Smart Feeder - Light sensor values

[Mrs_B]

I am at my wits end with the water drinker and feeder.

 

I end up changing the water 3 times a day. In fact this is my second water drinker and have had the chickens just over a week. At first I had one which sat on the ground (along with a feeder) and they always got knocked over. So I changed them to ones which hang up. The feeder is OK (although layers mash always gets jammed coming through the holes, anyone else find this?) but the water always gets wood chip in it, and by the time the girls have dug into the wood chip, it is covered (where ever it is in the coop & run!) Has anyone got any tips for a good water drinker? I use ACV in the water so ideally not galvanised?

 

I currently have two plastic 2 ltr drinker and feeders which hang up, and two 1 ltr drinker/feeder which sits on the floor (I have been using these when changing the others so they always have food/drink). My run/coop is sat on sleepers and inside has a few inches of wood chip.

 

Thank you! x

[sjp]

I use a 6ltr fill from top drinker in 3 of my runs 2 I hang up so that the drinking dish part is just about shoulder hight fot the birds the other one is on a couple of concrete blocks that one gets a bit os bedding in it as the mob in that run have decided that that area is now the dust bath I also use a 1.5 ltr drinker in the broody run thats on bricks but that gets bedding kicked into it most days

[jackian]

I have 2 heavy china dog bowls and they are pretty good, I have tried most things and failed .I would not worry about a bit of bedding etc., My 3 girls prefer the water in a tub in the garden as it is rain water with bugs in and rubbish as well

The food is in Omlet grubs on a stand as I don't have an eglu .They are very good and easy to clean .

[Purplemaniacs]

In the eglu run I use the grub and glug and in the WIR I use them on the omlet stand. Works well for me.

 

The little drinker I used for my chicks drove me mad I hated filling the thing up, I was so glad when they were big enough to use the glug.

 

Chrissie

[Mrs_B]

Thank you so much everyone for your replies and sharing your experience.

 

I have just looked at the Omlet Grub & Glug set with the stand and think that would make my (and the chickens') life much easier! I like that the height can be adjusted AND it can be put in the dishwasher

 

x

[SueChick]

I have the super glug from omlet and the grub and they work really well - mind you it does still get a bit messy from bedding but the girls don't seem to mind!

[shemybelle]

Every morning I strain my back to put the clean glug with fresh water in the run, and every day my hens drink the rain water that is dripping from the run bars!

 

Lx

[merlina]

I have been thro *so* many feeders and drinkers in my 1st year looking after hens.

 

The biggest problem was the water - they just managed to make it horribly dirty straightaway (i tried various permutations of the usual plastic gravity fed containers etc)

 

Then I tried this:

http://www.regencypoultry.com/drinkers/MetalDrinkers/bucket_poultry_drinker.htm

 

It's fab! Highly recommended. The chooks don't seem to manage to get dirt in it in the same way and it lasts well (so it's great if I'm not going to be around for a day or two)

 

Only trouble is the hens don't like it much. They'll use it, but only if other water sources are exhausted.

 

I've also just started using a typical rabbit water bottle type container (after seeing the suggesting in another thread on here)

I bought this one in the 600 ml size:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Classic-Water-Feed-Bottle-Rabbit-Hamster-Guinea-Mouse-/160552950292?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Small_Animals&var=&hash=item2561b39a14#ht_3352wt_906

 

The girls took a few days before they tried it but they are using it now - altho again it's not their first choice

 

They seem to like the original red/white plastic dispenser best, followed by little open dishes clipped to the side of the cage.

 

So I alternate between the various methods and use them all if I'm away

[Purplemaniacs]

Every morning I strain my back to put the clean glug with fresh water in the run, and every day my hens drink the rain water that is dripping from the run bars!

 

Lx

I fill or top mine up in situ.

 

Chrissie

[Redwing]

After much trial and error I have settled on the 3litre version of this:

 

http://www.regencypoultry.com/drinkers/PlasticDrinkers/regency_drinker.htm

 

They are bottom heavy so when they are hung from the run roof they dont swing as much as other drinkers and so less is spilled. I hang them at chicken neck height so stuff doesnt get flicked in to them

 

These are available from other places but the regency ones click together better than most others

 

These are far and away my fave drinkers

[Lavenders_Blue]

I use galvanised drinkers (not what you are after I know) but the key is to keep the drinkers up off the ground. I don't know what your set up is like but at the moment my two drinkers are standing in the middle of a pallett. The pallett is large enough to prevent 99% of stuff being kicked into the drinker from the girls' enthusiastic digging expeditions In the past I have also placed drinkers on circles of sawn off tree trunks. You could raise any any drinkers in this way.

 

I also feed mash and I use one of these plastic feeders with the rain hat. I don't find the mash clogs up unless it gets damp in the feeder. With the rain hat on, it has to be more or less monsoon conditions for the mash to get damp enough to clog up.

[poppers77]

Pretty much had the same problem until I bought one similar to the regency one except it has legs. We now prop it on old piece of wood joist which has worked considerably better since. Can't remember where I bought it but its like this one http://www.regencypoultry.com/drinkers/PlasticDrinkers/poultry_green_drinker.htm

Xx ps. They still prefer their little original red one from when they were tiddlers by the back door!

[Mrs_B]

Thank you so much everyone for your great posts! Really appreciated

 

Will let you know what I go for...

 

x