Chicken Waterer - Step 1

DIY Chicken Waterer - Step 1

So I'm currently using the waterer I first bought at Tractor Supply in the spring (see below). 

It has served me well, but I am definitely ready to build a new waterer and here is why...

Reasons to Make a Chicken Waterer:

1. Better Access to Water - Chickens aren't great in the heat and because of this it's imperative that they have enough water on hot summer days so that they don't overheat, dehydrate, or die. I live in Nashville, so we have plenty of hot summer days. 

2. Less work - in the middle of the summer my 4 chickens empty their waterer in about 3-4 days so I'm having to fill and clean it frequently

3. Less cleaning - my chickens are constantly kicking dirt and grass into the waterer which prevents them from accessing the water AND gives me the fun responsibility of cleaning it more often than when it just runs empty

Things you'll need (for Step 1):

1. Enough 1" PVC pipe to make 2 lengths of 1 foot and 1 length of *** (I used 1" because I got a bunch for free on craigslist and it seems thick enough that drilling holes into it would hurt it's integrity)
2. 2 1" caps
3. 1 T joint (1" on all sides)
4. Power drill with 3/8" bit (double check the chicken nipple package)
5. Chicken nipples
6. Pipe cutter (or miter saw)
7. PVC primer
8. Beer

Instructions:

1. Cut PVC into two lengths of 1 foot each (you can use a pipe cutter for this, but I just used my miter saw)

2. Mark equidistant spots for chicken nipples, 2 marks on each length

3. Drill holes with 3/8" drill bit on each of the markings (see figure A). Go slowly and carefully - it's easy to drill through the other side if you're not paying attention

4. Clean the ends of the PVC pipe and the insides of the T joint and caps with acetone to prime it (I used paint thinner, you can use nail polish remover if you have it around)

5. Glue time - apply glue to outside of one end of PVC and inside of one cap and then firmly slide on cap. Repeat this with the other piece and the other cap (see figure B).

6. Apply glue to the un-capped ends of both PVC lengths and to the insides of the opposite ends of the T joint. Firmly place each PVC into the T joint being careful that all holes are pointing in the same correct direction (see figure C).

7. Screw chicken nipples firmly into each hole. I screwed each on by hand and then used a wrench to get them on tightly. Mine had a squishy clear washer (figure D) so I screwed each in tightly enough that the washer created a good seal (figure E).

A) Holes drilled after being marked

(I'm assuming chicken nipples are universal, but I found the measurements on the back of the package - see below)

B) Caps glued in place

C) Both sides glued into T joint

D) Chicken nipple with washer

E) Chicken nipple screwed into PVC pipe

I'll move on to Step 2 tomorrow!

We Have Eggs!

I had read online to expect Barred Rocks to start laying around 24 weeks old. So I had made a note, "Eggs?" on my calendar for July 8th. Well, apparently I've got some over-achievers in the group because I checked the coop when I got home June 6th and there was the first egg! It was fairly tiny and was under the waterer instead of in the nesting box, but I'm hoping they'll catch on to the nesting box idea in time! Despite it's small size it had a double yolk!

We've now had two more eggs, both in the run instead of inside the nesting boxes which are in the coop. I checked on them late the other night and it appears they've been sleeping in the run on their perch, probably due to there being more ventilation in the coop (it's been in the mid to high 90s the past few days here in Nashville).

Their perch in the run.

I'm guessing I have multiple birds laying now since I've had one white egg and two tan ones. My understanding is that a bird with have the same colored eggs throughout life. I wasn't expecting to have a tan-layer and a white-layer from the same species though, so that's fun!

Left: Egg #3, Right: Egg #2

Rainy Day Front Garden Update

It's been raining lightly all day which is great motivation for indoor cleaning (which our house sorely needs) but I somehow managed to squeeze in some soggy gardening time!

Last year I only had the two front raised beds and crammed way too much in them. This year I'm using the front beds mostly for greens and I've cleared an area in our backyard for big veggies (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc.).

