I am always trying to learn and improve things when it comes to my chickens. For a long time I’ve wanted a better system for their food and water. After attending a backyard poultry expo, I was more committed to making it happen.
The first project was to put together a new feeder using PVC pipe. We have seen pictures of various ones on the Internet, so we worked to make one that fit our purposes. My husband had the vision. We only have two chickens, so we only needed something small.
We put it together using a 3-2 inch Y adaptor, one 3″- 4″ ID increaser, one 3″- 4″ OD increaser, one 3″ screw cap, and one 4″ knock out plug. The pieces were pressed together without any adhesive.
Besides a system that would yield less food waste, I had hoped that a smaller opening for the food would deter our many sparrows from foraging through our chicken feed. This part of my plan has been unsuccessful; I am still in search of a good bird deterrent. But I do think it’s a cleaner setup overall.
For a couple of years I have wanted to use a nipple watering system for the chickens. We finally got that project done as well. I pictured using a bucket, drilling holes in it, and hanging it up. My husband pictured using the PVC pipe for this project, too.
It was fairly easy to put together, and the only extra step was using PVC glue. I’m not crazy about the messy purple look, but function is the most important thing for me. We hung the finished product from the outside of the chicken coop.
We used two 8″ pieces of 1″ pvc pipe, one 1″ ‘T’ adaptor, two 1″ caps, one 4″ section of PVC pipe, two 1/4″ 90-degree elbows, and one 3″ section of a 1/4″ clear hose to be used as a sight glass. The clear hose lets us keep track of the water level.
I was told that it was easy to get chickens to use the nipples because they are drawn to the red color. Supposedly it shouldn’t take long for them to figure out that it is a source of water. However, it has not been that easy for me. I am still waiting on the girls to take an interest.
I really like the set up because it keeps the water cleaner, but it will only be successful if we can get the chickens to use it. But I sure am glad that we finally have both of these projects completed!
