The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: stevethejones on May 19, 2021, 02:27:45 pm
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As the title asks, bonus points for pictures :D
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How many hens? Housed or free range?
For a few free range hens, we use the cheapest kind of drinker where you fill up the container, put the drinker part on top, invert it and place it on the ground and magically all the water doesn't fall out. To supplement this, we have ponds, goose buckets and paddling pools which are automatically supplemented by frequent rainfall and the hens love the interesting flavours to choose from. If all that fails, then a little man automatically goes round and refills the drinkers every day (Mr F :D )
If you are looking for a nipple type drinker system for a large enclosed chicken house I can't contribute.
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Depends why you want it to be "automatic". Hens kept a long way from the house?
Buckets for hens to drink out of. Barrel of water outside pen to refill buckets from. Hose from outside tap to refill barrel when it gets low. Scrubbing brush kept nearby to clean buckets regularly.
Works for me and I have this system in place for all my various poultry around the holding.
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We buy screw in nipple waterers which we then attach to a bucket with a lid. Cheap, easy and clean.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Chicken+Bucket+Waterer&FORM=IRIBIP
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We have these https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MQrcTJM5Cy0. They work really well. We have a lidded container on a shelf under the run roof and the drinker is attached to that. We have a hose pipe connected to the container on the outside of the run so all we need to do to fill it up is to turn the tap on!
It means we don't have to empty out mucky water to refill traditional drinkers with clean water, which is very helpful especially in the winter, means less mud and mess.