diy quail chick waterer, need marbles?

[nadrojsack]

Ive made this waterer, ive specifically made the bottom close to the bottle diameter wise, are baby quail going to drown even in this without a substrate in the trough?

(Lucazade sport bottle and innocent veg pot bottom)
Im thinking of doing a small feeder any genius ideas? Thanks

 

[nadrojsack]

Also, RO water or tap water? Basically chlorine, minerals etc or no chlorine.

 

[nadrojsack]

Ive found some synthetic stuffing, perhaps this will work.

 

[dc3085]

I wouldn't use that. Part of the purpose marbles in the water font is to keep the chicks from getting wet, the other reason is because they drown easy. I don't think that water font will really prevent either of those things.

Wet brooders=sick chicks plus a nasty mess to clean. In severe cases chicks can get hypothermia from getting wet in the brooder. If there is something on ground level in the brooder, they will walk on it. Also your chicks will be consuming that polyester or cotton or whatever that is. They will pick off little pieces and eat it.

The water itself doesn't matter. I raise all my chicks on city tap water with only a vitamin solution added to it.

 

[nadrojsack]

interesting... wish i hadnt thrown out them glass beads last week. and alternatives?

 

[nadrojsack]

How deep can the water be without risk? thankyou

 

[nadrojsack]

Ive revised the waterer after some consideration, with reports of day old quail being able to drink from nipples i have made this:

small drip catcher, larger shallow drip catcher i can remove and empty, weighted with 2p's

 

[GeneP]

You will find the water nipples will not allow air into the bottle. I found out the hard way the chicks will quickly run out of water. I use a 1/2 gallon milk bottle with two nipples glued to the bottom. I place the cap on the bottle loosely to keep dust out but allow air to get in. I place a saucer (with marbles) under the nipples to catch the extra water dribbles as the chicks drink. Most chicks will use the nipples within a few hours. The slow learners drink from the saucer.

During my first hatching/brooder experience, I used a drink cup cap, like you show with the coins. I watched in amazement as a day-old chick slipped and drowned in a 1/8 inch of water in the cap. I was not fast enough to rescue it and it died. The marbles help prevent accidents like that.

 

[nadrojsack]

So the key is to have an air hole in the container, no problem. So ideally we should have a grate system like a drip tray on a coffee machine... If i cant get beads ill make a little plastic cover with holes in to stop drowning. When (how many weeks) does the drowning risk pass? thankyou

 

[GeneP]

If you don't have marbles, use some small rocks or pebbles. My latest chicks are 2 weeks old and I just removed the marbles from the saucer. The real drowning threat is the first few days (a week) before they get feathers.