Autodrinker for chickens: how to do it yourself, step by step instructions, video, photo

Now more and more people in their dachas are engaged in raising poultry with their own hands. This trend is easily explained by several factors. The first and foremost is environmental friendliness. You know exactly where your chickens were raised and what you fed them. Therefore, the risk of eating low-quality meat is reduced to zero.

Organizing a chicken coop with your own hands at your summer cottage allows you to eat fresh eggs every morning. Every farmer knows that they taste completely different from the store ones.

Moreover, do not forget about the possibility of a sale. The owners of large chicken coops always sell meat and eggs to their neighbors, and they are happy to buy them, because they know where the products were grown and in what conditions.

Nevertheless, in order to get a high-quality final product and at the same time minimize your participation in all processes in the chicken coop, you need to organize everything correctly. One of the most important elements in this structure is a drinking bowl for chickens.

Important! You don't have to buy a drinking bowl for chickens - you can make it yourself.

To create a drinker for chickens with your own hands, you can use the things available at each cottage. Although for some structures you will have to buy several items that will allow you to quickly and efficiently provide the bird with water.

Primary requirements

It doesn't matter what breed the birds are raised, there are some rules to follow when making drinking bowls.

Harmless materials. When making a structure from metal elements, you need to know that they come into contact with some medicines and create chemical compounds that are harmful to the health of the bird. In addition, all sharp parts must be handled to avoid damage to the birds.

Pure water. In open drinking bowls, various microorganisms often grow, this ultimately contributes to the development of infections. Designs with an insulated container will help to avoid this.

Ease and comfort to use. When filling the drinking bowl, nothing should hinder this. Changing the water should be an easy, problem-free procedure.

Reliability and stability of the structure. Drinking bowls should prevent access for strangers and birds and withstand their onslaught.

They must also be stable. Otherwise, turning over, water will flow out of the device, as a result, the birds will not be watered, and dampness will be divorced in their location.

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Before you make a drinker, you need to decide on a suitable design for it.

How to make an automatic water supply to drinkers

Water is automatically supplied for birds in both nipple and vacuum drinking cups. To ensure an automatic water supply to the cup, it must be connected to the plumbing system. But this model has more disadvantages than advantages:

sooner or later any water pipe becomes contaminated with organic deposits, particles of heavy metals, etc.; the drinking bowl connected to the water supply cannot be washed or disinfected;
if an infected bird uses such a system, you will introduce the infection into the water supply system at home.

Therefore, we do not recommend that you install an automatic water supply to the drinking bowls for your birds.

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Nipple design

With all its good properties, nipple drinkers have their own drawbacks. One of them is that only a limited number of birds will be able to drink water at one time, which causes a crush near the source. Therefore, you need a sufficient number of nipples.

The advantages of such products include:

dosed water supply, which saves its consumption;
protection of liquid from various types of debris;
stability;
convenient and easy to use.

What are the types of drinkers

So, since you set out to equip the chicken coop with drinkers, you need to figure out what they are. Let's pay attention to the following table.

Table 1. What are the types of drinking bowls for chickens

A type	Description
Nipple drinkers	As the name implies, these drinkers are made using nipples - connecting pipes that allow the output to be dispensed to the chickens. The main advantage of the structures under consideration is that the water inside them is completely protected from: pollution; spillage. The nipples are equipped with valves, during the capture of which the chickens receive water, literally sucking out the liquid in the amount they need. In addition, there is another type of nipple drinkers - drip devices equipped with a drip collector. The drawback of such designs is only one, but significant: if you have many chickens, then you will either have to make many nipple drinkers, or equip one large one with numerous outlets of water so that the chickens can drink from it at the same time.
Vacuum drinkers	This type of drinker is equipped with a vacuum principle. It does not require the purchase of almost any materials, all you need is: container; deep pallet. Fill the container with water, cover it with a pallet on top and turn it over. The liquid will fill the drinker and the chickens will drink from it. As the liquid in the lower segment decreases, water will decrease in the container without spilling due to the formation of a vacuum. All the positive aspects of such a drinker are on the face, however, it is still more suitable for small chickens, since adults are able to turn the structure over.
Cup drinkers	The traditional and simplest type of drinking bowls, made in the form of cups, suspended at the level of the birds' necks. Chickens can drink water from there completely freely, and you can not be afraid that the containers will be overturned or spilled. But there are significant disadvantages: drinkers of this type have to be constantly filled with liquid on their own; the water inside the drinkers gets dirty quickly.
Siphon drinkers	The work of these drinkers is built on the principle of communicating vessels. You can fill the structure with water without going inside the chicken coop, which is very convenient. However, at the same time, these drinkers require constant cleaning of debris, which will take you a considerable amount of time.

