Help! Quails and water..

[Wolf-Kim]

My pen of A&M Giant Coturnix are running me raggad. These suckers empty both of their chick-waterers at LEAST once a day. Then when I refill the waterers they trample eachother and empty the waterers half way while I'm standing there!!

Their pen in an old rabbit hutch. So anything larger than a gallon waterer won't fit through the door. I'm hoping to rig a waterer to fit on the outside of the pen. Hopefully something that will last longer than half a day before running dry.

**What waterers you use for your quail cages?

I've heard of nipple waterers, I don't understand how they work, nevertheless how to make some.

I need help, these guys are only half grown and I'm having trouble keeping up with their demand for water.

**Also, what do you use for cage feeders for your quail?

I would like to get their cage setup, to where we aren't out there twice a day taking care of them. Sometimes I can't make it to the barn on particular days and Adam HATES having to go out there twice a day to go through the process of watering these guys.

I need to make these guys less time-consuming.

-Kim

 

[Mrs MIA]

Hi Kim...
We just set up cup waterers for our chickens, and the quail use it too. There's a 5 gallon bucket at the end of the hall, with PVC pipe leading to each pen with a cup waterer. You can use a larger bucket/container, too. 5 gallons should be enough if you fill it once a day... I hope?

I use the round chick-feeders for my quail - the one with 5 or 7 holes and holds about a quart of feed. I don't have nearly as many quail as you do, though. For the pairs, I found that the parakeet feeders work the best. They can't get in there and spoon out the food.

 

[SamG347]

I use a 1 gallon waterer for my breeder quail...they seem to empty it ever other day or so.

 

[ButtonQuailBoy]

i would hang a waterer up like a pale just high enough so they can't tip it but can drink from it.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Tori, do you have any pics of your cup waterers?

That sounds like something I need. We have 5 gallon buckets a plenty and could scrape up some PVC. We plan on culling down our current flock and inviting most of them to dinner, leaving just a few breeders. But for now we have to deal with the ones we have already. Not that I'm complaining..*drool*

Thanks Sam, we thought about buying gallon waterers, but then we realized that they wouldn't fit into the quail pen.. D'oh.. LOL.. The first design flaw we've found with out pen. But for $20, it doesn't matter.

ButtonQuailBoy(LOL. Almost just called ya Button

), our current waterers don't have a way for you to hang them. Our quail don't knock the waterers over, they just drink more water than expected. Thirsty lil' buggers.


Thanks everyone, keep the ideas coming. If I can get this pen rigged up right, there will be plenty of future generations of quail here. LOL Once, the pen is a little less-maintenance.

-Kim

 

[Mrs MIA]

Here are the cup waterers ... Cutler's Supply had the best price. I bought two boxes (10 total) but only used 8. Hubby rigged the pvc pipe, then soft clear tube attached with a ring-clamp goes up to a 5 gallon bucket that is about 4.5ft off of the floor. I fill the bucket once a day, as needed, and it feeds into 8 pens. I've seen other people's photos of quail hutches with the pvc pipes and waterers (either nipple or cups) running along the back of the hutch.

Hope that helps! It's been a blessing for me!

 

[chickenzoo]

I often use large water bottles for rabbits etc...for my cordix, they love it and it keeps them from making to much mess.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

That sounds like what I need! Thanks a bunch Tori. When it says "The water only flows when the bird's beak is in the cup.." What does that mean? Is there not water readily in the cup?

It looks just like a small cup with a float valve in it, but I could be wrong. A float valve always has water in it and refills once the water is below a certain level. The whole "water only flows when bird's beak" thing kinda threw me off.

-Kim

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Also, Tori, when you get the chance, will you take pics of your hubby's handywork of how he rigs it to the bucket?

I was trying to convince Adam to do something similar to this. But I was aiming for the "vacumn" waterer idea. He was quite skeptical about drilling and adding PVC to a 5-gallon bucket. I think he just didn't want to do the work. LOL

-Kim

 

[Ace_king_brahma]

I use 1 gallon waterers and some "milk jug" waterers.