l_ouise Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Hiya I don't know if ,my chickens are particularly dense, but the eglu water bowl is really poorly designed as far as my chickens are concerned. It hold a decent amount of water but it is inaccessible after an inch or so is gone and it's hard to clean out and keep debris out of it. It has to be up higher than i'd like due to the run design. I was letting my chickens free range so they found their most of their own water around the garden, but they are temporarily confined to their pen so i am relying on the water bowl. I tried using a dogs dish instead and it worked great, but i don't know if they are scratching the water out but it's gone in an hour. I was imagining some kind of raised trough, so they can perch on the side and get their head in and i can hose water in each morning. Anyone seen something suitable? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindafw Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 I have mine practically on the floor and have no problems...have even stood it on the ground and they didn't tip it...maybe I have well behaved hens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Also had no issues. Have it quite low down (not quite touching the ground) and the chooks all use it with no issues... I do also have a couple of dog bowls around the garden with water in for when they are out and about, but they often go back to their run for water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 If the hens are kicking things into the glug, try placing it higher in the run and putting a brick in front of it. That way the hens can drink and it should stop the mucky water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 If the hens are kicking things into the glug, try placing it higher in the run and putting a brick in front of it. That way the hens can drink and it should stop the mucky water. I do this, minus the brick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 There are umpteen alternative sorts of chicken drinkers available on line, of all shapes and sizes, galvanised and plastic. Try ebay if your hens don't get the hang of the glugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 I never got on with the glug for similar reasons. as egluntyne says there are loads of different types around which work better and are easier to clean. dog bowls and similar seem to get knocked over quite quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammy72 Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 How much should they drink - mine never empty more that the top couple of inches even on a warm day (I have two of them). Are they drinking enough? I change it for fresh water every 1-2 days rather than topping it up. They also never empty their grub container, now I am worried that they are not eating enough either!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 How much should they drink - mine never empty more that the top couple of inches even on a warm day (I have two of them). Are they drinking enough? I change it for fresh water every 1-2 days rather than topping it up. They also never empty their grub container, now I am worried that they are not eating enough either!!! My hens drink a lot less than everyone says they do too - but I still keep it topped up in case they do ever want to drink their 'average' amount one day... and they don't empty a grub either so I never fill it right up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammy72 Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Thanks squiffs, thought I was doing something majorly wrong already!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Thanks squiffs, thought I was doing something majorly wrong already!!! I have a standard sized mug in the feed bin, and I put one or two of those in the grub on top of what's left in there every morning depending on how much was eaten the day before, and I fill up the glug to the top, and tip the whole lot away onto my veggies after a few days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henchanted Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 My hens had problems using the superglug as the top was so high even when it was on the ground they only got a few sips and when the water level dropped they couldn't reach the rest. Omlet kindly refunded me after I returned it I find the glugs OK but as I have mine so low the water gets contaminated frequently as hens do kick muck in or climb/stand up on the glug edge when they get excited thinking I'm bringing them something ... I like the brick idea (thanks Christian) and will try this. As additional/alternative drinkers I use 35p plastic kitchen measuring jugs with hook handles that can be hooked low down through the run mesh so they stand but cant topple over and then filled. My hens get these as extra on hot days and they get emptied before they turn to the glugs. Eggcellent value! As for the feed, I usually only put in a days worth plus a bit extra (this is 125-150 gms per hen depending on the feed guidelines- I weighed this out into a cup to see what it looked like and used that cup each time to scoop feed into the grubs). When I take the grubs in, in the evening and refill them ready for the next day, I always tip anything left into the left hand side so I don't get a build up of stale feed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasperaliceuk Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 I've been thinking exactly the same thing about the Glug as my two are constantly stepping in it and after a day it is rank. I'm not sure what the reason is for having it at ground level. As suggested I've just raised it and put a brick by as a step but they are drinking perfectly happily from it at the higher level and eyeing the brick with great suspicion! Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Though I have heard probs elsewhere on here about the superglug, I've only ever used the old style round glug and it seems to work just fine, even for my smallish silkies and a very small frizzle (but perhaps she could do with a brick - good idea that ) I empty the glug every night onto my garden, then swill it out and put in fresh water in the morning. Perhaps if your chickens have access to plenty of greens or fruit, they may need less water than the prescribed amount which is probably a guidline for chickens who are only fed layers pellets which could be rather dry (like dry dog biscuits). For the grub, I take it in each evening and the next morning I tip the leftovers to one side and put a couple of cup fulls of fresh Omlet food into the now empty side. That way the old and the new don't get mixed up and the food is kept in rotation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 I've tried loads of drinkers for my chooks but for a small number of chooks these come out top, I especially like the long narrow 3l one, you can hang them or stand them on a platform made from a couple of bricks http://www.regencypoultry.com/drinkers/PlasticDrinkers/regency_drinker.htm For larger numbers of chooks I like the bucket drinkers shown here as they are easy to fill from the top http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/chickenhouses/Chicken_Drinkers.html If you ahve room then these are excellent for keeping feeders and drinkers clean http://www.regencypoultry.com/feeders/plasticfeeders/feederStand.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alet_chicken Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Hi, I've had similar problems with my Omlet drinkers: at the most convenient height for chickens they get really mucky really quickly. Have tried putting them higher with bricks, etc, in front of them, but they still got mucky (just not quite as quickly). Have come to the conclusion that the design flaw lies with my chickens I can also recommend the shallow-lipped drinkers that Redwing linked to. Just be aware that refilling most of them is a bit more involved than using a hosepipe through the bars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebear100 Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Hi I found the same. I now use a ceramic flower pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Hi I found the same. I now use a ceramic flower pot. surely that does exactly the same job as a glug? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebear100 Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 My silkies didn't get on with glug they find it much easier to drink from the pot and as i refresh the water every morning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 My silkies didn't get on with glug they find it much easier to drink from the pot and as i refresh the water every morning... ... I refresh the water every morning in the glug... what difference does refreshing the water in a flowerpot make? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutti Frutti Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 My glug is same as OP's, gets dirty quickly as it's near ground level so general flooring/dust gets in. So I also have... ...a superglug - high up so it doesn't get dirty and can be used from above and below (old nipple version with a handy perch nearby ) but not so popular ...gravity drinkers - the cheapo one cracked in the frost and now leaks and the Regency Poultry one (that Redwing linked to) is such excellent quality that I can't get the top off (dodgy wrists) so it only comes out on hot days when DH fills it ...plastic plant pots around the garden - popular but always being knocked over - but good for the plants nearby But the winners are... ...cheap cage cups (5 for a couple of quid) in the WIR by the Cube roof VERY popular with the flighty CLBs/WhiteStar/Columbine but small so need lots of them and refilling often (which is easy with watering can through the mesh) and they never get dirty ...the £3, 1 litre rabbit water bottle pros = doesn't get dirty and easily refilled as it's hung on the outside, cons = drips a little now (didn't when it was new!) AND popular so needs refilling twice a day or more on hot days... and not sure if it will survive a winter as the plastic seems cheap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasperaliceuk Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 I was going to ask if an upside down water bottle for bunnies etc would work as a drinker as ours like to peck off all the drops of water from the run wire when it rains. Perhaps I should now get one. Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kissinuk Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 I was going to ask if an upside down water bottle for bunnies etc would work as a drinker as ours like to peck off all the drops of water from the run wire when it rains. Perhaps I should now get one. Sue Ours are doing that right now! They get on fine with the standard glug though, not really sure why a chicken would refuse to use one, theyre only big bowls at the end of the day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