So, we have learned the main existing types of drinkers. It should be said that all devices for feeding chickens can also differ in type, and will:

automated;
require manual liquid refill.

So, the first type of devices will require from the poultry farmer only a periodic change and replenishment of the water in the tank. These include:

vacuum structures;
cup, if you not just hung them on the walls of the hen house, but equipped them with a supply to the tank.

Nipple drinkers can be additionally equipped with drip trays so that water does not spill onto the floor

Manual types of drinkers are:

nipple;
siphon.

It is very difficult to come up with a supply to them, therefore, most often the amount of water in them is regulated by the intensity of its decrease and the frequency of filling carried out by the farmer.

Making a nipple drinker

Before making this device, you need to familiarize yourself with some instructions:

It is necessary to take a piece of plastic pipe with a diameter of about three centimeters, measure the length of 60 cm. Mark every ten centimeters, nipples will be mounted on these marks.
Cut off the excess pipe using a metal hacksaw or pipe cutter. Align the slice.
Drill holes with a diameter of 9 mm in the marked places. Remove the remaining shavings from the plastic.
Screw the nipples into the drilled holes.
One end of the pipe must be muffled, on the other, a wick purchased from a store must be installed.
Check the operation of the product. After making sure that it works, install the structure in the intended place.

Requirements for homemade designs

Simple doesn't mean better

Of course, you can use a regular drinker like a bowl. It is easy to operate. But it can be dangerous.

Water quickly becomes polluted, as droppings and feed get into it. This becomes the cause of the development of infectious and other diseases. In addition, the liquid evaporates quickly when heated.

It is better to build a full-fledged drinking bowl with heating according to all the rules. And do not worry that chickens will get sick, catch a cold or be left without drinking.

The necessary conditions

To make a heated drinking bowl on your own, you must comply with the conditions.

Drinker size: to provide all the flocks with the required water volume, the area of the house and the number of chickens must be taken into account. It is based on the average volume of drinking fluid consumed by the bird daily. This is approximately 0.5 liters.

Ease of filling and maintenance: the cup must be regularly filled with water. There shouldn't be any difficulties with this. As with cleaning as it gets dirty.

And the main condition: compliance with security measures. Chickens should not burn themselves on the heating elements of the drinker. They must be hidden. If necessary, they hide the cords connected to the network.

Consider several options for homemade winter drinking cups.

Vacuum option

The water supply of these drinkers occurs as a result of pressure. It is possible to make such a drinker from any plastic bottle or other unnecessary container.

The manufacturing process itself is as follows:

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It is necessary to integrate the cap from the used container into the larger cap.
Next, you need to screw the cap onto the bottle.
Make a hole about one centimeter in diameter. The edge of the hole should be below the top of the bottle.
Fill the container with liquid and screw on the lid. Then check the functionality of the product by turning the bottle upside down. Fasten the fixture with the fasteners.

Simpler drinking methods

Many farmsteads still use simpler methods of drinking poultry. Often, for these purposes, cup drinkers for chickens are used in the form of any containers where you can pour water.

Indeed, this method of drinking is so simple that even novice poultry breeders can use it.

However, it has many disadvantages, as chickens can easily turn the container of water over. It is better to use a regular pipe as a simple drinker.

Immediately it must be said that a drinking bowl for chickens from a pipe is made quite quickly... It is enough to take a plastic pipe with a diameter of 100 mm and a length of 200 cm, plugs, brackets for fastening and a branch.

