Best poulty fountains & waterers according to redditors

There are automatic water bowls for cows and horses that work remarkably like toilets: insert nose on the bowl, push lever down, tadaa, water!

They look like this and you hook them up to a water pipe.

Reading a book about chickens may make it seem harder than it is. Silkies are great birds. Here is some practical advice. If you are buying hatching eggs that will get shipped through the mail, make sure that you get at least 6 if you want three birds. If you cannot have roosters, then get even more eggs. My experience is hatching eggs get damaged in shipping, so the hatching rate could be very low. I recently got 10+ Japanese hatching eggs. Only one shows signs of life. I opened some of the bad ones and the yolk was broken.

Chicks will need a feed that has higher protein and no calcium. Most commercial feeds will explain the ages to use what feed. Go to a local store that sells chicken supplies and look at the feeds.

The nipple type feeders are nice, as stuff doesn't end up in the water. Birds can easily learn to use them, but you may have to nudge and show them a bit. This one has worked well for me: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00JXUAD0K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_dp_T1_tLauzb7DRFWVV

Silkies can easily handle below freezing conditions. They have a pea comb so aren't prone to frostbite. They also have great feathers. I don't do much of anything to make things cool or warm. Make sure they have access to shade and water. They will pant kinda like dogs to cool off. They also use their comb to regulate body temperatures.

A 3-4 chicken sized coop will work for easily six silkies, as they are a small bantam birds. Good ventilation is important for a coop, as a build of ammonia from chicken poop can damage chicken lungs.

Bantam birds are especially vulnerable to hawks. If you are keeping the birds in a restrained run, make sure it's also covered.

These have worked for me against raccoons and other night predators: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01EAFNFJ8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_dp_T1_FUauzbZVNP87B

Welcome to the wonderful world of chickens!

I think it is a viable plan and it sounds like you'll do just fine. I am probably different from many people on this sub as I don't spend much time with my chickens at all and they do just fine. My chickens are not pets - they exist to provide eggs. I treat them well and they have a good life but I do not go to the extent that some people do to protect, enrich, cool, or heat their flock. I have never had a sickness or problem other than losing a hen to predators every now and then, which is just a fact of life.

Four hens is extremely manageable. We set up a hanging feeder like this one and a hanging water bucket with nipples like this. The food is refilled about once a week with four hens and the water about twice depending on the size of the bucket. We give them kitchen scrap treats several times a week. Otherwise they are pretty self sufficient. They put themselves in and out of the coop each day, they manage their own needs with the resources they have. I feel like a lot of people don't give chickens enough credit. They know what to do. They've been doing it for tens of millions of years. It is actually cool to watch them do instinctually things that they have no way of knowing how to do.

The one thing I would say to you is not to mess around with ex battery hens. I haven't had them and I know nothing about them but it seems like they would require extra work and care and attention. It seems like you don't want to do that so if it were me I would just start with young yens of a breed that are strong layers like Rhode Island Reds - if you have those in what I am guessing is Australia. They will be less work and hassle which is what it seems you want. Good luck!

I have 4 chickens (I got them from Wardle Feed). I also got a nice used coop from there as well (about $300).


Feed is cheap, at about $20 a bag, which lasts a month or so for my 4 chickens. I put up a small fence around about 30sq/ft of yard space to let them free range a bit, but the coop has a full run underneath, so I can keep them somewhat locked up. I also have a light (about 60 watts) that I keep on a night in the winter, which serves two fold:

One to keep the coop slightly warmer (though it rarely gets cold enough to need this, chickens are hardy), and to keep them laying eggs over the winter, which they don't naturally do due to low amounts of light. I also have a 5 gallon bucket waterer (http://www.amazon.com/GALLON-Poultry-Waterer--Up-Chickens-/dp/B00F9A4976/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1457209610&sr=8-9&keywords=5+gallon+chicken+waterer)

And a water warmer for the winter (http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-C-50-Aluminum-Birdbath/dp/B0002DHBDY/ref=pd_bxgy_86_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0SECCZMNSYKE2Y3P9TGF). 5 gallons of water lasts for several weeks, and the warmer only turns on if the water gets to freezing point.


The eggs are awesome, make great gifts, and can be colorful! I get green, brown, and white eggs.

Edited a bunch of after thoughts into this post.

