Water for pasture pens

[bja105]

We're preparing significantly increase our production next year, from 25 birds to 3-400. Most of the daily care will be by my wife and kids, who will be living at our farm full time once school gets out. I'm planning and building prototypes now.

How are you watering your pasture penned chickens? We used the plastic ones with the red base, which are too small and spill too easily. Then I bought a bigger galvanized one, which still has to be perfectly level.

I bought samples of two types of chicken watering nipples and I'm building something attached to a bucket..

I'll try to post some pics of my prototype, but I want to see yours. I want something that will work on uneven ground, and can be handled by my short wife.

 

[the simple life]

I don't have hundreds but the waterers I use are easy to fill, if you have a few of them you can just bring the hose out to where you water the chickens and unscrew the tops on these types of waterers and fill them.
You do not have to flip them over and if you get the larger ones you can avoid having to carry them when they are full by bringing the hose out like I mentioned.
My local feed store sells these and its what I use, the one in the link is 5 gallons but the feed store sells them in 7 gallon as well.
You can order these anywhere online or check your local supply stores.

http://www.farmandhomesupply.com/products.php?product=5-Gallon-Plastic-Chicken-Waterer

 

[Tad]

I like the galvanized waterers, easy to fill, as far as leveling, I set them on some buried cinder blocks to keep them up a little bit, they dont get the mulch scratched up in them this way, easy to clean.................I dont like the screw top lid kind because the o rings always seem to have issues with them, and sometimes its a pain to unscrew them, and the little cap for the stopper...anyway just my opinion.

 

[the simple life]

I had alot of problems with galvanized myself and I got rid of them.
I just don't have a problem with the plastic, it goes to show everyone's experience is different and you will have to experiment with different types, as long as your wife can handle them since she is doing the watering thats the important thing.

 

[EGGTASKTIC]

I have tried the different types of waters, the big issue is filling them and moving them around. The nipple waters that I have tried dip and seem to waste water.

Next will be one of these two options attached to a five gallon bucket on top of a moveable tractor. Should be easy to fill and will not have to move stuff around to much. Everything will stay with the tractor as it moves from place to place.

http://www.randallburkey.com/Bell-Style-Waterer/productinfo/13083M/


http://www.randallburkey.com/1-1_2-Quart-Fountain-Waterer/productinfo/2550/

I would like to find somthing a little cheaper but one per tractor should not be to hard on the budget.

Hope this helps.

 

[bja105]

What configuration is the incoming water to the bell style waterer? The description does not say.

 

[Tala]

My chickens (who used to drink from a rabbit bottle) now seem unable to figure out the nipple waterer system.
I put them in the coop with it and locked the door. I figured they would get bored and figure it out by way of curiosity.
3-4 hours later I let them out and they all run to the dog water bucket.

Screw all that complicated stuff, I'm just gonna grab a couple more Fortiflex buckets when I'm at TSC next.
I apparently ruined the ones I have by drilling holes for the nipples - guess I can carry tools in them instead of water.

 

[EGGTASKTIC]

bell drinkers use 1/4 inch from what i have found

 

[pdpatch]

We use empty Ice cream buckets. They get changed daily. They have a handle, hold 1 gallon or so of water. We place them in the shade. Oh and there very cheap, and cleaning them out is fun.

 

[UncleHoot]

I have one with the screw-on top. My wife likes it as well, since she can fill it in the pen, using a hose. Mine holds 5+ gallons. On summer days, with 75 chickens in the pen, they can easily go through 5 gallons. I simply made it a habit to fill the waterers in the morning and evenings. Or, I suppose you could just use 2 per pen.

My other waterer is a 3.5 gallon flip-over type. With 65 chickens in that pen, it was sometimes empty by noon. It's just too small.