Plastic 7-Gallon "Little Giant" Waterers
For our outside Poultry Plaza, we have previously used the 7-gallon plastic "Little Giant" waterers. We have now gone to an automatic watering system, I hope to put a new page up on those soon. If you use the 7-gallon waterers or do not want an auto system, here are some good tips for you and some more info on that type of waterer.
Note on the picture above the little black cap that is on the top of the waterer's side. There is also a spout down below that where the cap alternately fits. If the cap is in the bottom position, all water is retained in the reservoir and by placing the cap on the top position, the water is released. The handled lid on top should never be over-tightened, I will tighten a lid until it gets harder to turn, then move the black cap, and listen for the waterer to "glug" and bubbles to rise to the top of the waterer. If water gushes, quickly tighten the lid until you hear the "glugging" sound of air bubbles as the water is released into the base. If you forget to move the cap, the birds will NOT have any water!
The picture on the right shows my waterer on a platform. This helps keep the water cleaner, and the platform height should be about the height of the birds' backs. This one is set up a little low, but still does a good job of keeping the water cleaner. I keep my platforms at this height so that they can be used for almost any poultry that is outside in pens.
I prefer to wash any new waterer, and have found it cheaper to buy them locally at my feed store than to order them and have them shipped. (They are oversized, and do not stack - so they come in several large boxes!) For washing and disinfecting, I use TekTrol. It kills more germs, is more economical than, and is safer for your hands and birds than bleach. I rinse the waterer well, and fill (making sure that the black cap is in the bottom position) to about two to three and half gallons in the waterer. Loosely put the lid on, just tight enough so that you can carry it safely.
Maybe I'm jumping ahead just a tad, but another good tip if you fill the waters like described just below, is that if you need a clean place to put the lid for the waterer - not in any mud from filling the waterer or in droppings in the pen, you can toss the lid into an empty or full water bucket and it will stay clean.
Because it is easier work to carry two water containers than one, fill a 5-gallon bucket to about 1/2 to 1 gallon more than you filled the waterer. Carry both to your platform where you want the waterer to "live". I set the waterer on the ground, unscrew the lid and pour the contents of your 5-gallon bucket into the waterer. NOTE: You can do this "sloppy" by letting some water run down the side of the reservoir and into the base - this allows any thirsty birds to get a quick drink and also allows you to put out a total of closer to 8 gallons of water out for your birds! If your waterer isn't yet full, carry another bucket of water to fill the reservoir to the 7 gallon line and also make sure that there is water in the base to the top of the spout level (where the black cap is). When the waterer is full, put the lid on and turn until it feels somewhat tighter. Carefully lift the waterer onto the platform and move the black cap from the bottom spout to the top position. LISTEN to the waterer. If it gushes, quickly turn the lid on the waterer until the gushing stops. If you don't do this, all the water will run out and your birds will have nothing to drink. If the base were empty, the waterer will make a glugging sound and bubbles will go from the bottom of the reservoir to the top. DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN the lid on the waterers! You can ruin the gasket that way, and it is extremely difficult, especially in the summer heat, to untighten the lid later on.
Check on your waterers at least once daily, twice is even better. I prefer to have enough waterers so that I do not have to refill them more often than once a day, and also I like to run out of water or dump and refill every few days in the summer and it can go a little longer in the winter.
Speaking of winter, I have not found a commercial warmer that will adequately keep plastic bird waterers de-iced. In Arkansas, we don't get a lot of cold weather in which ice would form in the waterers, so it isn't as big a threat. Some suggestions I would make would be to have twice the number of waterers you are using, (this makes it easy to ensure your birds can have a clean waterer at any given time) and "change out" a frozen one for a fresh one, and keep the "extras" someplace warm, in a shed with a heater or the like. If your waterers are sheltered, they will not be as likely to freeze up. It will be most important to change out waterers just before dark and again at sunrise. I suggest checking and changing out waterers as often as you have the time, at least one more time per day. Remember that poultry MUST have fresh, clean, LIQUID water to drink at all times. For your hands, use either jersey gloves or for smaller-hands for children or ladies, the stretch-to-fit gloves with rubber gloves like you'd wear washing dishes, use the next size larger than you'd normally wear, maybe two sizes larger if the gloves are bulky. This way, you stay warm and dry!
Also, in the summer time and as smaller birds grow into adults, they will require more frequent watering. Again, if you check on waterers twice a day, you should have no trouble keeping up. You may want to wash a waterer every time you refill it, especially if it is dusty or if aglae forms easily on the inner surfaces. I think TekTrol is the best disinfectant (Valley Vet can be looked up online and they have the best price per gallon of concentrate!) and other "tools" for cleaning include a hose sprayer, a toilet brush, and a smaller scrub brush to get into the small spaces.
I have also found that the best sprayer for TekTrol (or horse fly spray) is a pressurized sprayer (NOT for a garden hose, but an independant unit) like you would use for pesticides. Buy a new one that hasn't had other chemicals in it, they should run less than $10 each and are very handy. The sprayer will have a longer lifespan if kept at room temperature and out of the sun. Make sure to mark its contents - I have noticed that TekTrol and the brand of horse fly spray that I use (it is also safe for dogs and therefore used on our canine as well) looks a lot like TekTrol. Always buy a new, clean sprayer if you are using a different chemical.
One more note on refills for the 7-gallon waterers, if you are short and/or are having problems getting the lid off of the waterer - if it is hot or has been over-tightened, try taking the base off of the reservoir, hold the water firmly between your feet, and use a long stick or handle from a tool to loosen the lid more easily. It may also be easier to carry the waterer without its base (they ride better in a wheelbarrow that way, although I have found it isn't worth the hassle of trying to lift it up over the wheelbarrow to get the waterer out). A flat, wagon-style garden cart may be more useful than a wheelbarrow. I've not tried that one yet!
Hope this helps - again, I really love these waterers but they are a little tricky to be comfortable using. I like how easy it is, even from a distance (unless they get very dusty) to see the level of the water (you CANNOT do this with a metal waterer at all). They are lighter and I have heard that plastic is easier to keep clean than the galvanized waterers. (Same goes for feeders...)
Also, I save any reusable pieces/parts if there is a problem with a waterer - if a base breaks, but the rest is good - hang onto it if you have room to store it where sunlight and extreme heat or cold will not break down the plastic. Eventually, you may be able to piece together waterers that way and save a little on the expense of replacing them with brand new units!
Have I forgotten anything? Feel free to email me if you have ideas that I've missed.
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