Oct. 27, 2025

Poultry Water Systems-Part 1

Show Notes
Transcript

Welcome to another episode of The Poultry Keepers Podcast! In this first part of our two-part deep dive, Carey Blackmon and Jeff Mattocks unpack everything you need to know about poultry water systems—from nipple and cup design to keeping water clean, cool, and algae-free.

Whether you’re raising a few backyard hens or managing a larger breeding flock, clean water is critical for bird health, growth, and egg production. Carey and Jeff share practical solutions for summer heat, winter freeze protection, pH balance, and choosing the right equipment for chicks, layers, and turkeys.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How water quality affects feed intake and production.
The difference between chick, layer, and turkey nipple drinkers.
Safe ways to reduce algae and keep systems clean.
How temperature and light affect water consumption.
Smart hacks to cool water in summer and prevent freezing in winter.
Why system design matters for consistent flock health.

This episode is packed with proven tips, real-world experiences, and Jeff Mattocks’ professional insight into water quality and system setup.

🎧 Listen now at : www.thepoultrykeeperspodcast.com Then get ready for Part 2 of Poultry Water Systems next week!

#PoultryKeepersPodcast #PoultryKeepers360 #PoultryBreedersNutrition #ShowProFarmSupply #PoultryWaterSystems #BackyardChickens #PoultryCare #ChickenWatering #HomesteadChickens #PoultryHealth #CleanWaterForChickens #ChickenKeepingTips #WaterQuality #PoultryManagement #FlockCare

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WEBVTT

00:00:00.029 --> 00:00:03.240
Welcome to another episode of the Poultry Keepers Podcast.

00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:08.699
You know, providing your birds with a constant source of clean fresh water is so important.

00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:18.500
Today Carey Blackmon and Jeff Mattocks do a deep dive into Poultry Water Systems to take the confusion and frustration out of this important topic.

00:00:18.769 --> 00:00:20.010
Now here's Carey and Jeff.

00:00:30.795 --> 00:00:31.995
We have.

00:00:32.895 --> 00:00:36.585
What I consider a pretty important topic we're gonna talk about water.

00:00:37.484 --> 00:00:39.884
That's the second thing most, that is so exciting.

00:00:40.185 --> 00:00:44.924
That is the second most important for all living creatures.

00:00:45.585 --> 00:00:45.884
Right?

00:00:46.784 --> 00:00:50.564
I've tried so many different watering systems over the years.

00:00:51.299 --> 00:00:57.840
You and I have talked about different systems that I've tried things to try to make it different things to try to make it better.

00:00:58.740 --> 00:01:03.479
So I figured, hey, look, you know what, there's people out there.

00:01:04.049 --> 00:01:11.299
I've seen a lot in the PK 360 group and in the peak poultry breeder nutrition group.

00:01:11.420 --> 00:01:12.230
A lot of people.

00:01:12.875 --> 00:01:17.974
Are getting chicks this time of year or a lot of people are just getting into chickens this time of year.

00:01:17.974 --> 00:01:31.444
So I figured, hey, look, it'd be a great time to hopefully save them a lot of headaches and screaming fits making up some four letter words.

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Save'em all that trouble, and maybe they can learn from the crap that we've been through,

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maybe.

00:01:38.915 --> 00:01:46.594
Maybe, but the reality of it is people have to work through their own iterations of mistakes.

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Okay.

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There's a very small percentage who actually learn from other people's mistakes, but that's all right.

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It's

00:01:54.605 --> 00:01:54.905
all right.

00:01:55.064 --> 00:02:00.465
We can give'em some ideas and Yeah, they can try it and see if it works or not themselves.

00:02:01.364 --> 00:02:01.424
Yeah.

00:02:01.950 --> 00:02:02.280
Okay.

00:02:02.280 --> 00:02:10.500
So the concept that I was bugging you about, that you're gonna talk about tonight it is gonna be mind blowing for a lot of the people listening tonight.

00:02:10.689 --> 00:02:12.759
Just, anyway,

00:02:13.659 --> 00:02:22.150
I gave you a lot of mess years ago about chicken feed and I had to eat crow on that one.

00:02:22.974 --> 00:02:28.254
So this time when you are like, Hey, you should try this, I was like what would it look like?

00:02:29.155 --> 00:02:29.544
Okay.

00:02:30.444 --> 00:02:39.025
I like the concept and to be honest, I have birds that are using that now.

00:02:39.925 --> 00:02:41.275
They're growing faster.

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They're healthier.

00:02:44.004 --> 00:02:46.164
Their combs and waddles are red.

00:02:47.064 --> 00:02:55.224
While everybody else is miserably molten, and I just, it works.

