A schematic diagram of a cup drinker is shown in Figure 4.

The principle of its operation is such that when the drinker is empty, the spring expands and a gasket comes out from the hole between the connection of the wide and narrow pipes, and water flows into the cup from the tank from above. When the cup is filled with water, its weight increases and compresses the spring, blocking access to water with a silicone gasket.

Procedure for making a drinking cup:

1. A fastener is attached to the cup using self-tapping screws with spacers so that a through hole can be drilled in it in a horizontal plane to rotate the cup as shown in Fig. 4;
2. A piece 20-25 cm long is cut from a pipe with a diameter of 50 mm;
3. A plug is installed on the pipe section, in which a hole with a diameter of 20 mm is carefully made in the center;
4. The burrs of the plug should be directed towards the inside of the pipe;
5. The necessary slots are made in the pipe to secure the axis of the movable cup;
6. A 50 mm piece of pipe is fixed in the floor of the chicken coop or aviary with the plug facing up;
7. A spring is installed in the pipe;
8. The gasket is glued to the cup fastener with waterproof glue;
9. The cup is installed on an axle (steel rod);
10. A pipe with a diameter of 20 mm is hermetically soldered to the top of the plug;
11. A narrow pipe connects above to the water tank.
12. Water is supplied to the system.

It should be remembered that the cup fastener must allow water to pass into it and have a hole the same size as the silicone gasket.

It is best to make a hole in the plug using a piece of iron (for example, fittings) of a suitable diameter heated over a fire. To remove and clean the tank, a tap and a sealed disconnecting clamp must be installed in the narrow pipe, as in a nipple drinker.

Before installing a cup drinker, you should accurately determine the number of movable cups depending on the number of chickens. When installing several cups, you should outline a plan for their location and connect all the narrow tubes extending from each wide tube with a cup fixed in the floor using connecting adapters with one common pipe leading to the water tank.

From a plastic bottle

With a small number of chickens, a simple and economical way would be to install a drinking bowl from a plastic bottle. This drinker does not have an automatic water supply system, but its manufacture is much simpler compared to the design options described above.

For installation, you need to take a plastic bottle with a volume of one and a half or two liters and cut oblong holes in it 3-4 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. Such a drinker should be installed horizontally at a height of 15-20 cm from the floor of the chicken coop, away from the perches to prevent rapid contamination water for chickens. The bottle cap must be tightly closed.

In the simplest version, fresh water is poured into the drinker directly through the drinking holes, but you can combine this design with other types of drinkers to automatically supply water, for example, by lowering a siphon drinker hose into one of the holes.

When installing several bottle drinkers, they can be filled from one common open tank using tubes with plugs (siphon type) or hermetically connected to a tank tightly closed at the top (vacuum type).

So, when making drinking bowls for chickens, it is important to take into account the number of birds and the design of the chicken coop, as well as the ability to regularly maintain the created structure. Careful selection of materials and processing of metal burrs during installation will create a reliable design and prevent chickens from getting hurt.

Chickens, like other animals, need proper and careful care, because they bring us eggs and meat. Breeding healthy chickens is not complete without water and balanced feed. When the population of laying hens is impressive, it becomes necessary to install an automatic waterer for chickens. She will give the daily requirement for the chicken. A high-quality automatic drinker does not allow the container to tip over and get the chicken wet.

In our article we will talk about the types of drinking bowls, what requirements apply to them and help you make a drinking bowl with your own hands.

A good automatic drinker should please the farmer with its convenience, durability, clean water and safety. Let's take a closer look here:

• For greater convenience, the drinking bowl is filled automatically from the water supply. The most important thing is that it does not bother the farmer with constant supervision;
• To prevent chickens from accidentally damaging the drinking bowl and leaving their “colleagues” without water, it is worth making it durable and resistant to attacks;
• clean water along with nutritious feed is essential for healthy chickens. When liquid is served in portions, harmful microorganisms are not diluted. Therefore, drinking must be protected from the influences of the surrounding world;
• It is also important to secure the device so that the edges of the self-drinker do not injure the chickens and do not release harmful substances - the best material is high-quality food-grade plastic, which can be easily washed off from sediment.

Fluid consumption directly depends on the ambient temperature, the type and humidity of the feed, and the age of the laying hens. The average amount of water required for a healthy individual is at least 500 milliliters per day, which is twice the amount of food.

