what is the best water dispenser?

[Daniel Andrews]

What water dispenser are you using? do you have a great idea for ensuring the chooks have water while you are out, after all if they don't have water it cant severely impact on egg production post.

[Michelle]

My water "dispensers" are 2 litre icecream containers and various plant pots with no holes in the bottom situated all around the place and one in each of their hutchs. They seem to like having water everywhere for their convenience.
I get my boys to clean/top up the water every day. They like that job.
It also means my cats can drink the water too.

[Nikki Dillon]

We bought a water dispenser from the local pet shop - I think it's called a bell hopper? Anyway, you fill a bell-shaped container with water, put on the lid which looks like a plant-pot saucer, then turn upside-down. The water dribbles into the saucer through little holes. This prevents too much evaporation in the hot weather, and keeps the water relatively clean. We put the whole thing up on a couple of bricks, otherwise our girls try to get into it or scratch mud into it!

[Sealander]

I just got a 10 litre bell type water dispenser and it seems to be working okay - it is heavy enough that they are less likely to tip it over unlike the assortment of plastic containers that I usually use. The rooster is guaranteed to knock at least one over every day when he starts leaping about :)
Also there was a drowned mouse in one of the water bowls this morning - they double as an occasional mouse trap ;)

[KATE MORONEY]

Yey for Ooooby! We just got 2 chooks yesterday, 1 already laying 1 should eb coming into laying soon.
we have a smallish run & house at mo but are building run for more room and will maybe let thme out although we have lots of dogs roaming where we are. Kawakawa (B.O.I.) I intend to feed scraps as much as poss but work in the local vets so have gots some feed too, but maybe they won't need that as long as I can let them roam for an hr or so per day?
I have put one icecream containerdown of water which I guess I'll top up everyday, for 2 chooks that should be enough?
Lots to learn! any other tips??

[Daniel Andrews]

i would not advise letting your chickens out if there are dogs nearby we let our chickens out when we were extending our run i thought they would be ok and stay in our yard, but they went next door and one of them was savaged by the neighbors dog it died two days later, we found one hiding in our neighbors lower section and we escorted her home the other golden chook reappeared just before dark as it had gone to ground. We have had a random pit bull turn up in our garden harassing our chickens in the cage and a husky that jumped on the top of the cage and bowed the top in our kind neighbor chased them off both times.

KATE MORONEY said:

Yey for Ooooby! We just got 2 chooks yesterday, 1 already laying 1 should eb coming into laying soon.
we have a smallish run & house at mo but are building run for more room and will maybe let thme out although we have lots of dogs roaming where we are. Kawakawa (B.O.I.) I intend to feed scraps as much as poss but work in the local vets so have gots some feed too, but maybe they won't need that as long as I can let them roam for an hr or so per day?
I have put one icecream containerdown of water which I guess I'll top up everyday, for 2 chooks that should be enough?
Lots to learn! any other tips??