00:02:56.125 --> 00:03:02.634
Now I will say this Turkey nipples and chicken nipples are different.

00:03:03.534 --> 00:03:08.485
You do not use, you don't use a Turkey nipple for a chicken, right?

00:03:08.534 --> 00:03:11.085
I was like, okay, look, I'll get these.

00:03:11.685 --> 00:03:16.724
I'll use these and then that and no.

00:03:17.625 --> 00:03:22.610
So I just raised my nipple line up high where only the turkeys could play with it.

00:03:23.509 --> 00:03:26.120
They're not created equal and yeah.

00:03:27.020 --> 00:03:32.060
Like a chick nipple is not the same as a mature bird nipple, right?

00:03:32.120 --> 00:03:37.939
They may specified to deliver a certain amount of water per peck, right?

00:03:38.030 --> 00:03:43.939
And like a layer nipple is gonna deliver way more than a chick needs.

00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:50.000
And a Turkey nipple is gonna deliver a lot more than a chick or a chicken needs.

00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:52.460
So anyway, I know that is true.

00:03:52.469 --> 00:03:54.659
We're just teasing them with what we're gonna talk about.

00:03:54.659 --> 00:03:56.610
But you can roll into it whenever you like.

00:03:56.909 --> 00:03:57.389
But look,

00:03:57.389 --> 00:04:00.129
look, I'll say this I'm huge fan.

00:04:01.030 --> 00:04:08.675
I have, so what got me into that type watering is that's all my quail use period.

00:04:09.574 --> 00:04:12.155
Since brooder, they've never had anything else.

00:04:12.185 --> 00:04:17.675
When they go into the cage, they're on the my pigs.

00:04:18.574 --> 00:04:24.495
It don't matter what you build a watering system out of, even steel, a pig could tear it up.

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You get a steel pipe, stainless steel pipe and a stainless steel nipple.

00:04:33.024 --> 00:04:34.404
They haven't tore that up yet.

00:04:35.305 --> 00:04:35.964
No.

00:04:36.865 --> 00:04:37.194
Now

00:04:37.194 --> 00:04:38.394
they'll sit and play with it.

00:04:38.725 --> 00:04:47.634
Now wait, if you get it too close or you get it inside their pen fully right where they can They'll find a way to destroy that as well.

00:04:47.904 --> 00:04:48.175
So

00:04:48.384 --> 00:04:49.629
just, so what I did was.

00:04:50.529 --> 00:04:58.269
I've got it hanging from a tree inside their pen with a spring on it.

00:04:59.170 --> 00:05:05.199
And it's really funny because they'll be drinking from it and they'll want to get ornery with it and start fighting with it.

00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:07.899
And that spring to pullet right back outta their mouth.

00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:14.615
And when you see that I'm gonna set a camera up and hope I can get a video shot of that happening.

00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:16.790
Because it is hilarious.

00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:17.329
Yep.

00:05:18.230 --> 00:05:20.810
But anyway, we're here to talk about chicken, water

00:05:21.379 --> 00:05:22.370
Sip happens.

00:05:22.730 --> 00:05:25.680
We're going, talk about some hacks and stuff.

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This right here, this is a Jeff inspired slide'cause he don't care about nothing but quality and I like that.

00:05:38.220 --> 00:05:43.019
You want the pH between six and a half and seven and a half.

00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:49.920
You want your water to be clear, don't it smell like bleach or sulfur.

00:05:50.430 --> 00:06:03.269
Although I will say if you're on a well and it slightly smells of sulfur you will probably never have a problem with mites or anything like that.

00:06:04.170 --> 00:06:04.500
Let's see.

00:06:04.709 --> 00:06:07.620
In the winter, in the summertime, you want your water to be cool.

00:06:08.519 --> 00:06:09.930
50 to 70 degrees.

00:06:10.829 --> 00:06:17.449
Now, some ways to do that, lots of people use just, the water tanks.

00:06:18.139 --> 00:06:26.089
Get you some 20 ounce water bottles and freeze'em and stick'em in there in the morning before you go to work or get you some large.

00:06:26.990 --> 00:06:28.970
Ice cube trays.

00:06:29.870 --> 00:06:36.105
One of the one that works really well is in my, in one of my chicken yards.

00:06:36.254 --> 00:06:41.925
I've got a lot individually pinned up and they have half gallon water cups.

00:06:42.824 --> 00:06:47.264
I have some that make two inch spheres and they're really cool.

00:06:48.165 --> 00:06:51.704
I stick one of those in their water cup in the morning and they go nuts.

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They'll peck on it for a while.

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So it gives them fun and it keeps their water cool throughout the day.

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That works now for our friends in other countries that use the other system, 10 to 21 degrees Celsius.