I started the front beds this year around 3/18. We had a few freezes after that, but most of the seeds came up with the exception of the lettuce (I can never get lettuce to grow!).  I swapped out lettuce for spinach today (I like spinach better anyways). I also planted a few more collard greens where some original seeds didn't come up.

I finally got around to thinning out the arugula and mustard greens. True story: I HATE thinning plants. It makes me feel like some all powerful malevolent being with the power to destroy life. I usually have some inner dialogue going on about how the small tiny seedlings are begging for life as I pluck them one by one from the earth. In an act of mercy and guilt, I transplanted some of the greens that I thinned out to the raised beds near the chicken coop so maybe they'll take and I'll feel better about myself.

Below are the front yard beds, each are 4'x8'. I use the rope for planning and planting but will probably remove it once I've got everything labeled. Weeding has been a challenge so far because most of these plants are new to me so I'm not sure what they look like when they first come up!

Finished Coop and Run Tour!

Ya'll, I'll post more about how we built everything once I've caught my breath, BUT WE'VE GOT IT BUILT AND WE HAVE CHICKENS!!

Still some additions/adjustments to be made, but everything is in working order - huzzah!

Chicken Run (interior)

Chicken Coop & Run (exterior)

Installing the Run

I enlisted my buddy, Kenny, to help me carry and set up the run sides for installation. I had built the sides separately in February with the chicken wire (hardware cloth) already attached.

Photo from February when I built the sides

This was definitely a two person job. The sides were heavy and big enough to be awkward to place. We had them resting on cinder block in at least two different places and one of us would hold the side straight while the other installed it with deck screws. In retrospect, I could have used pockets screws or a better installation method, but I didn't think ahead so I used some small scrap pieces to attach the run sides to the coop. 

I left extra hardware cloth at the bottom and side of the run. I burry the bottom hardware cloth underground to predator-proof the structure. The side bits I should have removed before putting everything together.

I later built the end side by attaching some more 2x3s an a cross beam. I also added interior beams stretching the width of the run from the 7' side to the 6' side to use as support for the roof.

End of March

We installed the back cleaning doors before April. They stick pretty badly, but I don't consider it such a bad thing as it keeps them shut pretty tight. We tried sanding a decent amount which helped, but ultimately they still stuck - I guess that's what happens when there are no straight lines lol.

My man trying to help them fit a little better.

The doors installed. I tried attaching some handles I had laying around the garage. They were old plastic so split during attachment, but we used them for a few weeks just as a way of getting a good grip on the doors. They got replaced with nicer handles down the line.

Paneling!!

Here's more of my hodge-podge frankenstein paneling for the coop. I used everything from old shelf to baseboards - one woman's trash is another woman's chicken coop! All the lumber/wood for this entire project I found for free so I was determined to be thrifty and use what I had. As you can see, during the install things looked a little meh, but after a few coats of paint my pretty little bird house was coming together!

This is the side facing the run, where the chickens have their entry to the coop.

Another side of the coop. I tried scraping off that white paint but it was hanging on for dear life.

Here is the egg-door side after a coat of paint - all better!

For comparison, here is that side before it was painted!

Chicken Coop Update: March

March

March here in Nashville has thankfully warmed up, but it seems like we've had a rainstorm every weekend! The rain has given me plenty of time to catch up on my indoor seed-starting, but it's been frustrating to be stuck inside with so much work remaining on the run and coop!

The Foundation

My dad loves digging and was kind enough to dig out a perimeter for us back in November when he was here for Thanksgiving. My plans changed slightly since then, so we added another foot to the perimeter to make the full structure 10 feet long instead of the original 9'. We also had to lay some cinder blocks so that the structure has something firm to rest on. Note: leveling cinder blocks is no fun.

I'm pretty sure our neighbors think we are burying bodies.

I decided to incorporate this stump. It'll end up fairly close to the chicken door to the coop, so I may try making a "spiral staircase" down the stump instead of a ramp.

Bobby digging and contemplating why he married such a crazy woman.

I managed to smash my pinky hardcore between two cinder blocks while transporting them. It was not fun.

Coop Comes Together!!