Depends on the amount of chickens and how cold/hot your area is. Starting out, I'd probably do like 4 chickens unless you don't mind the extra bit of work involved with more chickens. I'd recommend having at least 1 roosting area per couple of chickens, although they'll probably end up sharing one particular spot even if you have like 10. Do keep in mind things like brooding with your chickens if you don't have a rooster. They'll get pissed that their eggs aren't hatching and will eventually get aggressive towards you, you'll need to separate them from the rest of the chickens to help them calm down. So plan for multiple areas (later down the line, depending on how old you get your chickens. They can lay eggs for up to 7 years surprisingly.)

I'd recommend maybe something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N42KXC3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Lve1CbYY5H5N2

It's a good starter coop and is relatively affordable for up to 10 chickens, although I'd say closer to 8 depending on the breed of chicken. It's good to have an enclosed run (the fence type thing that comes with the coop) while they're younger so you can better control their eating area until they're older. You should get 1 big water fountain for them, as it'll reduce the amount of time you need to spend re-watering them. It's worth the upfront cost of getting a big one that's a few gallons as opposed to getting a small one and eventually getting a big one like I did. You can make your own with some buckets and some PVC pipe fittings if you're up to the task, it's worth getting/making a good quality feeder / waterer for your chickens. Obviously, having a big reservoir will reduce the overall work on your part. You should keep in mind that as your chickens get older, and depending on the size of your backyard / lot, you will eventually let the chickens free roam your area and they'll drastically reduce the amount of feed they'll require as they'll eat bugs and random shit (sometimes literally) in your area.

Windows are good for ventilation of your chickens, you should definitely have a window or two to help air out the coop. That's why I recommend that particular coop I linked above because it has a window already and has a decent amount of space for a couple of chickens when first starting out. Also, try to make an area they can sit on. They like to perch on random things like branches on a tree if it can support their weight. I've had my chickens perch on a bicycle in my property.

If you want to be extra lazy, check out some automatic coop door openers. There's some pretty fancy ones that use a Raspberry Pi to control the door mechanisms and are charged by solar panels. Here's one I use and I love it.


http://hentronix.co.uk/mainstore/hentronix-automatic-chicken-door-opener


MIller Little Giant 7 Gallon Poultry Waterer Fount - The Best https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6ZTGSU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_1xe1CbYAJ3CX8

RentACoop Chicken Feeder-Holds 20 Pounds-Pellets-Crumbles-Grain in Bucket - for 21st Century Chicken Owners - Inside or Outside of Coop - Use with Nipple Waterer (2 Feed Ports - Corner (4-6 Hens)) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016047Q5G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_fze1CbVRJ00G2

It is the basic setup. I would make sure you have them all. If you can go for a [jhook hive tool](Bee Hive Tool - Pistha Stainless Steel J-Type Hive Tool Frame Lifter and Scraper Beekeeping Equipment 10.6 Inch https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B06VWP8W47/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_D5TzzbA9X60CE) as they can help with getting out stubborn frames.

I have not had to do it yet, but I am planning on fashioning a side mount nipple waterer with heater.

the parts:
https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-250-Watt-Heater-Floater-Safety/dp/B002QXN1EQ/ref=pd_bxgy_86_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B002QXN1EQ&pd_rd_r=4BE7ZKH6Q8G5V12XNS8K&pd_rd_w=VeR0H&pd_rd_wg=MuKt0&psc=1&refRID=4BE7ZKH6Q8G5V12XNS8K

with your own bucket and side nipples
https://www.amazon.com/Horizontal-Side-Mount-Poultry-Nipples/dp/B00JXUAD0K

or buy a bucket with the side nipples.

my current bucket is bottom nipples but I understand those freeze even with a heater since the water runs down and freezes.

I tried the cups, but my chickens couldn't figure out how to get the water out and almost dehydrated. So, I got the sideways chicken nipples and those have been working great. I have three of them on a 5 gallon bucket lifted a few inches off the ground. Then, I have a PVC pipe that goes into the lid on top and out of the run, so I can fill it without going into the run. There's a minor problem of the chickens roosting on the bucket and pooping on the lid, but I'll solve that pretty soon by just putting something up there.

I got your chicken nipples right here

They do have water. The white bucket is food grade and has three of these automatic water feeders.

We'll be hanging a food dispenser as well sometime soon. The current one is just a stopgap.

It's one of those gravity-fed ones and it's inside a coop, so the sun won't be hitting it. We've got a heated chicken mat that we're not even sure works, but we thought that was maybe one possibility if we put it under the tray. I see there is a waterer warmer on Amazon, but I'm not sure if A) it works and/or B) using the mat would achieve the same results, not to mention the fact that no matter what I do I'm likely going to have to drill a hole through the coop to be able to run a cord out of it.