00:07:07.274 --> 00:07:11.444
It is gonna be where you want your water in the summertime.

00:07:12.345 --> 00:07:15.824
Now, in the wintertime, you want it 33 degrees.

00:07:16.605 --> 00:07:21.975
At least anything above freezing, they're gonna love it just like we do.

00:07:22.855 --> 00:07:29.845
We'll be outside and come in and get us a cold glass of water or grab a bottle of water right out of the fridge.

00:07:30.745 --> 00:07:31.584
They like it too.

00:07:32.485 --> 00:07:35.339
Jeff, while you was out, I was telling'em about making spheres.

00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:46.629
To put in water cups or freezing bottles or if they have a big enough reservoir that has a huge top, you can get two liters.

00:07:47.529 --> 00:07:57.100
You can get gallon jugs and cut the top off of them, anything like that, that you can freeze a big chunk and put the whole chunk of ice in there.

00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:01.660
A large chunk of ice as it thaws out more water.

00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:02.920
They're good.

00:08:03.819 --> 00:08:09.709
The bigger the reservoir, the bigger the ice needs to be, but, to keep it, keep it cooler longer.

00:08:09.709 --> 00:08:09.769
Yeah.

00:08:10.670 --> 00:08:10.959
Yeah.

00:08:11.240 --> 00:08:18.110
'cause you can take a handful of ice and cool down a cup, but you're gonna need a lot to cool down a hundred

00:08:18.110 --> 00:08:18.829
gallon tank.

00:08:19.730 --> 00:08:25.220
Yeah, you really need to be thinking at about the 10% or higher level, 10 to 20% of the volume.

00:08:25.610 --> 00:08:39.794
Like you're 40 gallon, your new system and I don't know how they're gonna talk about that, but your new system, they ought to be like five gallons of five gallon block of ice.

00:08:39.794 --> 00:08:43.245
So if you're freezing a five gallon PAE of water, that

00:08:44.144 --> 00:08:46.245
So the five gallon pale won't fit.

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Come on.

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Oh, you desired, you.

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Cheers.

00:08:50.019 --> 00:08:52.095
You didn't with clearances.

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Okay.

00:08:52.995 --> 00:09:01.090
Tank tank number one about the biggest thing you're gonna get is a one of those ice cream buckets.

00:09:01.990 --> 00:09:05.289
That's about as big as it's gonna get now, but you can get a couple in there.

00:09:05.340 --> 00:09:14.909
I'm working, I am in the process to try to source some 30 gallon drums where the whole lid removes.

00:09:15.809 --> 00:09:18.929
Okay, but aren't you using a 45 gallon trash can?

00:09:19.799 --> 00:09:20.190
No.

00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:21.360
No.

00:09:21.389 --> 00:09:23.399
I'm using a 30 gallon drum.

00:09:23.940 --> 00:09:24.299
Okay.

00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:26.100
Let's see.

00:09:26.370 --> 00:09:27.539
RS has a question.

00:09:27.539 --> 00:09:31.289
How much does one laying hand drink on average?

00:09:32.190 --> 00:09:38.789
Okay, it should be between six and eight ounces per day.

00:09:39.690 --> 00:09:39.929
Yep.

00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:46.240
Water consumption should always be twice as much as the feed consumption by weight.

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So if your bird's eating three ounces, the average will be six ounces of water.

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If it's eating four ounces of feed.

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It'll average eight ounces of water.

00:09:56.855 --> 00:09:58.865
So the rule of thumb is two to one by weight.

00:09:59.034 --> 00:10:00.745
And that's always held true.

00:10:01.375 --> 00:10:09.205
And when I see that is not actually holding out, it's a pretty good indicator that the water quality is not good at all.

00:10:09.274 --> 00:10:10.924
So the bird's not drinking.

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It's full regiment of water.

00:10:14.615 --> 00:10:19.745
So the exception to that, that I have found is.

00:10:20.644 --> 00:10:21.754
July and August,

00:10:22.654 --> 00:10:23.434
it'll be higher than,

00:10:23.825 --> 00:10:24.004
yeah.

00:10:24.034 --> 00:10:24.215
Yeah.

00:10:24.440 --> 00:10:31.200
On a hundred plus degree days, I guarantee you they're drinking more than six ounces of water.

00:10:32.100 --> 00:10:32.309
Right.

00:10:32.730 --> 00:10:36.149
They might be hitting 10, and when you get cold cooler.

00:10:36.945 --> 00:10:41.445
You could drop down to five or six when they should be drinking eight.

00:10:41.985 --> 00:10:46.825
So that's based, that's a temperature based, that average like 75, 80 degrees.

00:10:47.725 --> 00:10:48.654
It's gonna be two to one.

