Waterers

dlskidmore · #1 07/26/14, 08:09 AM

I got my first chickens this year, they're about two months old now. I started out with them inside the barn and one of those little 1 gallon plastic waterers. I then upgraded to the big galvanized one, but A) our land doesn't understand the term "level" and B) I can't see when it is nearly empty so they tend to run it dry on occasion.

Is there a waterer that I can put on a hillside and see the water level inside without breaking a vacuum? Bonus if it also works with a defroster, but I'll probably overwinter the birds indoors and can put the galvanized waterer on something flat for the winter. Nipple waterer perhaps?

Dixie Bee Acres · #2 07/26/14, 08:13 AM

Once out of the brooding box, my chickens drink from a pair of 3 gallon hog bowls. Basically a dish about 14-16 inches across and about 3 inches or so deep.

Forcast · #3 07/26/14, 09:08 AM

spend the time and energy to level a place for the waters, but now is the time to think winter prep, so I would be setting up a level place in the coop/barn so you can heat the waterers this past winter was a pain in the butt for frozen waterers.. I have the 8 gal galvanized water founts and love them, just ordered the heater bases so in winter the waters get moved back into the coops. Last year I used heat lamps to try and keep the waters unfrozen, but some -20 night I would up with 8 gals of frozen very heavy waters took hours in the bathtub to melt them. In warm weather I use oil pans under the founts to keep the birds from scratching crap into them. I also have oil pans set around outside in warm weather for extra water.

Bat Farm · #4 07/26/14, 11:16 PM

We use buckets that have been cut down and concrete mixing tubs for our poultry. It is too hot here to risk them not having water. It would make using a heater in the winter easier as well (guessing here, we don't have that problem

)

gweny · #5 07/27/14, 02:09 AM

I have a tractor coop and a sloped yard so I have fought the unleveled water dish problem. My final solution was to hang the waterer up. Now it is self-leveling and the chickens get splashed if they try to dump it, climb it, or take a dump in it. It helps keep the water clean as well.
I think if I find myself unsatisfied with my current solution that I will try a hanging nippled waterer next, but attaching a wire harness with a loop onto the one I already got was cheaper.

The waterer I've got is 1 gallon clearish- white plastic. I am able to see the water level fairly easily. I bought it locally, but I'll check for a brand name when I get home.

aart · #6 07/27/14, 05:00 AM

I have 10 chooks and use the plastic one gallon waterers, they only drink about a half gallon a day. I bought 2 of these waterers and take out one with fresh water every morning, bringing yesterdays in to rinse with a quick bottle brushing and hang to dry. One trip to the coop, gotta go out there anyway, and waterer and water is always clean and fresh. Luckily my coop floor is level and it sits on an overturned 5 gallon bucket to keep it clean. Carrying waterers with one finger keeps them from spilling.

Winter is another story, had a heater base (modified dog water bowl) last year that worked most the time, above about 10F. This year I'm gonna rig a bucket with bird bath heater, circulating thru a 1/2 PVC pipe with horizontal nipples. Using big jug with HN one now in small coop, easy to carry out a gallon of water to refill.

Doesn't really answer your question, sorry, but might give you some ideas.

JLMissouri · #7 07/27/14, 10:11 PM

I have tried tons of different waterers, and found most lacking. I use buckets with chicken water nipples on the bottom. The buckets are fitted with a float valve and have 1/4" hose running to the outside of the tractors. I then have 100' of 1/4" line that can run to the chicken tractors and the water is always clean and full. I water my cattle with 1/4" line as well and a portable water tank fitted with a float valve. The 1/4" line can fit on an electric fence post and stay out of the way. I use quick connect air line fittings for the 1/4" hose and also have splitter and valves that are all quick connect.

When I am moving tractors frequently I can quickly run the hose and connect it to the bucket and let it fill. When it is full the valve stops it and I can remove the hose and the bucket has several gallons of water reserves. I do this when the tractors are around the house and I don't want the lines running everywhere.

For my small cultivator tractors I have a PVC pipe running down the top which drops down and is capped at the end. One chicken nipple is on the cap and the PVC pipe holds a gallon of water.

dlskidmore · #8 07/28/14, 11:13 AM

Those that hang buckets, do you hang directly from the chicken tractor or have some assembly for that?

JLMissouri · #9 07/28/14, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlskidmore

Those that hang buckets, do you hang directly from the chicken tractor or have some assembly for that?

When I built my chicken tractor I inserted rebar into the 2" PVC frame and bent a loop hook on the end to hang the bucket from.

slingshot · #10 07/28/14, 04:33 PM

I made a nipple waterer...

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I use it for chickens and turkeys, it works fantastic. In the winter time I put a fish tank heater and pump in it and it does not freeze

I think I will be using a self filling version for my tractors this spring

SJSFarm · #11 07/29/14, 07:10 AM

Slingshot, how cold does it get where you are?
I need a solution for this coming winter.

Awnry Abe · #12 07/29/14, 07:18 AM

I use both 5 and 55 gallon buckets rigged with nipples. I use the kind shown in the sticky at the top of this forum. There is no great trick to hanging them. You could hang them from a tree limb. I have mine inside the coop suspended as shown in the sticky. If they are inside, you'll find a slanted top almost necessary because they roost and poop all aver the lids. For winter, I just drop a submersible heater in. Works great.

@slingshot, looks like someone wants one of those buckets for herself, filled with fruit juice, maybe.

slingshot · #13 07/29/14, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SJSFarm

Slingshot, how cold does it get where you are?
I need a solution for this coming winter.

Extremely.....

I'm in upstate New York so about as cold as it gets anywhere. I've tried different waterers that are heated, I have one of the plastic one that plugs in but it keeps the water too warm. Sounds ridiculous but true, the water evaporates off very fast. I think it holds 2 gallons and it's empty in 4 hours.

The heater hack seems to hold up pretty well, if it gets super cold like -20 I may bring it in for the night just for good measure.

My coop has a heat light that runs on a daylight timer so the light comes on at dark and turns off at dusk. I may try and inside the coop water system I just haven't worked it out yet.

slingshot · #14 07/29/14, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Awnry Abe

I use both 5 and 55 gallon buckets rigged with nipples. I use the kind shown in the sticky at the top of this forum. There is no great trick to hanging them. You could hang them from a tree limb. I have mine inside the coop suspended as shown in the sticky. If they are inside, you'll find a slanted top almost necessary because they roost and poop all aver the lids. For winter, I just drop a submersible heater in. Works great.

@slingshot, looks like someone wants one of those buckets for herself, filled with fruit juice, maybe.

Lol.....

She wasn't vey happy at that moment.

She is feeling mush better now
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