Types and requirements for drinking bowls for chickens, how to do it yourself

Drinking bowls are an indispensable element of the internal arrangement of the chicken coop. There are many types of drinking bowls for chickens, which differ in design features and method of supplying liquid. You can build a water tank yourself or purchase a ready-made version.

Drinker requirements

Regardless of what kind of birds are raised in the chicken coop - broilers or layers, the containers installed for them must meet a number of requirements. The main requirements include the following:

1. Safety. To create a container, you need to use non-toxic materials. If metal elements are used, their interaction with the liquid can lead to the release of components that are dangerous to chickens. It is also important to remove pointed corners to prevent injury.
2. Use a clean liquid. Drinking containers must be isolated from external influences, since their placement in the open access leads to the development of harmful microorganisms.
3. Ease of use. Replacing the water should not be inconvenient, therefore, if possible, you should connect the drinkers to the water supply in order to automate the process.
4. Stability. When raising birds with an active and mobile character, there is a risk that they will overturn and damage the containers. Structures should be firmly locked in place and ensured secure.
5. Frost protection. Specialized heating elements can be used to prevent water from being covered with ice in winter. Aquarium heaters are the best option.

Varieties

Several types of drinkers are distinguished depending on the mechanism of water supply and the peculiarities of functioning. To choose the appropriate option, you need to familiarize yourself with the detailed description and characteristics of each variety, determine the possibility of installing the selected species in the existing chicken coop and take into account your own preferences.

Simple open drinking containers

As the simplest option, open enameled and galvanized containers are used, for example, buckets and basins. The use of disposable plastic bowls is also common. It is recommended to use small open containers only when rearing chickens, since the small volume of chicks will not be able to drown or drown in them.In this case, you need to ensure that the water does not spill out and the chicks do not get wet.

The main disadvantage of installing open containers is the need to constantly change the water to new one due to the ingress of dust and chicken excrement into it. In addition, unsecured containers can easily tip over.

Vacuum (siphon)

For watering a small number of birds, it is most profitable to supply a siphon variety. It is constructed from a beaker with a siphon system and a drip tray. Siphon drinking cups are divided into several categories - floor-standing, hanging and fixed on stands.

In a vacuum design, the liquid level in the sump is replenished as it empties. Due to atmospheric pressure, the liquid does not pour out of the glass. An important requirement for a vacuum drinker to function is a higher liquid level in the sump than the lower edge of the glass.

Take a look also

Rules for the care and maintenance of chickens in winter for beginners at home

Cup

The drinking bowl is a compact container connected to a water supply system or a water tank using a hose. Flowing through the hose, water enters the bowl, which descends under the weight of the liquid and closes the hole. The use of a cup variety allows you to automate the process of supplying water to chickens.

Nipple

The nipple variety is widespread among poultry farmers due to the fact that the liquid in the drinkers remains clean for a long period of time. The water is completely protected from the penetration of dirt or accidental spills, since the chickens absorb it through special valves by grabbing it with their beak.

The drip model is suitable for birds of all ages. To water young chickens, nipples are mounted, which provide water when the valve moves in any direction. Laying nipples can only be opened by moving the pin up or down. In order to economically consume liquid, drop eliminators are additionally used.

Heated drinkers for winter, frost-free, with heating cable

If the drinking bowls are in an unheated room, care must be taken to prevent the water from turning into ice during the winter. For heating, you can use a special heating cable, which is usually installed in warm floor coverings. The container is wrapped with a cable, all connections are hidden and connected to the network.

The use of a heating cable allows automatic heating of the liquid. For this purpose, you need to install a special unit that regulates start and shutdown. When the water cools down to a certain level, the cable will automatically start heating it. This option increases costs, but is effective and convenient for breeding large numbers of birds.

Also common is a non-freezing drinker that you can build yourself. To do this, the drinker is placed in a more spacious container and polyurethane foam is injected into the remaining space.

Drawings and dimensions

If you want to make a drinker, you must first prepare the drawings. The project takes into account the availability of free space in the chicken coop, the estimated sizes of containers with liquid, the type of construction and other features.

How to make a drinker for chickens with your own hands

It is possible to build homemade drinkers using various materials, depending on the requirements for the finished structure. By independently building water tanks, it will be possible to reduce costs and take into account all individual requirements.

Drinking bowl from a bottle with a capacity of 5-20 liters

For the construction of this type of drinker, you will need to use a 5-20-liter bottle and a plastic container, the diameter of which will be wider than the bottom of the bottle, and the height of the side will be 10-15 cm.To make the structure, you must follow the step-by-step instructions:

1. A hole with a diameter of 1 cm is made in the lower side of the bottle using a soldering iron or a heated nail.The slot should be placed 2 cm below the height of the prepared container rim.
2. A bottle of liquid is placed inside the container so that water penetrates through the cut.
3. The structure is installed near the wall and the neck is fixed with a rope to prevent overturning.

Take a look also

What to do if the roosters fight among themselves and how to prevent aggression

If necessary, add water, pour it through the top hole in the bottle. The larger the bottle was used, the less often you need to refill. The main advantage of this type of design is that the drinker will stay clean thanks to the closed type.

Automatic drinker made of plastic pipes

With the help of sewer pipes with a diameter of about 10 cm, you can build an open drinker that will automatically supply water to the chickens. 4 holes of a rectangular shape and 25-30 cm long are cut out in the pipe, leaving a distance of 15 cm to the end of the pipe and between the holes. You can use a jigsaw or a hot knife to punch holes.

Tees with plugs are put on the edges of the pipes, which are necessary for filling and draining the liquid. For automatic filling with water, the containers are connected to the water supply and a valve is mounted on the inlet of the drinking bowl. The easiest way to fix the structure is with plumbing clamps, which are selected in diameter similar to the pipe. The clamps are fixed in such a way that the pipe with the liquid is located at the height of the hens' backs, and they do not climb inside.

Where to place the drinker and how many are needed

It is best to install the drinkers close to the walls so that the chickens do not overturn the containers and less garbage gets into them. For reliability and stability, the structure is fixed with fasteners or tied with threads.

The required number of drinkers directly depends on the number of chickens and their age. When keeping adult chickens in cages, one container is enough for 10-15 birds. A nipple drinker for 70 chicks can be placed inside the day old chick boxes. In open areas, a standard-sized container is enough for 30 chickens.

Security measures

Drinking bowls for chickens must be safe and not subject to injury to birds. For the manufacture of containers, you need to use high-quality material. It is not allowed to install metal structures with burrs. In the case of independent construction of drinkers, the edges are carefully processed and made smooth so that the chickens do not get hurt. If you can't make the edges smooth, you need to put on a rubber band on top.

In the winter time, there are additional security measures. To prevent the water from freezing from the cold, it is required to provide heat using a heating component, which is placed under the container or around it. Many poultry farmers use standard aquarium heaters for convenience. Their main advantage is safety for birds.

Features of chick drinkers

Chick containers should be sized according to the size of the chicks. It is not recommended to install deep containers, as chicks can drown in them. It is also important that water does not get on the chicks and they do not freeze.