00:10:48.745 --> 00:10:58.565
And, but when you're talking about, extreme temperatures one way or the other, it can be off one to two ounces, and there again, like in the winter, it depends on.

00:10:59.375 --> 00:11:04.325
How cool your water or how you know, how warm or cold your water is.

00:11:04.414 --> 00:11:12.815
And the same thing if you, when you figure out how to chill your water for the summertime, then they won't drink that 10 ounces anymore.

00:11:13.445 --> 00:11:13.774
Yeah.

00:11:14.674 --> 00:11:19.924
Would their poops be funnier on hotter days due to the water intake increase?

00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:20.679
Yeah.

00:11:20.754 --> 00:11:21.865
On extremely,

00:11:22.315 --> 00:11:22.615
yeah.

00:11:23.514 --> 00:11:24.894
On extremely hot days.

00:11:25.325 --> 00:11:33.365
They will increase their water intake and you're gonna get some droppings that, just look more like a puddle, kind of greenish white.

00:11:33.664 --> 00:11:34.720
And they don't stand up at all.

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That's okay.

00:11:36.445 --> 00:11:36.804
Yeah.

00:11:36.955 --> 00:11:37.495
It's normal.

00:11:37.495 --> 00:11:37.644
Yep.

00:11:38.394 --> 00:11:45.894
I'm getting ready to go out of town for a few days and I was making sure everything was good in my yard, checking all my birds and.

00:11:46.779 --> 00:11:58.279
Nine o'clock, nine 30 this morning it was about 85 degrees already and one walked by me and I don't, why can't it just go somewhere else and do this?

00:11:58.279 --> 00:12:09.144
I don't know, but it just did it right there by me, and it was like nasty and green.

00:12:10.044 --> 00:12:12.715
And at first I was like, Hey, that ain't supposed to look like that.

00:12:13.345 --> 00:12:18.634
But then I looked down at my shirt and it's soaking wet oh it's really hot today.

00:12:19.534 --> 00:12:21.034
It's probably already been drinking a lot.

00:12:21.424 --> 00:12:21.664
Yeah.

00:12:22.565 --> 00:12:22.835
Yep.

00:12:23.735 --> 00:12:26.460
You'll wanna avoid standing algae.

00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:30.090
You can add pieces of copper pipe.

00:12:30.674 --> 00:12:34.784
Rotate your wattles, clean them out every day or every two days.

00:12:35.684 --> 00:12:37.424
Containers with lids.

00:12:38.065 --> 00:12:54.804
If you're using some type of reservoir system to feed cups or anything like that, if you use black tube instead of a clear tube, that's better also if you use a black bucket instead of a opaque bucket.

00:12:55.705 --> 00:13:02.375
Sometimes when you get a jug and you can see through it, that's what I mean by opaque.

00:13:02.945 --> 00:13:09.605
And if you get a, if you get a black one or the blue ones from Lowe's, no light really gets through that.

00:13:10.235 --> 00:13:19.534
The orange ones from Home Depot, I would paint those because light does go through those, but anything like that.

00:13:20.179 --> 00:13:21.440
Make sure you put a lid on it.

00:13:22.340 --> 00:13:29.929
That is the less light you can let get to that water, the less algae will grow.

00:13:30.830 --> 00:13:37.309
And if you put some copper in it, magic happens and you don't have algae.

00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:38.659
Yeah, the copper.

00:13:39.559 --> 00:13:40.879
Just for clarity, right?

00:13:40.909 --> 00:13:46.340
For people that the copper works on the lower end of the pH spectrum.

00:13:47.000 --> 00:13:55.009
So if your water is up there at seven, five, or eight, you're not gonna get the effects outta the copper that you want, right?

00:13:55.039 --> 00:14:00.500
So you need some slight acidity to get that copper tube to break down.

00:14:00.740 --> 00:14:04.100
But just slow release, I don't wanna say breakdown, right?

00:14:04.149 --> 00:14:06.429
People are gonna start thinking about copper dissolving.

00:14:06.975 --> 00:14:20.794
The pH you'd have to get to for copper to really start dissolving is pretty low, at six or six five, it's gonna have a, an extremely slow release, but it's enough release of copper to keep the algae under control.

00:14:21.695 --> 00:14:29.044
And you've ever gone by a pond that looks blue or bluish green, they've treated that with copper sulfate, right?

00:14:29.434 --> 00:14:33.095
Copper is a very widely used.

00:14:33.629 --> 00:14:37.409
Alga side, for ponds, pools, whatever.

00:14:37.620 --> 00:14:38.100
And

00:14:38.610 --> 00:14:41.700
jeff, you will be very proud of me.

00:14:42.600 --> 00:14:46.860
I made a purchase that came in the other day.