Holes are cut in this pipe using an electric jigsaw or a heated knife. Once the process is complete, the edges of the holes must be reworked as they remain very sharp.

When all the holes have been made and processed, you can attach brackets to the pipe that will hold it at a comfortable height.

Drinking bowl for chickens from a pipe

This drinker is very convenient for farmers who keep a large number of poultry at the same time. However, there are also disadvantages: the pipe will have to be periodically cleaned with a sponge, as it quickly becomes dirty after precipitation.

You can read more about disinfection and hygiene in the chicken coop here. We also suggest that you read the article about the right choice of bedding for chickens in a hen house.

From plastic pipes

The use of plastic pipes in the manufacture of drinking bowls is a simple and ingenious way. There are many advantages of these products, including:

simplicity of design;
cheap material;
strength.

Manufacturing steps:

Prepare a plastic pipe one and a half meters long and fifteen centimeters in diameter.
Put a plug on one end, install a corner on the other.
Draw two straight parallel lines using a level.
Take a small rectangular block and use it to make markings for the cutouts.
Drill small holes on the sides of the drawn rectangles.
From the holes, using a jigsaw, cut the required shapes in the pipe. Clean the places of the cuts.
Install the fixing elements and attach to the wood stand.
The finished product is put on the ground. Pour water from the end through the corner.

Overview of all kinds of devices

A balanced and, which is very important, timely nutrition is necessary for the chickens to be healthy. But modern people have a lot to do and it is not always possible to keep track of the feeding time. It is much easier if the feeding process takes place with the help of an automatic feeding device. We bring to your attention several options for homemade feeders and drinkers. We will be glad if any of the proposed models make your life easier.

It is very difficult to constantly remember the feeding hours of poultry. Considering that a farmer can leave for a day or two, bunker feeders are becoming an indispensable thing.

Option # 1 - pipe to you, laying hen!

The most ingenious inventions are usually very simple. This is exactly what the idea of using polypropylene pipes can be considered.

To assemble the necessary device you will need:

pipes of various diameters;
couplings;
connecting devices.

We attach a piece to the polypropylene pipe, which is called the "connecting elbow". Place the resulting structure in the chicken coop. Pour food into the pipe from above, and then close the upper end of the structure with a lid. The food is fed by gravity to the knee. As the chickens consume feed, it will be added to the knee from the pipe. In the pipe, the level of the product will gradually decrease. After a few days, it will be possible to pour a new portion of feed into the pipe.

This design is good if there are few birds on the farm. Otherwise, the connecting elbow can be replaced with another pipe, fixing it parallel to the floor. Birds will be able to get food from the horizontal pipe through the holes in it. Such a feeder not only saves the owners time, but also a place in the chicken coop: it is conveniently located and does not interfere with anyone.

This is how a polypropylene pipe feeder looks unpretentious. Agree that it is difficult to come up with something simpler than this elementary device

Of course, if there are a lot of chickens on the farm, you can simply make a lot of pipes for feeding them.But we will do it easier and attach another pipe to the main one - horizontal, in which we will make holes

The disadvantage of such a device is one: the absence of limiters. Chickens can climb pipes, trample and spoil feed.

Option # 2 - hopper type devices

If you buy an automatic bird feeder in specialized stores, you will have to pay a decent amount. Moreover, a large farm will require several similar products. Meanwhile, there is nothing complicated in the proposed design.

When choosing a dish or a portioned dog bowl for making such a feeder, do not lose sight of the fact that its diameter should be larger than the diameter of the base of the bucket.

You need to prepare:

plastic bucket that remained after the repair;
a sectional bowl for dogs or an inexpensive vegetable dish made of plastic;
sharp knife.

In the bottom of the plastic bucket, cut holes in accordance with the number of compartments in the tray. The size of the holes themselves should allow the feed to flow freely into the bowl. The bucket and the tray must be connected to each other with screws.

It is better not to put the feeder on the ground, but to hang it. In this case, the probability that chickens climb on it is minimal.

The food is poured into the container, the bucket is closed with a lid. The feeder can be placed on a horizontal surface or suspended so that the birds can freely reach the feed. Hanging the bucket by the handle in the right place, you can be calm that for several days the chickens are fully provided with food.

