There are two things I didn’t like, one is that little black cap. It’s much less likely to leak all the water out if it’s a tiny bit angled. It has a deeper water dish and I found it was much more forgiving of the uneven ground than the metal waterers I use now. It’s also nice because 5 gallons is a good amount of water, especially if it’s really hot out and you are worried about your flock running out of water if you’re away at work for the day. The main benefit is you don’t need to flip this waterer once it’s full, you take the little black cap and twist it on to cover the water spout at the bottom then uncrew the top and fill it up. It worked fine, did it’s job but after it died I didn’t replace it. The other plastic waterer I used was a plastic 5 gallon waterer with a removable top. Read more about the Challenges of Winter Chicken Keeping Screw Top Plastic Waterer I immediately threw out both of the (expensive) waterers and never looked back. Instead one of the bases on the heated waterer started melting and I was really lucky to avoid a fire. I was hopeful that using heated waterers would be the solution to all of my problems. Keeping water available in the winter is one of the hardest things about keeping any type of livestock. I no longer use either and I don’t recommend them.
Read more about Setting Up a Brooder for Baby Chicks Other Plastic WaterersĪlong with the classic 2 piece twist waterers I’ve used slightly large plastic wateres with a built in heated base and a large plastic waterer with a screw off top. I usually put my waterers up on 1×1 or 2x4s in the brooder to help keep bedding out but when you do that and the waterers get knocked off they’ll leak all over. Sometimes it takes a while to find just the right spot on the ground to keep the water from running out all over. One more issue, with both the plastic and metal gravity waterers, if they’re not on flat ground they’ll leak all over. I switch out the bases when I refill them and can wash them at a later time which is great when I’m trying to get everything done before I go to work. That actually works out pretty well because the bottoms get nasty when the chicks kick the bedding all over.
#Chicken water feeder cracked#
I have a stack of bases left over from cracked tops. Over time the plastic gets brittle, especially if you’re using them outside in the cold or direct sun. The best way I’ve found is to wedge the bottom between my feet, line up the notched on the base with the divots on the top and give it a quick, sharp twist. It can also tricky be to get the base on and off. It’s not that big of deal out in the barn (let’s face it, water is way nicer than most of the things on that floor!) but on the porch it makes the concrete floor a bit hazardous.Īnd it really sucks when it happens in the kitchen or all over your clothing. It is impossible to flip them without getting water all over. I never do it with chickens but it’s a good idea for guinea keets. Side note: You can add marbles or clean stones to the waterer base to help keep the chicks out. I only use them in the brooders or my broody pens because they’re the right size and the shallow channels keep the chicks from climbing in and drowning or getting chilled. To fill this style of waterer you flip it upside down, unscrew the red part, fill with water, screw the base on and flip it right side up. You can also buy plastic lids that screw onto mason jars that work the same way. Most two pice plastic waterers have a red base and an opaque white upper bucket but I’ve also seen them in white & green. I have a pile of them in slightly varying shapes.
Two piece gravity fed waterers are the standard choice for providing water to a backyard flock of chickens. It might seem like the geese and ducks are splashing just to make a huge mess but they actually need to be able to dunk their faces and clear their nostrils in the water. Things get messy (so, so, so messy) when you add waterfowl, keep that in mind when planning your dream flock. They all require water, especially in the summer when the temperatures are out of control. Right now I have chickens, turkeys, guineas, geese and ducks in my flock. There are two groups of barnyard birds, the waterfowl, ducks & geese (maybe swans if you’re a special kind of crazy) and the land fowl, aka chickens, turkeys & guineas. If you live in the desert this might not work for you. All of this advice is based on my personal experiences. Over the years I’ve tried different things for water so today I wanted to break down a few different styles of waterer, what they’re good for, and where they fall short.ĭisclaimer: I live in the North East and I swear it never stops raining so water isn’t hard to come by here. Hating a waterer might not seem like a big deal but when you have to deal with them 2+ times a day for the rest of your life it’s really worth it to find something that works for you.
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