00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:49.110
Of course I got it off Amazon.

00:14:50.009 --> 00:14:51.690
It checks, it's a water tester.

00:14:52.590 --> 00:14:57.059
Designed for drinking water, hydroponic, aquariums, that kind of stuff.

00:14:57.960 --> 00:15:00.360
And it checks, checks for all kinds of stuff.

00:15:01.259 --> 00:15:15.120
So it, it'll tell, it'll give me a digital readout of the pH instead of having to use the pool strips conductivity, which I think that's helps tell how many.

00:15:16.019 --> 00:15:17.039
How much metal's in it.

00:15:17.940 --> 00:15:19.080
It'll do all kinds of stuff.

00:15:19.980 --> 00:15:26.639
I've only learned so far how to do one or two things with it, but I was like, Jeff would be proud.

00:15:27.389 --> 00:15:36.330
Because I already use water filters on my lines that are outside, this just lets me actually see that it works.

00:15:37.230 --> 00:15:37.470
All right.

00:15:37.500 --> 00:15:38.850
We got a couple questions.

00:15:39.299 --> 00:15:39.750
Yeah.

00:15:39.750 --> 00:15:45.570
Actually ask if Dawn dish soap is okay to clean the wattles, do you prefer another cleaner?

00:15:46.049 --> 00:15:47.370
No, Dawn's fine.

00:15:47.789 --> 00:15:47.850
Yeah.

00:15:47.850 --> 00:15:49.830
And just make sure you rinse it really well.

00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:54.029
Don't get it too strong, don't get overzealous with your dawn.

00:15:54.029 --> 00:15:54.090
Yeah.

00:15:54.600 --> 00:15:57.539
But just make sure that you've got it rinsed really well.

00:15:57.539 --> 00:15:58.980
So there's no soap residue.

00:15:59.549 --> 00:16:01.799
The soap root is, residue is not gonna kill'em.

00:16:01.879 --> 00:16:03.139
It's not even gonna make'em sick.

00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:07.500
What's gonna happen is with some soap residue, you're gonna see some runny boop.

00:16:07.544 --> 00:16:12.345
And then you're gonna be all concerned that you got something else going on.

00:16:13.125 --> 00:16:19.875
And it's a, it just, as long as you get'em wrenched you're fine with pretty much any type of soap is fine.

00:16:20.054 --> 00:16:20.294
Yeah.

00:16:20.294 --> 00:16:22.985
I don't get carried away with a preference on soap.

00:16:23.884 --> 00:16:24.034
Yeah.

00:16:24.065 --> 00:16:31.595
What, whatever you have you recently switched to Nibble water for wintertime?

00:16:32.450 --> 00:16:34.490
I saw most of them drinking from it.

00:16:34.490 --> 00:16:40.309
Should I remove their old drinkers now and force them to drink with a nipple water?

00:16:41.210 --> 00:16:44.519
I would not I'd give it at least another week.

00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:47.090
Joy don't, I know, don't be in a hurry.

00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:59.549
And even with winter coming in Ohio, similar climate as us once a day you could figure out a way to give them a large volume of water.

00:16:59.580 --> 00:17:02.519
Something like a rubber dish or a bowl or something.

00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:06.099
Where you bring'em warm water, around feeding time.

00:17:06.759 --> 00:17:08.799
My birds really enjoyed that.

00:17:09.190 --> 00:17:16.740
Even though they had, other sources, just the fact that it was warm warms'em up, right around feeding time.

00:17:17.339 --> 00:17:19.619
The, it was just a good thing to do.

00:17:20.009 --> 00:17:25.849
And I noticed in the winter if I could keep the water warm, up in that 50 to 60 degree range.

00:17:26.390 --> 00:17:30.440
They consumed a lot more of it, but when it getting down into the thirties.

00:17:31.339 --> 00:17:36.140
Like a cold drink with ice in it, then Yeah, I, it slows'em down.

00:17:36.869 --> 00:17:41.309
If you're cold, you're probably not going to drink freezing cold water.

00:17:41.640 --> 00:17:41.880
Yeah.

00:17:42.329 --> 00:17:59.329
But I, I do, I did order some aquarium heaters to go in my water reservoirs to that have a minimum temp I wanna say of 50 or 60 something, one of those, which was perfect for me.

00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:03.130
'cause I figured, if I can keep it 60 degrees, that would probably, is it,

00:18:03.849 --> 00:18:05.950
is it gonna do your volume and your reservoir?

00:18:06.849 --> 00:18:13.099
It's designed, the ones that I got is designed for a a hundred gallon aquarium.

00:18:13.700 --> 00:18:13.970
Okay.

00:18:14.390 --> 00:18:19.369
So when I go up to the 30 gallon drum.

