Chicken waterer nipples

[EddieWalker]

No offense, but screw that.

I use three 5-6 gallon buckets for water, add and/or change once a week or so.

I use one 5 gallon bucket with a 3" PVC elbow glued to it so that the chickens have to stick their head into it get food. No mess and no wasted and/or pooped on food. Fill it once a week or so as well. Here's some pics:

Here's the BYC thread on making them: Make your own - No waste - 5 gallon (25# feed) bucket feeder for about $3

Any water or feeder that is open will pooped on, scratched into or simply wasted unless it's contained. That's why I stopped using all those typical open ended waterers and feeders. No mess, holds a crap ton more water or feed and very little if any waste.

I have 10 hens and one rooster. He's a mean little bast*** but he protects his hens, so there's that.

I have over 80 chickens as of right now. We have feeders and waters in both coops, which are locked at night and open during the day. There is also a 3/4 acre pond for them. I like your bucket feeding idea, but think it's too limited, or you would need too many of them for more then a few birds. Our feeders hang from a wire attached to the roof of the coop to keep them from pooping on them. But most of the time we broadcast feed on the ground for them to eat. Over time, you get to know how much to throw out for them without being wasteful. The feeders are mostly used in the morning when they wake up before we can open the door to let them out. Then we feed, check the water, get eggs, or more baby chicks and do the same for the goats and horses. This all takes five minutes every morning.

 

[FTG-05]

Eddie,

Expand the idea to 15, 30 and/or 55 gallon barrels or any other large straight-sided container, plastic moving boxes, etc. etc. etc.

I now have 10 hens and one rooster. One bucket with one outlet is more than plenty. People also make them out of the 5, 6,and 7 gallon buckets with 2 or 3 outlets. Those large rectangle plastic containers that Rubbermaid makes work as well. Use your imagination. For most backyard chicken operators, open containers for food and water suck the max.

 

[aczlan]

What I have done with ours is to set up a trigger feeder. That has a piece of steel flat stock that is about 1 inch tall and 4 inches wide with a piece of all thread 6 inches long welded to it to make a T shape.
Then, I drill a three-quarter inch hole in the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket (or I've also done it with a 35 gallon drum).
Then I have a 4 inch circle of plastic bolted onto the bottom of the all thread where it sticks through the hole and when the chickens peck on it it makes the flat stock in the bucket move and drops feet out through the hole. Then they eat the feed, peck again and more food comes out.
We have seen a lot less wasted feed this way and also a lot less other birds in the chicken coop (starlings, grackles, barn swallows, etc).

Aaron Z

 

[jcummins]

What I have done with ours is to set up a trigger feeder. That has a piece of steel flat stock that is about 1 inch tall and 4 inches wide with a piece of all thread 6 inches long welded to it to make a T shape.
Then, I drill a three-quarter inch hole in the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket (or I've also done it with a 35 gallon drum).
Then I have a 4 inch circle of plastic bolted onto the bottom of the all thread where it sticks through the hole and when the chickens peck on it it makes the flat stock in the bucket move and drops feet out through the hole. Then they eat the feed, peck again and more food comes out.
We have seen a lot less wasted feed this way and also a lot less other birds in the chicken coop (starlings, grackles, barn swallows, etc).

Aaron Z

Need a picture of that!

 

[ning]

I have this coop next to an 8 acre pond. I've let the ducks out

I used to have ducks (Rouen - think mallards but heavier and domesticated), and they decided that coming in at night was for chickens and that they'd live by the pond. It became an evening ritual to herd them back in (about a hundred yards and they'd make end runs around us) and eventually one or another would find a good hiding spot and hunker down.

I miss duck eggs (great for baking - amazing cakes! - though I didn't like them fried), but they're much messier than chickens. I only kinda miss ducks - well I miss them, but I don't miss dealing with them.

 

[Sysop]

What I have done with ours is to set up a trigger feeder. That has a piece of steel flat stock that is about 1 inch tall and 4 inches wide with a piece of all thread 6 inches long welded to it to make a T shape.
Then, I drill a three-quarter inch hole in the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket (or I've also done it with a 35 gallon drum).
Then I have a 4 inch circle of plastic bolted onto the bottom of the all thread where it sticks through the hole and when the chickens peck on it it makes the flat stock in the bucket move and drops feet out through the hole. Then they eat the feed, peck again and more food comes out.
We have seen a lot less wasted feed this way and also a lot less other birds in the chicken coop (starlings, grackles, barn swallows, etc).

Aaron Z

Need a picture of that!

Same sorta setup I use. I got the idea from youtube.

 

[farmer2009]

It's where I'm headed, but I don't need more dogs. Right now, 5 ducks, 14 gunieas. All will free range.


Having said that I have this coop next to an 8 acre pond. I've let the ducks out the last couple of days thinking they would surge towards the water. They haven't. Little puzzled by that. But raised in a pen...didn't have this coop ready to use until just a few days ago. With out doubt...they need the pond to be their sanctuary. We've had deer killed right in the yard by coyote. SO...will they take to the pond over time?

Growing up we had whispering ducks raised the same way in a dry cage. They refused the water. Dad ended up building a fenced run out into the 3 acre lake. Then every night we'd go up and throw the ducks into the water and they'd swim back. Some could walk on water. Twice when we were home during the day. After about a month they took to the water.

I understand not wanting to go to the commercial system but if you want simplicity, ease of use and minimal waste. Then that's the way to go. Have 1 week old birds now drinking about 1200 gallons a day. No way to do anything but nipple drinkers.

 

[aczlan]

Need a picture of that!

Here is a similar one:

Mine is just a straight piece of flat stock instead of the shaped piece that they have and I have a disc held on with nuts on top and bottom rather than the plastic "stick" that they use.

Aaron Z

 

[General Lee]

Same sorta setup I use. I got the idea from youtube.

I just made one of these using a 2 gallon bucket. Haven't had much time to watch the chickens to see if they've figured it out. I've seen them playing with it but don't know if its constant. I may color the white PVC spacer red to draw their attention more to it. I do like the concept though

 

[aczlan]

I just made one of these using a 2 gallon bucket. Haven't had much time to watch the chickens to see if they've figured it out. I've seen them playing with it but don't know if its constant. I may color the white PVC spacer red to draw their attention more to it. I do like the concept though

The discs on mine are red, I had white tubes for a little bit but they didn't seem to be using it but they used it much more when I switched to red disks.

Aaron Z