Chicken math isn't supposed to work this way!!!!!
- Thread starter Smart Red
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #92
Smart Red
Garden Master
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2012
- Messages
- 11,303
- Reaction score
- 7,405
- Points
- 417
- Location
- South-est, central-est Wisconsin
Lost another chick. I'm not used to losing chicks.
I put a bucket of water for Thing One to drink from his protective cage. Only the babies can get in and out easily so he is safe. Not so one of the chicks who choose to try drinking from the bucket rather than the safety of the chicken waterers.
RIP
Now to figure out some new way for the injured Roo to get his water.
I put a bucket of water for Thing One to drink from his protective cage. Only the babies can get in and out easily so he is safe. Not so one of the chicks who choose to try drinking from the bucket rather than the safety of the chicken waterers.
RIP
Now to figure out some new way for the injured Roo to get his water.
Beekissed
Garden Master
You need a cup or nipple bucket waterer....upon discovering those, the world of keeping chicks changed drastically for me. Clean water, plenty of it, dispensed only as they peck for it and safe for all ages.
You can order the nipples or cups right off Amazon at a cheap price and place them in any bucket, bottle, etc. you see fit and it takes all of a few minutes to do so.
I've had more success with older chickens by using the nipple cup waterers but have outfitted buckets with both vertical and cup nipples for broody and babies and that worked wonderful too.
This pic shows such a bucket....the chicks are drinking from vertical nipples underneath the bucket and the adults use the cup on the side.
You can order the nipples or cups right off Amazon at a cheap price and place them in any bucket, bottle, etc. you see fit and it takes all of a few minutes to do so.
I've had more success with older chickens by using the nipple cup waterers but have outfitted buckets with both vertical and cup nipples for broody and babies and that worked wonderful too.
This pic shows such a bucket....the chicks are drinking from vertical nipples underneath the bucket and the adults use the cup on the side.
pjn
Garden Addicted
Tractor Supply is now carrying the vertical nipples here.
PennyJo
Deeply Rooted
I will look into the nipples thanks need to get crumble and dog food tomorrow
but one of my new easter egger pullets gave me a nice surprise at 19 weeks old
The other egg is from one of my barred hens
but one of my new easter egger pullets gave me a nice surprise at 19 weeks old
The other egg is from one of my barred hens
Ridgerunner
Garden Master
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2009
- Messages
- 8,233
- Reaction score
- 10,074
- Points
- 397
- Location
- Southeast Louisiana Zone 9A
I use dog bowls (white in summer, black rubber in winter for solar heating and cooling considerations) and put rocks in them to keep chicks from drowning. It's worked for me.
Beekissed
Garden Master
That's sort of what I use for the communal watering of the flock and dogs....a large, black rubber horse/cow feed pan. It's shallow and wide and inset into an old tire to keep the water up from the ground and any kicked up debris and to keep it cool. Never had a chick drown in it yet....I think by the time they are big and strong enough to mount up on that tire, they are strong enough to get out of the basin of water if need be. I don't put any rocks in it, though. Only time I've ever had a drowned chick was when I was using water buckets for the dog once and those were meat chicks, which are a bit more...uh...prone to clumsiness than regular chicks. 
I only use the nipple buckets if I have little ones in a brooder with Mama in the first week, in a brooder setting for those without mamas, or a large group that are without a mama that are hanging close to the coop....my communal water is 40 yds from the coop and they don't get that far from the coop until their 3rd week when they don't have a mama. Until then I give them a nipple bucket.
This pic shows the communal waterer alongside Mamas with chicks in the dog lounging area, but nary a one lost to the water.
I only use the nipple buckets if I have little ones in a brooder with Mama in the first week, in a brooder setting for those without mamas, or a large group that are without a mama that are hanging close to the coop....my communal water is 40 yds from the coop and they don't get that far from the coop until their 3rd week when they don't have a mama. Until then I give them a nipple bucket.
This pic shows the communal waterer alongside Mamas with chicks in the dog lounging area, but nary a one lost to the water.
PennyJo
Deeply Rooted
I use part of the water tank from an rv I have each end of one. dismantled a
plastic set of drawer for two more.. but really like BeeKissed idea with the tire
and either way the darn things like pooping in their water then drinking from it
plastic set of drawer for two more.. but really like BeeKissed idea with the tire
and either way the darn things like pooping in their water then drinking from it
Ridgerunner
Garden Master
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2009
- Messages
- 8,233
- Reaction score
- 10,074
- Points
- 397
- Location
- Southeast Louisiana Zone 9A
I guess since Bee showed me hers I need to show her mine.
I like that tire idea too. I have a strong feeling that tire is repurposed, something that was just laying around.
I've used a lot of different things to water in over the years. This is something I now use in the winter so I can just bust the ice out. In the sun it stays thawed pretty well. This one is in my grow-out coop with older chickens. No worries about drowning or them turning it over. In the summer in the sun or partial shade I use a white bowl. If I have baby chicks I just toss in a few rocks. Rocks are easy to find here. Are the rocks necessary? I've never had one drown and it's easy so I'll keep doing it.
I do the same thing to water dogs, a black bowl in winter and white in summer.
Yeah, chickens poop in them. I totally empty them at least every other day, often once a day, depending ion how dirty they get. Clean water is important. By emptying them every two days you keep mosquitoes from breeding in the water too.
I like that tire idea too. I have a strong feeling that tire is repurposed, something that was just laying around.
I've used a lot of different things to water in over the years. This is something I now use in the winter so I can just bust the ice out. In the sun it stays thawed pretty well. This one is in my grow-out coop with older chickens. No worries about drowning or them turning it over. In the summer in the sun or partial shade I use a white bowl. If I have baby chicks I just toss in a few rocks. Rocks are easy to find here. Are the rocks necessary? I've never had one drown and it's easy so I'll keep doing it.
I do the same thing to water dogs, a black bowl in winter and white in summer.
Yeah, chickens poop in them. I totally empty them at least every other day, often once a day, depending ion how dirty they get. Clean water is important. By emptying them every two days you keep mosquitoes from breeding in the water too.
Beekissed
Garden Master
That's usually the way it goes! 
I love the black rubber pans and used to use them in the winter too as they are so easy to knock the ice out of, but since I now carry that water quite a far piece via bucket, I have moved into heated bucket and bowl for animals in winter months so I don't have to carry water every day.
I occasionally get a bird that poops in the water and the dog's slobber can sure make the water have an ick factor after a couple of days, so mine gets swished and refreshed every couple of days too. I keep a toilet bowl brush hanging nearby to use for the swish part as this rubber doesn't swish as smoothly as plastic does. Does that make any sense?
It sounded right in my head but now that I see it in print..... 