00:18:19.684 --> 00:18:32.255
To use for the water, plus, I'm gonna say five-ish gallons of water in the line with it constantly circulating.

00:18:33.154 --> 00:18:36.755
It should still keep up with the temperature and keep it warm.

00:18:37.654 --> 00:18:53.454
So I wanna back up just for a second, and I'm not disagreeing with you, but when you talked about the black bucket, so you want, you don't want light getting in the summertime if you're going to use a darker color, it needs to be kept in the shade, right?

00:18:53.505 --> 00:18:55.515
Because if it's sitting in the direct sunlight.

00:18:56.244 --> 00:18:59.664
It's gonna gather radiant heat faster than a lighter color.

00:19:00.144 --> 00:19:00.325
Yep.

00:19:00.384 --> 00:19:11.174
And then I just diagnosed this, from the time I left the office till now someone contacted one of my feed mills and said, in June, all my hands quit laying right.

00:19:11.234 --> 00:19:16.035
And he sent pictures of his setup and he had 55 gallon black barrels.

00:19:16.934 --> 00:19:25.335
Sitting open in the sun on the back of his chicken tractor and yeah, middle of June, they all quit laying.

00:19:25.335 --> 00:19:29.444
I wonder what the temperature of that water was in North Carolina in June.

00:19:29.890 --> 00:19:31.329
So I tested that.

00:19:32.230 --> 00:19:41.559
One day right after lunchtime, I had a bucket that I did not, it's not in use, and I did not put any ice in it.

00:19:42.460 --> 00:19:45.430
That water was almost a hundred degrees.

00:19:46.329 --> 00:19:46.539
Yeah.

00:19:46.539 --> 00:19:47.049
And you're gonna, it

00:19:47.049 --> 00:19:47.829
was in the shade.

00:19:48.609 --> 00:19:55.759
You're gonna peak your temperatures, that would be a really good piece of information to share with people at some point.

00:19:55.819 --> 00:20:02.690
But if you set that black bucket in, it doesn't even have to be full sun, but if you put it in direct sun.

00:20:03.589 --> 00:20:11.795
And you wanna measure that at about 4:00 PM 3:34 PM to get your maximum temperature to see what it actually Oh yeah.

00:20:11.795 --> 00:20:12.410
It's gotta be a hundred.

00:20:13.160 --> 00:20:13.400
Yeah.

00:20:13.430 --> 00:20:17.309
'cause you're using your water should be 55, 60 degrees coming outta the tap.

00:20:17.880 --> 00:20:18.990
Depending on where you're at.

00:20:19.150 --> 00:20:26.420
I think it would be really interesting for people to know how much that water temperature can change in the course of a day.

00:20:27.109 --> 00:20:27.920
But anyway,

00:20:28.819 --> 00:20:40.759
So what I can do is actually have a thermometer that's designed to go inside of a deep freeze, and the probe is waterproof.

00:20:41.660 --> 00:20:47.150
So what I can do is put it in and let it sit for a couple of days.

00:20:47.480 --> 00:20:50.454
It'll track the temperature inside of it.

00:20:51.355 --> 00:20:53.309
And we can see what that does.

00:20:53.549 --> 00:21:01.950
See here, I thought you were gonna tell me like, let's put a meat thermometer because all these fancy grills now that you can get this Bluetooth thing where you stick a meat probe in it.

00:21:02.849 --> 00:21:03.359
Yeah.

00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:03.630
I don't

00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:04.380
know that'd work.

00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:08.700
And it'll just send the temperature right to your phone, wherever you are.

00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:09.900
Yeah.

00:21:09.950 --> 00:21:11.569
Only on this system.

00:21:11.720 --> 00:21:15.859
It's made by Govi and I can tell the temperature.

00:21:16.759 --> 00:21:28.849
I got another deep freeze, so I got another thermometer and I haven't put it in yet, so I could stick it in the water, run that, and then hook it up to the, stick it in the freezer.

00:21:29.750 --> 00:21:34.940
Let's see, I live in Ontario, wind to Hz, drink their water.

00:21:35.704 --> 00:21:40.984
I expect frozen wattles more important to have fresh water in the morning or the afternoon.

00:21:41.884 --> 00:21:48.275
Actually, the first thing a hen does when she comes off the roost in the morning, she's got to have water, right?

00:21:48.454 --> 00:21:50.734
It is critical to have water.

00:21:51.154 --> 00:21:56.224
She's pretty dehydrated'cause she hasn't drank during that dark period while she was on the roost.

00:21:57.125 --> 00:22:04.845
And we're talking about winter, she's been without water for, 14, 16 hours, depending on how far up in Ontario you are.