In northern regions, drinking bowls must be protected from freezing. This problem can be solved by manufacturing and installing a small heater under the drinking bowl tank.

Main types of self-drinkers for chickens

According to the principle and scheme of action, automatic drinkers are:

• with nipple mechanism,
• with water bowls,
• with siphon principle (vacuum),
• ordinary drinking containers.

Simple containers do not require much effort and time to maintain. Usually these are simple plastic basins and zinc troughs. Each chicken tries to knock over such containers or even plunge into the drinking bowl. As a result, the hen gets wet, spoils the water with her paws and makes it unfit for drinking.

A wet chicken loses heat and gets sick. Frozen birds may die.

Making a drinking bowl for chickens with your own hands

Drinkers with nipples

The main principle of such an automatic drinker is that liquid is supplied when the chicken triggers the nipple mechanism. Thus, water does not stagnate and is supplied fresh gradually, which reduces its consumption. It is also used to feed barely hatched broiler chickens.

There are several types of such drinkers:

• conventional ones, in which the mechanism operates at an angle of 90 degrees;

• rotational, in which the mechanism operates at any angle;

• with a drip eliminator, in which a small bowl is installed under the flowing water;

• with fixation on the pipe, looks like a regular drinking bowl, sometimes with a drip eliminator, the locks are attached to the pipe.

To make a nipple self-drinker, you need a plastic bulk bucket. The required number of holes with a diameter of 9 mm is drilled. Nipples are screwed into them, the drinking bowl itself is suspended to the required height and filled. Among the advantages, we note the fast production. But the disadvantages are impressive - independent replenishment of liquid and frequent washing. This self-drinker is suitable for a small number of birds.

It is better to build a drinking bowl with drip eliminators. This design is connected to a water supply or a large tank. It is more difficult to install, but will provide good water for large livestock.

For assembly we need:

• PVC pipe with a square cross-section, size 22 mm;
• nipples (one 25-35 cm pipe);
• fitting for round pipe;
• drop eliminators, one per nipple;
• flexible hose;
• stub;
• 9 mm drill;
• 3 clamps;
• 28.6 mm (1/8 inch) radius tap.

For young hens and chicks, it would be much better to use a nipple brand “360” (circular, working 360 degrees). This will allow the chickens to drink water comfortably, and the farmer will not have to change the height of the drinker when the chickens grow up. For adult chickens, “180” (working from vertical pressure) is suitable.

Step-by-step instructions for assembling a nipple drinker for chickens

Step	Image	Description
1		We securely fix the pipe.
2		We mark the pipe for the holes for the nipples. Don't forget about the gap of up to 35 centimeters.
3		Using a drill or screwdriver, we drill holes according to our markings.
4		After drilling you should get round holes.
5		Next we use a tap, we use it to cut threads in the holes.
6		After applying the thread, remove the chips (from the inside too).
7		We screw the nipples into the marked holes.
8		Fix the pipe vertically.
9		We apply threads to both edges of the pipe.
10		On one side, install an adapter for the hose into the cut thread.
11		We install a plug on the back side of the pipe.
12		We prepare drip eliminators under the nipples.
13		Install - put it on the pipe and snap the mechanism into place.
14		We fasten the resulting structure to the wall of the poultry house with clamps. We connect the other end of the hose to a vertically located or low-pressure liquid source.

To prevent the structure from leaking, we treat all joints with FUM tape.

Video - Assembling a nipple drinker with your own hands

Installation of a drinking cup

It is usually installed outside the cages or poultry house. This design does not take up much space, can be installed on any frame, is very convenient for the farmer, and the hens are provided with moisture.

The main advantage of this self-drinker is its simplicity. It is easy to maintain, quickly and reliably installed, and saves clean water. The material usually used is high-quality PVC hose and food-grade plastic - all to preserve water quality and reliability of the design.

To create such a system you will need:

• flexible hose with a diameter of 10 mm,
• drinking bowls for a 10 mm hose (one for ten chickens),
• clamps,
• rail or pipe for the frame,
• threaded fitting for hose.

