If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed
Do you know that chicken feeders and drinkers (you might call them waterers) cost roughly $40 at the feed stores?
SHAMELESS.HI.WAY.ROBBERY!
When we first got chickens I just bought the spendy drinker and the spendy feeder, not realizing there was another way. I know, you had a higher opinion of me than that, but I’m tellin’ ya, sometimes the old brain just don’t engage like she used to, comprende?
So, ever since it dawned on me that chickens are messy and they don’t really care what kind of apparatus they eat and drink from, I have been in search of a good design.
I don’t remember where I saw the idea , but we made a drinker out of an old cake pan and a big can, like the one you buy peaches in at Sam’sClub. We made two of those and they work ok, but if there’s a chicken-ruckus (or a kid ruckus) and it gets bumped pretty good then it’s empty and the chickens are thirsty. What I’m saying is, it works fine, but we have to check on it from time to time. Plus it only holds about 3/4 of a gallon of water.
Today, since we have so many chickens now and they are growing so fast, I decided it’s about time I get serious about making some drinkers and feeders. I loaned all my chicken books to KimC so she could study up about the hatching project, so I did what I had to do to get my info, I googled it.
Found the coolest set up! Very clever, I’m loving it! So much so that I sent the link to John at work so he can stop at Lowes to buy the 3″ pvc and whatever other bits and bobs we need to get this project done. Once we make one set and see if it will fit into the chicken tractor and any other pesky details, then I think we may go on and make, lemme see, 2 or 3 more sets.
I want the laying flock to have 3 sets. One in the coop. One in the playground yard. One in the front yard near the aviary.
Chickens are funny. One might get it in their mind to dominate the food and water supply and not let anyone else near. This can be a real issue in hot weather. I want my biddies to be well hydrated and have full tummies so they’re inclined to lay lots of eggs.
What about you? Do you keep chickens? Do you know of a great design for feeders and drinkers?
No related posts.
Yes! I finally have a good trough-style feeder for my broilers. I blogged about it here.
We too have done the annoying homemade fall-apart waterers, AND the expensive galvanized ones. Last year we bought some chicken nipples (be careful googling that!) and made a ‘bottomless’ waterer, which seemed to work well. You can see what I mean, and find links here.