Option # 3 - elementary canteen

The construction takes very little time and the simplest materials. Prepare:

container with a plastic handle;
mesh netting;
sharp knife.

The plastic container must be freed from the contents, rinsed thoroughly and dried. Carefully cut out the front part. We make an incision on the handle of the bottle so that it can be hung on the net that fenced the chicken coop. We pour the food straight into the bottle. It is important that the container is at a height that is as comfortable as possible for the feeding bird.

The feeder is built in a matter of minutes. It's good if the chicken coop is fenced with a net, otherwise a piece of chain-link can be simply pulled in the right place

Option # 4 - plywood feeder

Another option for the hopper can be made from a sheet of plywood. We cut out vertical high walls and construct a box without a front part. The height of the trough is approximately 90 cm. Thanks to this size, large quantities of feed can be filled in at once.

The feed should not get stuck at the exit. To do this, at the bottom of the box, place a piece of plywood so that it has a slight slope towards the front. Now the free-flowing feed will roll to where it is available for the chickens. The optimum slope when using granulated compound feed is 20-25 degrees, and when feeding with grain - 12-15 degrees.

The plywood feeder is also a simple fixture. Only it is more difficult to care for it than for plastic products. An antiseptic coating can help out, but plastic is still more hygienic.

The horizontal platform in front of the inclined plane is the place where food will fall. A common problem with many self-made structures is the lack of restraints, thanks to which chickens cannot climb into the feeder, scatter feed and spoil the feed with their vital products. In this case, the problem is solved with the help of limiting sides. The front side must be made at least 6 cm, and the side ones - two times more.

The advantages of this design are its spaciousness and security.Using this device, you can be sure that the feed will last for a long time, it will be used rationally, it will not wake up and will not be spoiled.

It remains to attach the front wall and you're done. The feeder will last a long time if it is carefully treated with antiseptic preparations. Use a spray gun for this purpose. A finished and even elegant look will give the product a coating with acrylic paint. You can assemble all the parts together using a screwdriver and self-tapping screws.

Option # 5 - plastic fixtures

Food grade plastic is an excellent material from which you can make convenient drinkers and the same "plates" for chickens. The undoubted advantage of these devices is their mobility. They can be carried and placed wherever it is convenient for the farmer.

To work you need to prepare:

two plastic buckets;
two water bottles that are used in a household cooler;
a piece of polypropylene pipe with a length of about 25 cm and a large diameter;
electric drill and drills 20 and 8 mm in diameter;
electric jigsaw.

Holes must be made in the buckets so that the birds can freely reach for water and food, but cannot get inside. To make the openings the same and neat, you can use a template. Applying it to the walls of the buckets and tracing it with a felt-tip pen, we get the outlines of future holes.

From an aesthetic point of view, this drinker and trough are very good. But they are also extremely functional.

We mark the hole by drilling a hole in each hole with a drill 8 mm in diameter. We use a jigsaw to cut openings. For plastic, a file is suitable for both wood and metal, but you need to choose a product with a small tooth.

We make two limiters from a piece of polypropylene pipe: for food and for water. Thanks to such a device, the neck of the container will not touch the bottom of the bucket, and it will be possible to control the supply of feed and water. We divide the pipe into segments of 10 and 15 cm with a jigsaw. We take a short piece and at a distance of 3 cm from the edge with a drill 20 mm in diameter we drill three holes. In a long pipe segment, we also drill holes with the same drill, but at a distance of 5 cm from the edge. Next, we cut out the segments with a jigsaw in a long segment to get a semblance of a crown with three teeth.

It is very convenient that the buckets have handles for which these structures can be transferred to the place of use. There you can either install devices or hang them all by the same handles.

We fill the containers with water and feed. We put a long stopper on the bottle with food, and a short one on the one with water. We cover the containers with buckets and turn over. The fixtures are ready. So easily and quickly, both a feeder and a drinker can be made from materials that are easy to get. Thanks to the presence of handles, both devices are easy to carry. This is the most hygienic and successful option.