00:22:05.384 --> 00:22:09.105
So first thing she's got to have is water.

00:22:09.164 --> 00:22:21.525
When she comes off the roost and she's going to eat right, and if there's food available, she's gonna eat, and then she's gonna drink some more because there's a low level of salt and it's supposed to be in the feed.

00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:24.170
So there's gonna be a little bit of salt in the feed.

00:22:24.170 --> 00:22:31.130
She's gonna want to, she also needs water in her crop to start softening and start the fermentation process.

00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:37.400
So she's gonna need water, before she eats and right after she eats.

00:22:37.789 --> 00:22:42.650
So whenever mealtime is, we're gonna have to make sure we have water available at that time as well.

00:22:43.549 --> 00:22:49.609
I am guessing RS does not have any power to her chicken coop to keep the wattles not frozen.

00:22:50.450 --> 00:22:52.460
But that would be a thing.

00:22:53.359 --> 00:22:57.619
And see that's where your recirculation system, I hope you're gonna tell people about it.

00:22:57.619 --> 00:23:06.490
And we're already about halfway through but the recirculation system with the tank heater in it shouldn't have a freezing issue, at all.

00:23:07.390 --> 00:23:07.750
Yeah.

00:23:07.750 --> 00:23:10.200
And for me, definitely not.

00:23:10.839 --> 00:23:17.130
I may see the teens for about two weeks in the wintertime now up in Canada.

00:23:18.029 --> 00:23:20.430
I still don't think it would with the heater in it.

00:23:21.329 --> 00:23:21.599
Depends

00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:22.799
on how long the line is.

00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:23.759
How far is the run.

00:23:23.789 --> 00:23:24.029
Yeah.

00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:28.509
And that's when you think about having multiple runs, but

00:23:29.410 --> 00:23:29.799
yeah.

00:23:30.670 --> 00:23:34.869
We already talked about, we've already talked about these bell drinkers.

00:23:35.230 --> 00:23:36.309
Those are nice.

00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:39.730
They have a high flow, good for groups.

00:23:40.329 --> 00:23:42.730
They gotta be level and you gotta keep'em clean.

00:23:43.400 --> 00:23:46.190
We've talked about nipple lines, buckets.

00:23:46.849 --> 00:23:52.099
That's the cleanest'cause they can't drop stuff in it while they're eating.

00:23:52.130 --> 00:23:53.509
No food, no litter.

00:23:54.359 --> 00:23:56.369
With the nipple lines that I have hanging.

00:23:57.164 --> 00:24:03.734
I used half inch PVC to make'em, and they can't even, they can't even light on'em.

00:24:04.634 --> 00:24:08.444
I have a string going right above them where they can't cup.

00:24:08.444 --> 00:24:12.855
Drinkers are nice, but boy, they like to break a lot unless you have the good ones.

00:24:13.755 --> 00:24:16.664
Continuous line systems, they're scalable.

00:24:17.144 --> 00:24:21.825
Low pressure filtration can be used with cups or nipples.

00:24:22.724 --> 00:24:23.954
Here's some examples.

00:24:24.855 --> 00:24:28.815
The stainless steel one on the bottom is a Turkey drinker.

00:24:29.714 --> 00:24:32.265
The yellow one is a chick drinker.

00:24:33.164 --> 00:24:38.384
The red one, in the middle is a chicken drinker.

00:24:39.285 --> 00:24:51.075
The black one technically is for small rabbits, but it also works well with chickens and the one that looks like a plus sign.

00:24:51.974 --> 00:24:54.944
Chickens use it, but that's what my quail use.

00:24:55.845 --> 00:24:57.315
Those are some different ones.

00:24:57.315 --> 00:25:05.575
And any of these, on the internet, the PVC pieces to put them in pipe, any of these will work with that.

00:25:06.474 --> 00:25:12.684
Also, with any of these, except for the Turkey one you can just reel.

00:25:13.224 --> 00:25:20.484
A hole a little smaller than it into the water line and screw it into it and use it.

00:25:21.355 --> 00:25:35.845
Now, the turbine ones, they're really high flow and the piece that goes through, if it bounces too much, that sucker sheep through your waterline, and you'll find it at the end.

00:25:36.744 --> 00:25:39.984
Learn that the hard way, and it'll free flow when it does it.

00:25:40.884 --> 00:25:41.454
These.

00:25:41.515 --> 00:25:44.964
These right here are the ones with a yellow piece in'em for the cups.

00:25:45.865 --> 00:25:54.625
Those are the ones that I used in my continuous waterline, because in the wintertime there's little water inside the actual cup.

00:25:55.505 --> 00:26:01.265
They have to pack on that yellow piece in order to get it to come through.

00:26:02.015 --> 00:26:04.384
So you know, that works.

