This is the Auto Watering System we put in for our chickens and rabbits. A friend gave me the water barrel, he used it for his chickens, but the nipples he put in leaked, so he just quit using it. Anyway it's what we are using for our system. It will supply water to the chickens and rabbits both, I'm so excited to have fresh water for all of them, chicken waterer's are nasty...lol. Right now we fill it with a hose, which works really well, my husband is going to eventually tie it into the water system for our treeline, so that when it's running it will top off the barrel, I will add that project to this article when we get it done, probably next year...too many other things going on right now! The barrel sits in the shade all of the time, which helps to keep it cool and to keep algae out! A lot of the materials used for our water system were left over materials we had on hand from other projects and some of them were free!
I'm working on the parts list and a design plan and a how too on the plumbing! I will update that information as soon as I have it finished!
The water barrel sits inside of the free range pen! We attached the platform to the enclosed chicken pen!
Platform!
Detail pictures of how we attached the platform to the chicken pen! In the first picture you can see how we inserted the platform into the pen to give added strength & stability!
Platform in place! You can see the temporary 5g water system we put in for the rabbits in this picture! We tied those water lines into the new system!
We attached treated used round posts that we got for free from the orchard where my son works! We buried the bottom of the posts into the ground, for stability & strength! Free is always nice, when available...
Platform post attachment detail! We inserted the posts into the platform and secured them with screws!
As I shared above the barrel had water nipples in it, so we used two of the holes - One for the Rabbits and one for the chickens. That left two holes that needed to be plugged. Our son 3D printed the plugs for us! He's pretty talented!
First plug in! You can also see some of the plumbing in this picture!
Plumbing finished except for a shutoff valve we want to add to the tubing for the rabbits water nipples! The small tubing runs to the rabbit hutches and we used an old washing machine hose to connect to the chickens water bar! The second 3D plug top twisted off, so my son made a stronger one to replace it. We will put it in when it quits raining!
The valve on the bottom left is for completely draining the barrel if needed!
A view of the water bar hose attachment!
The Finished Chicken Water Bar! You can also see my doe Daphne drinking from one of the water nipples in her hutch!
The rabbit water lines!
Rabbit water nipples in place!
Just for fun and the reason for all of the work we've done! A couple of pictures of my flock in their new free range pen and a picture of our first litter of kits! We had just finished re-installing the DIY Chicken door my husband built many years ago! You can see it behind him, the cover is not on yet! It was in a different location and we had to move it when we added the new free range pen!
Kits...6 weeks old yesterday! Their mama Daphne in the back!
I'm working on the parts list and a design plan and a how too on the plumbing! I will update that information as soon as I have it finished!
The water barrel sits inside of the free range pen! We attached the platform to the enclosed chicken pen!
Platform!
Detail pictures of how we attached the platform to the chicken pen! In the first picture you can see how we inserted the platform into the pen to give added strength & stability!
Platform in place! You can see the temporary 5g water system we put in for the rabbits in this picture! We tied those water lines into the new system!
We attached treated used round posts that we got for free from the orchard where my son works! We buried the bottom of the posts into the ground, for stability & strength! Free is always nice, when available...
Platform post attachment detail! We inserted the posts into the platform and secured them with screws!
As I shared above the barrel had water nipples in it, so we used two of the holes - One for the Rabbits and one for the chickens. That left two holes that needed to be plugged. Our son 3D printed the plugs for us! He's pretty talented!
First plug in! You can also see some of the plumbing in this picture!
Plumbing finished except for a shutoff valve we want to add to the tubing for the rabbits water nipples! The small tubing runs to the rabbit hutches and we used an old washing machine hose to connect to the chickens water bar! The second 3D plug top twisted off, so my son made a stronger one to replace it. We will put it in when it quits raining!
The valve on the bottom left is for completely draining the barrel if needed!
A view of the water bar hose attachment!
The Finished Chicken Water Bar! You can also see my doe Daphne drinking from one of the water nipples in her hutch!
The rabbit water lines!
Rabbit water nipples in place!
Just for fun and the reason for all of the work we've done!
A couple of pictures of my flock in their new free range pen and a picture of our first litter of kits! We had just finished re-installing the DIY Chicken door my husband built many years ago! You can see it behind him, the cover is not on yet! It was in a different location and we had to move it when we added the new free range pen!
Kits...6 weeks old yesterday! Their mama Daphne in the back!