Assembly order:

Siphon drinkers

A siphon-based drinker is often called a vacuum drinker. It looks like an inverted water container, with a bowl underneath. The container is located just below the sides of a large water bowl. With this design, nothing spills, and the bowl constantly fills under its own weight. This option is convenient if it is difficult to install water supply nearby. This is also the disadvantage - you need to replenish the water supply manually.

The first version of a vacuum drinker

A siphon self-drinker can be made from a three-liter jar, two small wooden sticks 10-12 cm long and any bowl.

Now in more detail:

A regular siphon drinker is ready. As you drink the water, it will fill the bowl to the same level.

The second version of the vacuum drinker

The second version of the drinking bowl will be no less difficult.

For it we will need:

• two bottles of different sizes with caps. We used 5 and 3 liter bottles;
• a drill with a drill of 5 mm diameter, or a large awl;
• bolt with nut 6 mm.

Video - How to make a drinker from a plastic bottle

Simple drinking containers

We talked briefly about simple containers earlier. But it is worth finding out what they are based on.

The name speaks for itself; these are the simplest designs. We pay for simplicity by constant monitoring of watering, breeding of harmful microorganisms and pollution.

Let's briefly list the popular types.

Container from a sewer pipe

Everything is quite simple: the pipe is connected to a water source and closed with a plug at the other end. Holes are marked and made in the pipe itself, as shown in the photo. We advise you to clean the edges of the cut holes for the safety of the chickens. But you should monitor the water level in the pipe and prevent spillage.

Nipple single drinker

Suitable for a small family of laying hens. All we need is a bottle (1-5 liters) with a hole drilled in the cap and a “180” nipple inserted into it.

Siphon single drinker

As in the previous case, a bottle and a metal profile are used. This type of drinker is located behind the cage or poultry house.

It is constructed quite simply: the metal profile is bent from the edges according to the saucer principle, riveted, the bottle is fixed in a vertical position just below the edges of the profile, thus the vacuum principle is activated.

People have been raising chickens since time immemorial. For some it is a business, for others it is an activity for pleasure, for others it is a desire to provide only themselves and their family with dietary meat and eggs.

But to achieve results, you need to work hard, as anywhere else. If you or your family live in a rural area or have a summer cottage, then you can do a lot yourself for your own pleasure and to save money.

A drinking bowl is an indispensable and necessary item in raising any poultry. You don't have to buy it. All or part of it is made with one’s own hands from available materials.

There are general requirements for them that need to be taken into account if you intend to make them yourself:

• she must be easy to use. The water container must be easy to fill, if necessary manually or via the plumbing system. You should also immediately think about free access to the bottom of the container. For example, if you use a 200-liter barrel with a 10 cm cap as a tank, it will be easy to fill, but impossible to wash or clean from the inside;
• safety requirement. Includes the use of quality material to produce. If the container and pipes are metal, they are made of stainless steel. If you choose plastic, PVC, or other plastic, its substances cannot be toxic or harmful to the bird. The material must not react with water-soluble drugs;
• she should not get dirty long term. The bird should not bathe in it or otherwise litter it. To do this, open areas of water are minimized in area;
• they are made sustainable resistant to overturning or well secured (depending on the design) and durable (material, design);
• their design must optimally perform its function - from it the bird must drink freely, no problem.

Homemade nipple drinker

If your goal is to design a nipple drip drinker, you need the following:

• nipple;
• dropletrvitel;
• pipe(water flows through it) with a plug and outlet;
• capacity for water (if it is not taken from a water supply with a regulator (if it comes under pressure).

If we take it directly from the water supply system, we don’t have to place the container. But settled one is preferable. Therefore, as an example, we consider the second design option. We attach a PVC pipe of the required length to the tank at a distance of 5-10 cm from its bottom.

If one is not enough, we extend it from several using connectors. We drill holes in the pipe at equal distances for the nipple and separately for the drip eliminator.

Note: a hole must be drilled for each nipple separately. If we use a drip catcher, it is installed next to the nipple.

One end crimps the pipe, the other has the shape of a spoon, in which water from the nipple accumulates while the bird drinks. You can buy a drip catcher or make it yourself from a plastic bottle.

You can do it yourself in another way

You need to take any container with a capacity of 10-30 liters and nipples - 4 or 5 (depending on the diameter of the bottom). First we drill holes for the nipple.

There are nipples that operate 360 ​​degrees, and others that operate 180 (up and down).

