The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Black Sheep on July 08, 2018, 11:01:49 am
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To improve our facilities for rearing I've just converted an IBC into a brooder, the theory being it should be easier to contain the mess and clean out. As our current youngsters are ducklings one problem was the amount of water they go through and their need to have a drinker deep enough to get their heads under. So after some pondering I decided that a gravity-fed auto-drinker would be handy but couldn't find one of the right sort of size.
Anyway, one plastic plant pot, an old lick bucket and a couple of items from Amazon later we have a functioning product.
Mini ball cock from https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00VLXR9H2/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00VLXR9H2/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
Pipe from https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0045K6JLA/ref=od_aui_detailpages01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0045K6JLA/ref=od_aui_detailpages01?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
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That's brilliant!
Though I reckon you could possibly do with a drain hole in the bottom of the ibc. I would expect in about a week they will have dabbled sufficient water out of their drinker to bring the water level in the ibc up to the level of the opening and will be attempting to swim to freedom! :thinking: [size=78%] [/size]
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Great idea! I love seeing ibc and pallets reused :-)
For chickens, they manag very well with nipple drinking bottles - but prob not ducks so much id guess.
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That's brilliant!
Though I reckon you could possibly do with a drain hole in the bottom of the ibc. I would expect in about a week they will have dabbled sufficient water out of their drinker to bring the water level in the ibc up to the level of the opening and will be attempting to swim to freedom! :thinking: [size=78%] [/size]
Thanks :-)
Luckily the IBC has an outflow with valve, which I have attached to a spout that pours into a bucket. So whatever they spill drains slowly out. Otherwise you'd be spot on, apart from me wondering if it would take them a week to manage it!