As a drinking bowl for chickens, owners of farmsteads most often use just all sorts of unnecessary, already-used dishes — old pots, buckets, basins. But such containers are suitable for this purpose, unfortunately, not too well. Water in buckets, pots and basins, for obvious reasons, is very quickly contaminated. And this, in turn, can lead to an outbreak of various infectious diseases.
To avoid deaths, it is better to use such drinking bowls for chickens and hens in household gardens and farms, the design of which does not allow garbage to get into the water. If desired, such containers can also be purchased ready-made, for example, via the Internet. But it will be much cheaper, of course, to make convenient drinkers with their own hands.
What designs can be used
All drinking bowls used today on farms and yards are classified into three main varieties:
- nipple;
- microcups;
- vacuum ones.
Nipple designs are most often used when the bird is kept in cages. But sometimes such convenient drinking bowls are used for outdoor breeding of chickens.
Microcup designs in poultry houses are less commonly used than other varieties, but are still quite popular with farmers. Vacuum drinking bowls can be installed both in cages and simply in houses with outdoor maintenance. Such designs are very often used for very small chickens.
What requirements do self-made drinkers have to meet?
If desired, in the cells or in the house, you can install water tanks, collected independently, of all the types described above. But in any case, do-it-yourself drinkers made for chickens should definitely meet the following safety requirements:
- use for the manufacture of such containers can only be the highest quality, environmentally friendly material - ceramics, plastic;
- drinkers should be strong enough and stable;
- containers should be made of material that is easily cleaned of dirt.
The simplest do-it-yourself chicken drinker from a plastic bottle
In most cases, containers designed for poultry water have a completely uncomplicated design. To make the simplest DIY drinking bowl for chickens, you will need to cook:
- ordinary plastic bottle;
- scissors;
- piece of wire.
A drinking bowl of this type for very small chickens should be made from a 0.5-1 liter bottle. For older youngsters it is worth using a larger capacity. In this case, it is best to make a drinker for chickens from a bottle of 1.5-2.5 liters.
The container prepared for assembly must first be tightly closed with a lid. Next, the bottle must be laid in a horizontal position. Then, several small holes should be cut with plastic scissors with a knife or sharp scissors. The size of the holes should be such that the chicks can freely stick their noses into them. This will be enough for a bird. Holes need not be made too large. Otherwise, all kinds of rubbish will subsequently fall into the bottles.
Chicken drinkers made in this way must be wrapped in two places along the edges with wire and secured, for example, to the rods of the brooder wall or to the fence.
Vacuum containers
Drinking bowls of this type are also made using very simple technology. In this case, for example, a plastic bottle or canister or an ordinary glass jar can be used as a water tank.
The volume of vacuum drinking bowls, as in the first case, is selected taking into account the age of the chickens. For newly hatched chicks, for example, a 0.5 liter can is suitable. For an older youngster, it will be more convenient to use such a 1-3 liter capacity.
What materials will be needed
Such drinkers also have a fairly simple design. To make them if necessary is not difficult. To assemble such a drinker for chickens with your own hands you will need to prepare:
- 1.5 liter plastic bottle;
- a plastic bowl or plate, the diameter of which should be slightly larger than the diameter of the bottle;
- stationery knife;
- screw with nut.
How to make a drinker
You can make a water tank for chickens of this type using the following technology:
- at the bottom of the bottle in its wall, at a level slightly lower than the height of the sides of the plate, make a small hole with a clerical knife;
- screw the bottle to the bowl with a self-tapping screw.
The diameter of the bowl used for making this type of drinking bowl should be such that the distance from its sides to the sides of the bottle does not exceed 2.5 cm. Otherwise, the chickens, pushing, will come into the water and get wet.
To make a vacuum container for chickens with your own hands is thus not difficult. At the same time, drinkers of this variety usually cost literally a penny. However, designs of this type, unfortunately, have one rather serious drawback. In this case, the water in the bottle often has to be changed manually. And this, of course, is not too convenient.
Nipple drinkers
To save yourself from the need for a daily water change, it is worthwhile to install more complicated nipple drinkers for chickens in the chicken coop or in cages.
What materials are needed
Tanks of this type are usually made using the following materials and tools:
- hacksaws;
- drills;
- screwdriver;
- water storage tanks;
- nipples 360;
- plastic pipe 1 m long;
- two plugs;
- flexible hose;
- adapter.
Nipples for such a drinking bowl can be ordered, for example, via the Internet. The water tank in this case is usually used very bulk.
How to make a do-it-yourself nipple drinker for chickens
A drinker of this type is collected in most cases as follows:
- on the pipe with a marker mark the place of installation of the nipples;
- using a drill of 9 mm, drill holes in marked places;
- set in the nipple holes;
- close the ends of the pipe with plugs;
- through a flexible hose connect the pipe to the tank under water;
- Drop eliminators are put on the nipples.
At the final stage, the structure assembled in this way is fixed to the wall of the house using wire or clamps. The height of the nipple drinker is selected in accordance with the age and growth of the chickens.
Drop catchers for this type of nipple drinker will most easily be made from plastic bottles. From such containers you need to first cut off the bottoms. Next, the resulting "cups" should be fixed on the pipe under each nipple on a hook, bent, for example, from wire.
Nipple drinker from a bucket
It will be relatively easy to assemble the construction described above with your own hands. But if there is no propylene pipe at hand, you can make a nipple drinker using an old plastic bucket.
Such a design is made as follows:
- around a circumference indented about 10 cm from the edge, 9 mm holes are drilled in the bottom of the bucket;
- inserted into the holes of the nipples;
- turn the bucket over and hang it on the wall in the house;
- pour water into a bucket.
What you should know about
Place such drinkers in the chicken coop so that the nipples are approximately at the height of the heads of the chickens. Chickens - birds are smart enough. However, if the nipples are too high, the chickens simply will not understand what they are for and will not use them for their intended purpose.
To install nipple drinkers for chickens, however, like any others, it is necessary in the shade. Otherwise, the water in the summertime in such containers will begin to heat up too much. And this, of course, in turn can cause discomfort to the bird. In addition, plastic drinkers in the heat can also begin to release harmful substances into the water.
How to heat water
Drinking bowls from plastic bottles for chickens, vacuum, like nipple, can be quite convenient to use. However, no matter what design is installed in the poultry house, in winter, the owner of a household can also be faced with the problem of freezing water in a self-made container. Modern breeds of chickens in most cases have very dense plumage. And they usually contain such chickens in unheated sheds.
In the winter, thermostats designed for installation in aquariums are most often used to heat water in chick drinking bowls. Such devices can be independently configured to the required parameters. That is, the water in the drinking bowl when using the thermostat, regardless of the microclimate in the house, will constantly have the same temperature set by the owner of the chickens.