Hot, dry summer days brings a new set of challenges when providing water to your poultry. Let us describe how we have solved some of these issues.
Drinker Types
Hot summer days have meant we have had to carefully think about the drinkers we deploy in the chicken enclosure. There are many different drinkers available on the market. The type we choose is dependent on what we want to do with them. For example, when we have young chicks in the flock high tripod drinkers are not appropriate and in summer, we have many different ages of chickens from day olds to adults.
The photograph on the right shows some of the different types, but let’s go through some of the advantages and disadvantages so you can choose the right drinker:
- This is a 1.5l plastic drinker that has a small capacity so isn’t very suitable for adult hens but it’s a great size for our chicks as a first drinker. We ensure all of our chicks have access to a drinker inside the coop on hatch although, don’t panic if you don’t do this. In reality, they don’t need water until 24-48 hours after hatching as they continue to be sustained by the remainder of the yolk from the egg for that period.
- This is a nipple drinker which again is a great drinker for chicks and can be use for adults but a large capacity reservoir would be advisable.
- This is a drinker that we love. It’s sustainable as it’s not oil based plastic but made from plant products. It has an internal reservoir so is easy to fill. Not suitable for chicks, but great for point of lay and adult chickens.
- A galvanised drinker has great longevity. Plastic can degrade over time in the sunlight and is more likely to generate algae as they let sunlight in but galvanised drinkers will last much longer. The downside is that if you choose to add cider vinegar to the water to support gut health, the acid will react with the zinc coating on the steel which will leech from the drinker and can be toxic.
- Tripod Drinker. This is the drinker that we use in Winter. Due to the height of the drinker, we don’t utilise this in Summer. As breeders during the warmer Summer months, we have multiple ages of chickens in our orchard where the chickens live, and the tripod drinkers are not accessible by chicks and youngsters.
Although we don’t have them, automatic drinkers are available. These are connected to the water supply (usually a large reservoir) and will replenish the levels as soon as your chickens consume water, much like an automatic horse trough on a smaller scale. Nipple drinkers can be purchased in this format too rather than being connected to a refillable reservoir. These are most suitable if you have large numbers of chickens. Our maximum number (most of which will be very young chickens) is under 100, so we have never seen this as necessary for us but they are worth thinking about for larger flocks.
Availability
In the heat of summer, easy access to water is essential as your flock will take in more water. In our group we have many different ages of chickens from a few days old to a few years old and there is a very definite pecking order. The youngest have the protection of their brood hen and the oldest have the status high in the pecking order, but there is a group in the middle who may find it more difficult to access water if the only water available is guarded by the older hens. As a result, we have multiple drinkers dotted around the orchard where the chickens live. It generally means that at least one drinker is available for the younger chickens to quench their thirst.
Shelter and Shade
All of our drinkers are placed in sheltered positions where they benefit from the cooler shade. We do that for two reasons:
- The shade keeps water cooler for longer. Drinkers in direct sunlight will warm water surprisingly quickly. For us in the Summer of 2022, this was a particular problem for all of our drinkers as we live not far from where the country’s first 40⁰c temperature was recorded. We not only had the drinkers in the shade, but we were in the shade too!!!
- Keeping the drinkers under shelter means that that the pecking order issues described under the “Availability” are less likely to happen. The drinkers and which chickens are using them is only visible from one direction. Genuinely it solves so many problems!
Giant Popsicles
Yes, you read the title correctly, we said Giant Popsicles. This is the main trick in our arsenal to keep drinkers cool on very hot days.
Like many people, over the years we have built up a stock of airtight clip top containers for storing food. We use these to made giant popsicles. We got the idea after initially using ice-cubes to cool the chicken’s water, but ice cubes are very small and in hot weather will melt quickly, so we decided to make GIANT versions. The clip top containers are perfect because they are water tight. For low, squat drinkers we use rectangular boxes, but for tall drinkers we use Spaghetti containers. They are exactly the right shape.
To make a giant popsicle, simply fill the container ¾ full so that there is some expansion room as the ice forms, clip the lid on and pop it in the freezer. We generally do this overnight as the larger volume of water takes longer to freeze than small cubes. Once frozen, the giant popsicle can be removed and added to the drinker. The container can then be refilled and popped back in the freezer to make another popsicle.
Regular Routines
We have a routine in summer that drinkers are emptied every night and refilled each morning. The main reason for that is to reduce the risk of rodents entering the chicken enclosure in search of water. Water will be short for them in the days of lower rainfall. Particularly for us as chicken breeders this is very important as we have small, vulnerable chicks which would not stand up well to a rat.
Another good reason to undertake this routine is that warmer temperatures and strong sunlight will increase the likelihood of green algae growth. It’s surprising how quickly a thin green sheen can appear on the surfaces of a drinker.
In summary
- Select your drinkers in Summer carefully based on the needs of your flock
- Provide multiple drinkers for your flock
- Place your drinkers in shelter and/or shade out of direct sunlight
- Empty drinkers overnight to avoid attracting rodents and prevent algae growth
