What method does everyone use to give water to their chickens? I have a 5 gallon bucket that hangs from a chain with a nipple on the bottom that they drink from. In the winter I run an extension cord to the coop and use a cheap aquarium heater to keep the water from freezing.
We only have about 8 chickens, so we just use a 1 gal Tractor Supply waterer for the birds. We bring them fresh water at night before they bed down, and fresh water the next morning when we open up their coop to the run.
A few hours after I sat him in the sink filled with warm water he started to defecate normally. Today he looked a lot more livelier and was goofing around with the rest of the flock. Thanks for the tip, I am keeping a close eye on this little one to see if it continues to back up.
I'm going to build a move able tractor and "pasture" my meat birds in the yard. Considering build the frame out of schedule 40 pipe and zip tying poultry net to it. Should be easy to take down and store when not in use and lightweight. Probably use 1.5" pipe. Should work, no?
That seems like a pretty good plan to me. If it's light enough, it may not even need wheels. Most of the CTs I've seen look like they'd be heavy awkward to move. Would be great if a CT could be rigged up to move itself across the yard. Until I can figure out how to do that, our poultry prison will remain stationary.
The only down side is see is UP degradation. ...but if I paint them they should be OK. I would just drag them around and not use wheels. It will be nice to be able to take it down when not raising meat birds.
The new babies... They just came in today. So I grabbed the kid on the way home to pick up the new additions.
I just called the feedstore to find out for you. It's ground up corn cobs. I get it for $1 per pound. It's what I used the last time with success. It's absorbant and easy to clean up...
They grow really fast, and they shed a powdery fuzz as they are growing. Our garage was covered with fuzz by the time our first chickens were big enough to put outside.
I used a 2ft long piece of 4 inch pvc as a reservoir and used fittings down to 3/4 inch to use one of those dog hose bib nipples. Holds slightly over a gallon of water and keeps it clean. Used strapping to attach it to the side of the coop. The cap sticks through the top to fill.
Here is the progress on the coop, Using a combination of crap wood and some I got a my job on the damaged pile that cannot be sold. Chicks are 3 weeks old already. Last pic is my two little turds holding a chicken. She is really into the whole thing, he is too cool to show that he is into it, but when no one is around he picks one up and pets it. The plan is to build a laying box large enough for 3 hens (3 boxes) on the left hand side. As you can clearly see, I am not a carpenter but Im trying, I really am. LOL>