Out of the bucket

A simple and cheap way is to make a drinking bowl from a whole, but unnecessary bucket.

Make holes in the bottom of the bucket.
Screw on a lid larger than the diameter of the bucket.

Illustrative examples of manufacturing can be seen in the photo of a simple drinking bowl for chickens.

Simple drinking containers

We briefly talked about simple containers earlier. But it's worth finding out what they are based on.

The name speaks for itself, these are the most uncomplicated designs. We pay for simplicity with constant monitoring of the drinker, the breeding of harmful microorganisms and pollution.

Let's briefly list the popular types.

Sewer pipe tank

Prices for polypropylene pipes for sewerage

Polypropylene pipes for sewerage

Everything is quite simple: the pipe is connected to a water source, and is closed with a plug from the other end. Holes are marked and made in the pipe itself, as shown in the photo. We advise you to clean the edges of the sawn holes for the safety of the chickens. But you should monitor the water level in the pipe and avoid spilling.

Marking slots in the sewer pipe

Single nipple drinker

Suitable for a small family of layers. All we need is a bottle (1-5 liters) with a drilled hole in the cap and a "180" nipple inserted into it.

Drinker with nipple "180"

Advice

It is necessary to observe the level of the upper edge of the product and the back of the chickens, they should be located at the same level.

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Drinker elements can be connected using aluminum wire or strong rope.

Many people make an original simple drinker according to their individual schemes.

How to choose a ready-made heated sippy cup

The cost

There are many varieties of winter drinking bowls for chickens on sale. They are suitable for large poultry farms and private poultry houses.

The cost of simple heated structures in Moscow starts from 700 rubles. The more complex the design, the higher the price. But you can save money and buy accessories separately.

Selection rules

When choosing a ready-made drinker, you must follow the recommendations.

Number of drinkers: water must be provided for all chickens. The watering front for one chicken is 5-7 centimeters. One adult chicken is enough 10-15 centimeters.

Depth: chickens, when drinking liquid, are immersed in it up to the eyes. Birds strive to get into the shallow drinking bowl with their paws. Thus polluting the water. For this reason, experts advise choosing a depth of at least 30 centimeters. Better yet, choose a nipple system. It is described below.

Protection: if the drinking bowl is made in such a way that dirt, chicken droppings fall into the water, then the basic rule is violated - hygiene. It is advisable to choose closed containers.

Ease of use: birds should have regular access to drink. And the farmer must freely change the water, disassemble and clean the drinking bowl.

Photo drinkers for chickens do it yourself

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Nipple system with heating cable

Making the foundation

You can simply purchase a nipple drinker that will keep the liquid warm. But it is not difficult to make such a system yourself.

If the livestock is large, you can make a drinking cup from which several birds can drink water at the same time. For this, a tube is installed, where holes are made for the nipples. They are installed in rubber gaskets. To prevent the liquid from leaking, the holes are treated with a sealant.

The container can be placed in any room. The main thing is to connect the hose to the pipes and the drinker. This design is easy to check. Add water to it. Carry out cleaning.

If it is not possible to connect the nipple system to the water supply directly, install a tank or a container similar to it. The main volume of water will be stored there, which needs to be replenished from time to time.

Other options for self-assembly are described in detail in the article "Types of nipple drinkers for chickens."

Improvement

To prevent the water from freezing, the nipple drinker can be wrapped in thick material first. And after a layer of insulation. This option is suitable for regions with warm to moderate winters.

Poultry farmers who are skilled in working with electricity use a heating cable. It is wrapped around the main pipe or hose of the nipple drinker. And, if necessary, include.

Another method: install a boiler, a heating element in the tank for storing the main volume of water.

The main disadvantage of this drinker option is that the operation of the heating element will have to be constantly monitored. In addition, after turning it off, the water cools down quickly.

Heating devices that are used for aquariums with ornamental fish will save the situation. But this is not a cheap pleasure.

Output

Any of the popular drinkers is not so difficult to make with your own hands. The simplest options can be built from available tools. Those that are more complicated, for example, nipple ones, will require some investment. But the expense will pay off - the birds will have clean and fresh water, which is important for their health and productivity.

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