just put the chicks in with the water already set up. They'd been started on a traditional waterer by the breeder so I put a small dish of rocks and water in also to be sure nobody would go thirsty. And then I watched. The plastic housing for the nipples is red and they were drawn to the red thing with the shiny metal in the center. Curious chicks that they are, they pecked it. Drip shows, drink it. Peck? Drink. That's all there was to it. After I'd seen everyone use it, I took out the dish of rocks. The entire process took 30 minutes.

ETA: And yes, older chickens can learn. Some are more accepting than others but my experience was that once they'd discovered the nipples, they were no longer interested in the dish.

 

[ralleia]

Quote:
That's exactly what I do as well. It's also rather entertaining to watch the little peeps scaling your steps to the water!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I avoid that easily enough. I do not use shavings on my chicks.
I use nylon feed bags (Not the slick ones from Purina) and they can easily walk, there isn't anything other than spit in the water and food dishes, I haven't lost chicks on shavings like I used to and to clean them I just roll up the bags every day and lay down new, clean ones. Super simple and when you have about 400 chicks it makes daily cleaning so much better.

However, I understand others not having the option of woven nylon bags.

I now have a new brooder with a wire floor so that is a great help, too.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I elevate the water so it's at the height of the shortest chick's back. That usually keeps it pretty clean.

 

[colebarnhart]

Quote:
If you have a little drip of water dangling from the end, the chix will see it and go for it. They actually figure it out very quickly. In my coop/run I made the PVC type with the nipples, however, in my brooder I have the rabbit type waterers and highly recommed them for small spaces and for people who don't want to build there own. Click on the link below to see what I'm talking about.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/pet-ca...e-rig-house-trade-water-bottle-32-oz--2179554

Plus the poultry nipples will cost about $2 each and the PVC pipe and fittings can have big differences in price depending on where you buy them, and then of course you have to build it.

I wish feed/farm stores would market these to people for chickens instead of the stupid traditional waterers that we all buy and then realize how much of a pain they are to keep clean and then have to seek out other alternatives.

 

[debid]

Quote:
Buckets work great and there are no building skills required. I have a 5-gallon in the coop and used an ice cream tub in the brooder. I used chain to hang them so I can adjust the height as they grow and I put a block under one nipple for the smaller chicks since I have mixed ages with a 3-week spread. Easy-peasy!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

They do love a drip! I do not have this system but when I turn on the hose the chicks (3 wks to 6 wks) clamor around the faucet because it drips. I can put fresh cold water in a container right there but they fight over who gets to drink from the drippy old faucet!

 

[colebarnhart]

Quote:
Buckets work great and there are no building skills required. I have a 5-gallon in the coop and used an ice cream tub in the brooder. I used chain to hang them so I can adjust the height as they grow and I put a block under one nipple for the smaller chicks since I have mixed ages with a 3-week spread. Easy-peasy!

Yeah the buckets are definately easier than building the PVC type and cheaper also, however, depending on the coop/run and/or brooder size, design, and/or being able to hang a heavy 5 gallon bucket & chain from something sturdy enough to handle the weight of that much water, it just might not work for some people. I just think the rabbit water device can be purchased almost anywhere for about $4 and without having to buy the seperate nipples online and they can be adjusted to fit just about anywhere also. I mostly just recommend them for the brooder because they only hold a quart of water, which also may be enough for people that just have a few chickens, I don't know. But whatever works, they work for me in my brooder & I'm just throwing it out there as a clean water option without the need for nipples and buckets or PVC pipe for newbies looking for ideas.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/pet-ca...e-rig-house-trade-water-bottle-32-oz--2179554