A better waterer??

[Carrie]

As I clear my head and prepare for yet another summer season with my chickens, I am reminded of my frustrations last summer and am determined to try to make life for all... a little better. The kids and I are very frustrated with our water situation.  I cannot use a hose auto waterer because the water that comes out of our hoses, no matter what the location, is almost hot enough to steep tea! I have been using the plastic waterers and they are always in need of cleaning. I will usually dump then out twice a day due to what has been flung into them by the chickens and to add ice to the waterer. The kids do their best to help, but these things are big and heavy. I have raised them and set them up so that they are in the shade and can't be pooped in.  Anyone out there with a better idea? Thanks :)

Carrie

[Carrie]

Thanks to everyone!  I had been wondering if the poultry nipples would actually work, especially with the amount of use they'd get in our heat :)  I think I will order some from Farmtek and get a few buckets :)  Thanks again!

Carrie

[LeAnn Holcomb]

Keep the water cool enough all week:  use a 40 gal igloo ice chest.  They have a drain spout at the bottom: attaach a 5/8 diameter clear plastic hose, like for a fish tank, but from home depot, by using a little metal clamp.  Attach the other end to your automatic waterer.  Put it up on blocks or a saw horse, with the waterer below in the shade.  The cooler will keep the water at no worse than skin temperature, for a whole week.  I fill it about 1/3 to 1/2 full so it's not too heavy to handle.  At the end of the week, I dump out the old, rinse it with a cap ful of bleach, and put in fresh.  You might want to put a chicken wire tent on the cooler to keep the chickens from roosting on it, too. Works great, I used this for a couple of years, it was very reliable. (I finally got in-line plumbing to the new chicken coop last year).

[Trevor Ray]

Buy yourself some poultry nipples.  They work GREAT.    I popped these under a  gallon bucket, and put that bucket up on some blocks so the chickens can peck up at it.

The water stays perfectly clean, the chickens get good clean water whenever they want it, and they caught on really quickly.  I have 9 chickens and only need to change the water out about once every week or two.

 

During the hot summer, I'd just throw a bunch of ice inside the bucket and it would keep the water cool enough through most of the day.

 

Hope that helps!

 

 

[kay wunderlich]

I have been wanting to do this also, Is there anywhere local to get the poultry nipples?

[kay wunderlich]

I have just ordered the poultry water nipples from Farmtek, never could find them locally. I ordered extra as shipping was the same. Anyone wanting nipples I will have some next week. They are the 360 degree nipples and ran $2 each. I will have 10 extra.

[Becky]

Did you get the plastic push-in, plastic screw-in or the stainless steel?

I'm interested in trying the plastic ones as my stainless steel nipples sometimes lose the top weight in the bucket and then leak.

 

[kay wunderlich]

plastic screw in.

[Leigh Barlow]

I bought some waterers here http://www.avianaquamiser.com/  My hens like them and I don't need to clean them out several times a day. You can purchase pre-made waterers or buy the parts to make your own.

[Bethany Lobocki]

You can run some pvc underground to your automatic waterer...then there isn't as much hose surface area to heat up the water.  I'd love to go into more detail here...but my awesome, wonderful, handy husband made it happen.  I just sat back and watched, iced tea in hand.  :)

[Carrie]

Thanks Bethany.  Our water actually comes out of the bib that hot.  I don't think they buried the plumbing deep enough around here :(