00:26:04.954 --> 00:26:05.640
The cup.

00:26:06.394 --> 00:26:10.835
On the other side that has almost three inches wide.

00:26:11.734 --> 00:26:16.355
I put that on there because those are the ones you don't wanna buy though.

00:26:16.384 --> 00:26:18.724
Any they're cheap.

00:26:19.625 --> 00:26:22.085
All cups are not made the same.

00:26:22.984 --> 00:26:24.035
No.

00:26:24.934 --> 00:26:29.765
I tried probably 10, 15 different types of cups over the years.

00:26:30.664 --> 00:26:42.515
And once I bit the bullet and started buying the recoup cups, and I say bit the bullet,'cause them suckers are the most expensive ones out there, but there's a reason for that.

00:26:43.325 --> 00:26:44.224
They last,

00:26:44.704 --> 00:26:45.559
you get what you pay for.

00:26:46.265 --> 00:26:46.775
You do.

00:26:47.345 --> 00:26:50.194
That's like the Cadillac of the cup world.

00:26:51.095 --> 00:26:53.255
I will say this to you when you're doing a, it's not

00:26:53.255 --> 00:26:54.255
just by reco.

00:26:54.390 --> 00:26:59.039
I mean there's other manufacturers that make a similar design for commercial use.

00:26:59.940 --> 00:27:00.390
Yeah.

00:27:00.599 --> 00:27:00.990
Yeah.

00:27:01.170 --> 00:27:09.089
The one on the right is more for hobby farmers and it's meant to keep the price down and it's not made to take abuse.

00:27:09.240 --> 00:27:10.380
But the one on the left, you

00:27:10.380 --> 00:27:12.390
don't, you don't want it in a grow out pen for sure.

00:27:12.630 --> 00:27:13.019
No,

00:27:13.170 --> 00:27:13.440
no.

00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:20.329
The one on the left, IC is a lot, in commercial, commercial scale, larger operations and

00:27:20.384 --> 00:27:24.015
I say Renoco'cause people can get on Amazon and search for Renoco.

00:27:24.704 --> 00:27:30.914
But the company that actually makes those for everybody, I can't pronounce it.

00:27:31.734 --> 00:27:36.835
I have a person that I'm in contact with there'cause I order them in bulk from them.

00:27:37.494 --> 00:27:40.255
But yeah, they make'em for all kinds of different companies.

00:27:41.154 --> 00:27:44.575
So if you buy them in bulk, how much can you sell'em to me for?

00:27:45.474 --> 00:27:47.634
Less than what Renta co sells'em for.

00:27:48.535 --> 00:27:49.615
That's not a number.

00:27:50.424 --> 00:27:50.845
Dang.

00:27:50.845 --> 00:27:52.224
You don't beat around the bush.

00:27:53.125 --> 00:27:56.214
I'm, I don't have my price sheet in front of me, Joe.

00:27:57.115 --> 00:27:58.525
They're not expensive though.

00:27:58.704 --> 00:28:04.285
Even they getting a carton of them shipped over here is about 290 bucks.

00:28:05.164 --> 00:28:08.345
They're still not that it, if you buy.

00:28:08.884 --> 00:28:17.285
If you buy a hundred or more of them, they're about the same price as the cheap and cheap made ones.

00:28:18.184 --> 00:28:19.894
I do remember that off the top of my head.

00:28:20.025 --> 00:28:21.015
It's a couple bucks.

00:28:21.914 --> 00:28:26.924
It looks like you can easily disassemble it and clean out somewhere inside and, oh,

00:28:26.924 --> 00:28:27.224
yeah.

00:28:27.224 --> 00:28:30.684
The red piece you can twist it, twist right off.

00:28:30.984 --> 00:28:33.634
You can collect them and throw'em in the dishwasher if you want to.

00:28:34.535 --> 00:28:58.694
That's easy to do and to clean the yellow piece really and truly, if you stick your finger in it and you've got an adequate amount of pressure, then the water coming out that line will clean out the cup because you know the, if you do like I did and build your line on a slant because you're putting it in a grow out pen and you're gonna have birds of different heights.

00:28:59.295 --> 00:29:12.224
Then sometimes the taller birds will be lazy and they'll go get it and they'll eat and they'll go straight to the water and you'll wind up with food in it and all that mess.

00:29:12.615 --> 00:29:13.845
But if you just stick your finger in it.

00:29:14.310 --> 00:29:23.270
Wow! Our time is up already, but we have more to cover on this important topic, so be sure to join us next Tuesday for Part-2 of Poultry Water Systems.

00:29:23.621 --> 00:29:29.240
Until then, keep learning, keep improving and above all--keep enjoying the birds you love.