NEWBIE IN NEED OF HELP CHOOSING A WATERER AND FEEDER

[FuzzyChicken]

Hello all.

I am currently constructing my coop. I've been researching waterer's and feeder's. My coop is approx. 4 x 6. I have some space between the studs and I'm leaning towards wall-mounted units to conserve floor space. These units seem to fit the bill.






I like that they would have a small impression within the coop and they look like they would be easy to maintain and are durable. I will have a small flock of 4-5 hens.

Your thoughts and comments please - good or bad.

Thanks. FuzzyChicken.

 

[realsis]

I use metal feeders and fountain. They last longer than the plastic. You can also hang them if you like. I have got mine online. They are very nice. They are called profssional farm grade hanging poultry feeder and the fount is called profesional farm grade double wall fount.they hold 12 pounds of food and 2gallons of water.they are around 30 dollars each but will last a really long time.id go with the metal if you want it to last. That's just my opinion. I wish you the best of luck and have fun with your chickens! I love mine so much i could just watch them all day! I'll try and attach a picture of the feeder.

 

[realsis]

Here is the waterer

 

[realsis]

One more thing, you probably want a bigger feeder than that plastic one to cut down on problems with the chickens. Something that more than one can eat out of at a time. They can get the pecking order going at feeding and the smaller feeder can cause more issues. Just a thought.

 

[mrcman]

Hi Fuzzy,

Have you considered 4" PVC tube with a water nipple in the bottom for conserving space?
Also the 4" PVC with a double 90 deg elbow for the feed?
Just a thought.

Good luck with your chicks, they are quite the good time.

 

[FuzzyChicken]

Hi realsis.

thanks for your replies and photo's. I've looked at the galvanized feeder/waterer's, and I'm still not convinced that they are the best choice for me. I've read some reviews on the one's you posted. Do you have problems with the waterer leaking or not providing adequate water? How large is your coop?

Fuzzy Chicken

 

[FuzzyChicken]

mrcman,

thanks for your reply. I may go this route. I've got some lengths of pvc a friend gave me left over from his house construction. I'll post pic's if I decide to construct a couple. Thanks for the chicken well wishes. I should have my small flock in May and I'm looking forward to them.

Fuzzy Chicken

 

[Egghead_Jr]

My feed and water is hung under the coop. Coop on stilts to provide shade and rain shelter. If your birds only use the coop to roost and lay eggs then they don't need water and feed inside. We use the metal feeder and water but change to the heated plastic water dispenser in winter. The plastic products break down in sunlight but we only use it in winter so it lasts a long time. Hopefully it last longer than the last, we used that year round and was in direct summer sunlight. Broke down and was brittle in year.

 

[thasista]

We have the galvanized feeders but space isn't a problem. We are thinking about putting a watering system in the chicken palace using those little cups instead of the nipples due to leakage.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would suggest that you get a couple of types to try. Many people use apple cider vinegar (unpasteurized with mother) in their water--1 tablespoonful per gallon. This is good for all ages and may help to prevent coccidiosis as well as keep your chickens healthier. You can't use it in metal waterers though because it rusts them. I like to have at least 2 locations for water and food because of pecking order problems. They really do need water outside when they are out in good weather. In your climate in winter you will need to purchase a heated dog waterer or a way to heat a metal waterer in winter because the water freezes solid. I love the dog waterers myself and you can use them year round and put ACV in them. Just don't use them with young chicks because they can fall in and drown--wait till they have outgrown the Qt. size baby waterer.