This has been the most rewarding part of the build so far! It's so frustrating working on individual pieces and having to imagine them fitting together - it was super rewarding finally seeing everything fit together! Our buddy, Kenny, moved in with us recently so of course we put him to work helping with the build.

Kenny modeling the base (now reconstructed to it's proper dimension and painted) in it's final resting place atop the cinder blocks.

The coop, like the sides, has an extra foot of hardware cloth which will be buried. I'm also going to put maybe 6" or a foot of hardware cloth around the exterior once done as an apron to deter diggers.

We had finished the individual frames for the coop back in January but waited until we had the base up to put them together.

Happy girl and tired boys.

Ya'll, I've never built anything before in my life and I'm doing this completely from scratch with my own plans - I AM A BEAST!!!

Reinforcing the Run's Sides

Kenny helped me add support beams to the run which will help keep the overall structure stable and will keep the hardware cloth in place better. They've also been painted with the pink fence/porch paint we procured from the Habitat Store (fun story, it looked brown at the store - it's definitely pink).

The Coop Gets Some Siding

Last weekend was absolutely gorgeous so I spent Saturday and Sunday outside for about 10 hours each day planting my cold weather crops and getting the siding on the coop. I got a wicked sunburn, but it was worth getting to be outside in a tank top and shorts! Of course it snowed that same week (Nashville is bizarre).

This part was tricky. I decided to do paneling since I have all scrap wood. Most folks buy plywood and will cut one piece for a whole side, but I'm determined to make this whole thing and spend less than what I would on a cheap prefab so I had to get creative with my saws and scrap wood.

Before adding the paneling I cut out hardware cloth for all the windows and staples it to the frame. Once the paneling is added it will make the hardware cloth even more secure since the panels are applied over the staples.

I took a break for a few minutes to get my greens planted out front!

Ain't she a beaut? Since I was using scrap wood (and I suck at cutting straight lines) I will need to fill in gaps between the panels prior to painting. The coop will be painted the same pink as the rest of the structure.

I finished the other two sides the next day.

This big open side will have double doors that open for easy cleaning access.

Double Doors for Coop

Today was super dreary and the sky was threatening to dump rain, so I decided to work on something that could easily be done in the garage if needed. Thankfully the rain held off so I got some fresh air.

First off, I borrow a caulk gun from our neighbor (who also gave me some great tips for how to build the roof) and caulked those big gaps I was referring to earlier with wood filler. It's important to have good ventilation in a coop (hence the windows) but I don't want it to be drafty in the winter and I DO want it to be water proof for our frequent Tennessee downpours.

Then I got started on the double doors. I wanted them to be sturdy, so I made frames for them (again, using scrap wood). Not the prettiest things you've ever seen, but the frames will be on the inside, so it doesn't matter.

Then I attached plywood to the frames. A word of advice: Be aware of the length of your brad nails when using a brad nailer. I figured using the nailer would be quicker than screws, but I ended up nailing the whole thing to the table pictured above. I clipped off the extra length of nail with a wire clipper, but I wouldn't suggest that method!

The front (pretty side) of the door.

Slapping on some of that same pink fence/deck paint.

Double doors drying in the garage.

I pulled these off of the cabinet doors we removed from our original kitchen - maybe I'll use them for the doors! I plan on getting some hinges from the Habitat Store since they have pretty decent prices.

And that's it, folks! 

My goal is to have everything done by mid or late April so I can get some pullets - I'm thinking 3 hens, at least 14 weeks old. 

I have so far spent a grand total of $136.11 on this project. The bulk of that was for hardware cloth off of Amazon which was $61.11, but I was able to use gift cards redeemed from my Capital One credit card points so it didn't even come out of my pocket! The cost breakdown is below:

• Roofing Shingles - $10 (Facebook Marketplace)
• Roofing Paper/Felt - $15 (Habitat Store)
• Deck Screws - $30 (Home Depot)
• Pink Deck/Porch Paint - $20 for 2 cans (Habitat Store)
• Hardware Cloth - $61.11 (Amazon)

So far I've still spent less than what I would have on a low quality prefabricated coop so I am happy!

Stay tuned for more!