Like one of these?

What about hooking up something like this?

I use a rapid feeder or a chicken watering bucket.

https://www.beeworks.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=14

https://www.amazon.com/Harris-Farms-Galvanized-Poultry-Drinker/dp/B006ZJHBRU/ref=cm_wl_huc_item

The former is in a medium empty super on the top of my hives. I added a few 1-1/2" screen holes to the inner cover to keep it ventilated and set the feeders over the center opening.

The chicken feeder can get exciting to be around in the fall. I have a pulley system and run it up about 20 feet in the air on one of my pine trees. It also works for watering during the dry season. I just lay some poly rope in the bottom of the tray to avoid drowning bees when it is crowded.

What ever you do you have to worry about drowning bees.

I got these - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006U0467C/ and have 3 of them in use right now. 1, I immediately removed as it was dripping too much. I didn't try to fix it, but will when the time comes to add more. Of the 3 in use right now, one of them drips a few times per minute. The other 2 don't drip at all as far as I can tell.

That really tripped me up at first also.
I went to Home depot thinking there would be an attachment for this type of thing. The only thing they had was a union. After some research I found out what I was looking for was a BulkHead Fitting. I did not even use silicon. There are no leaks and the [yellow nipples] (http://www.amazon.com/Poultry-Nipples-Sanitary-Chickens-Turkeys/dp/B006LAVDLI/ref=sr_1_cc_3?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1381852214&sr=1-3-catcorr&keywords=poultry+nipples) work pretty well. They still leak a bit, but with a gutter under the dispenser it seems to take care of it.

The enclosure needs to be have a bare floor, no loose bedding.

indoor enclosures should be lifted about a foot off the ground, have a watertight base that is slanted and has a grated drain connected to your actual drain-pipes. This way, you can use a kitchen-sprayer type setup, or a "utility sprayer" from home depot to hose the floor of the enclosure down daily or every other day.

The upfront investment can be high and must be DIY'd, but the maintenance itself will be cheaper in the long run. and much cleaner.

as a cleaner drinker, I would use a nipple cup like https://www.amazon.com/FeedAmerica-Automatic-Poultry-Water-Drink/dp/B07R44YK8X

I agree that your best bet is to try to distract the mean chick with other things to peck at - now might be a good time to try a poultry nipple waterer like this - just add to a 20 oz coke bottle: https://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Fountain-Brooder-Bottle-Cap/dp/B00W4JOCQS/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=poultry+nipple+bottle+cap&qid=1554669855&s=gateway&sr=8-2

You could try spraying all the chicks feet with BlueKote - a topical treatment that disguises wounds - but be careful when spraying it, as it stains.

I bought some vertically mounted nipples on Amazon and made a waterer for inside the coop out of a 5 gallon bucket (http://www.amazon.com/Horizontal-Side-Mount-Poultry-Nipples/dp/B00JXUAD0K/ref=pd_sim_sbs_86_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51wPoZtroXL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1HVBH3D9JJJRP8X9ZAK3)

I like the use of nipples inside the coop because it keeps them from getting their water continuously dirty. And using a 5 gallon bucket saves me the work of the extra complexity of running water through the wall and into the coop.

Why not?

FWIW. there's a heated stand made specifically for those drinkers.

Great white north here. I have mine outside down to -20, lower than that and I will bring them into the garage (where the temperature is likely -20 anyway). I did insulate the enclosed portion of the coop, and I run a water pipe heat tape line to the water bucket to keep it from freezing. I use a Little Giant water bucket (https://www.amazon.com/LITTLE-GIANT-Galvanized-Bucket-Waterer/dp/B00BHVID1Y/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1537454177&sr=8-10&keywords=chicken+water+bucket), wrap it in the heat tape, then wrap the outside of the heat tape with insulation and put it in the enclosed part of the coop. I only have water freezing issues below about -25 this way. I do not use heat lights or heaters.

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EDIT - All temps in Fahrenheit

I think it could be a poultry waterer of the double-wall variety, missing the top piece. The pipe is hooked up to a hose for refilling (edit, or for the vent?). But I’m not sure the top lip would be covered by water allowing this to work.

https://www.amazon.com/Harris-Farms-Galvanized-Poultry-Drinker/dp/B006ZJHBRU#productDescription_secondary_view_div_1520471474997