Watering Blues (kinda sorta)

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

My little chickadees are a month old now and for about a week the watering situation in their brooder is a hot mess. I changed out the wood chips on Saturday and by that night a section of their brooder is all wet from the waterer and the dang apparatus is empty. I think more from the wood chips soaking up the water than the babies drinking it.

I got a skosh frustrated then got an idea to go back to the Rent A Coop waterer I had purchased with the special end piece. I saw a chick operate it properly and went on about my business because I read somewhere that if one gets it the others will watch and learn. Well, I noticed the water level was NOT moving so I went back to the waterer I got from TSC (round, place water in, turn upside down, set in place see below) style. They drink from it mighty fine, but it stays full of wood chips and feces (ughh see photo). I am constantly rinsing it out, washing it, and losing the electrolyte stuff therein (sigh).

I am thinking when they get out in coop I can hang it from something elevating it which is probably better all the way around. But for now and future broods, I am wondering if there is some fool-proof waterer for the babies where they won't drown (when newborn) and that won't get as nasty as they grow between birth and going out to their own coop. Geesh.

Guess I'll scoop out these wet chips and put 'em in the compost pile A G A I N!!!

 

[Tre3hugger]

My solution was to get a waterer I could hang in the brooder. I was having the same prblem. First I tried putting it up on a block of wood but that didnt work that well. Hanging it even an inch or two above the litter made a huge difference and I haven't looked back.

 

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

My solution was to get a waterer I could hang in the brooder. I was having the same prblem. First I tried putting it up on a block of wood but that didnt work that well. Hanging it even an inch or two above the litter made a huge difference and I haven't looked back.

Eggscellent. Wouldn't you know it, our brooder is one of those soft, waterproof, pet playpen types as suggested by Oak Abode on YT. But thanks, I can tell that would work. Perhaps going forward I can brood out in the coop.

 

[samanthaoverton]

I elevate my waterer because the little butt holes either poop or as you say bedding. Hubby cut me a heavy chunk of wood that was just big enough to fit under it..at one point I doubled a piece of tape and stuck it on the bottom of the waterer and stuck it to the piece of wood

 

[Tre3hugger]

Eggscellent. Wouldn't you know it, our brooder is one of those soft, waterproof, pet playpen types as suggested by Oak Abode on YT. But thanks, I can tell that would work. Perhaps going forward I can brood out in the coop.

Maybe you can build a wooden stand, that fits in the brooder to hand the waterer from? Or use a heat lamp hanger that stands on its own, and hang it from that. Good luck!

 

[Folly's place]

We add wood blocks or bricks under the waterer as the chicks grow, so it's out of the shavings. Having it on a platform helps.
And chickens do love to mess in their food and water! It's just who they are.
Mary

 

[RubelliteRose]

We elevated our waterer on a 12" square stepping stone. It helped to keep the water cleaner. Bonus was that the stone absorbed some of the water every time they knocked it over . Recommend 2 stones so one can dry while the other is being used. We also learned to skip the tiny chick waterers that are constantly dumped and use one like yours with a wider base

 

[3KillerBs]

Well, I noticed the water level was NOT moving

Did you make sure that there was a hole at the top above the waterline to break the vacuum?

Raising the waterer as the chicks grow helps keep it clean.

 

[Ozarkoak]

My solution is... elevate the waterer. Fill the waterer with water. Then about 20 minutes later clean out the waterer and fill it again. Then... Repeat that same process every 20 minutes for about 6-7 weeks.