Do-it-yourself vacuum variety

This design is used mainly for chickens. It supplies water using a vacuum, which constantly flows from the container when it is needed, that is, until the poultry drinks it. Then the container is filled again.

We make it from 5 liter plastic bottles

It’s not difficult to make a vacuum-type structure yourself. In this case, you do not need to buy anything additional, as in the option described above.

Option #1

For this we will need: One plastic bottle for 2.5 liters and one for 5 liters and 2 screws.

Attention! When making this type of vacuum design, it is necessary that the sides of the 5-liter part of the bottle are located above the hole for water leakage.

Option No. 2

A drinking bowl can be made from a 10-liter plastic bottle using a simplified design. It is also suitable for 5-liter.

First, we make a 6-7 mm hole in a 10-liter bottle at approximately a distance of 5 cm from the bottom. But the distance will directly depend on the vessel in which you place the bottle. If it is deep, then the hole is made higher.

Next, we place it filled with water in a container. It will stop flowing from the bottle as soon as its level reaches the hole. You can fill the bottle on the spot by unscrewing the cap from the top. This is also a type of vacuum feeding system.

Important! The bottle is hermetically sealed with a lid.

Pipe sippy cup for chickens

An open type drinking bowl is made from a plastic sewer pipe with a diameter of ten to fifteen centimeters. To do this, several rectangular holes 25-35 centimeters long are cut in the pipe. In this case, the first and last holes are made at a distance of 10-20 cm from its edge.

The distance between the holes must also be 10-20 centimeters. They are cut with a grinder or other tools. The edges are cleaned to avoid possible scratches and cuts.

Tees with plugs are installed on the edges of the pipe. When you need to add water, remove the inlet plug, pour it out - the drain plug. You can connect this type of structure to an existing water supply network, fill it with water if necessary, and then turn it off with a tap. This will allow you to fill it without effort.

In a chicken coop for roosters and laying hens, it is secured with clamps of the same diameter as the pipe. They are fixed in such a way that the pipe is raised 15-20 centimeters from the floor (ground). Install it at a slight slope (1-2 degrees) to flush the pipe, and the contents drain by gravity.

Water in such a design quickly becomes dirty and loses freshness; the pipe is often washed. To do this, install not a plug, but a drain valve, on the tee at the other end of the pipe. This makes it easier to work with the drain.

For information: This type of design is not suitable for chickens as they may choke or drown.

Drip model for chicks

It is preferable to install a drinking bowl for chickens either of a vacuum type or of a nipple type. If you choose the first option, make sure that the chickens do not choke in the vessel into which water will flow from the bottle, that is, that the sides of the vessel are not high.

If their population is small, buy a vessel for a homemade vacuum drinker (in the form of a saucer and turn a glass jar onto it).

Chicks in the first days of life are defenseless. If they are raised separately from the hen, people care about their safety. As chickens age, they become more active. This means that the drinker needs to be well secured to avoid the danger of it overturning and injury to young animals. In addition, due to accidentally spilled water, the litter becomes wet, which leads to illness in the bird.

Important! In no case should you place a simple vessel for chickens, especially with high sides - the likelihood that they will choke or drown increases.

You can use a design version of a nipple drinker. Then it is important to secure it at the level of the chickens’ heads.

Let's compare the types of water dispensers for birds

Nipple: easy to use, safe, retains clean water for a long period of time, does not tip over. More suitable for adult birds. The central pipe can be connected to a large container that acts as a reservoir.

They are also connected to an existing water supply. Among the disadvantages, one can note its high cost, since almost all the components of this type of structure will have to be purchased.

Vacuum: convenient, pollutes water more than the nipple type, is safe if it is well fixed, does not require any money to manufacture, and is easy to make yourself. More suitable for chickens.

Disadvantages: if you do not secure it sufficiently, there is a possibility of it toppling over; you must constantly pour water into the container. If its volume is small, this should be done often.

Pipe drinker: convenient, more used for adult livestock, durable, resistant to tipping over, provided it is well fixed, it can be used to feed a large number of heads, it can be connected either to a tank or to a water supply system.

Disadvantage: not suitable for chickens, the water in it quickly becomes dirty.

It is better to choose what type of drinking bowl to make with your own hands, based on the availability of available materials and financial capabilities.