Leaks, leaks, and more LEAKS!!

[Laurie Williams]

My chicken coop and run were just built. The run is off the coops like most, and the entire construction is off the ground several inches or so to deter predators. The floor is wood with linoleum over it, and I spread out straw on the floor to catch droppings.
I have several chickens, guinea fowl, and 4 Indian runners.

The picture below is of the automatic watering system I chose. Well, since just about day one, there have been leaks for various reasons. Every time I think I have it figured out, something different happens to cause leaks. First, I found out my handyman didn’t apply plumbers tape, then not enough, then the birds would jump on the cups that are delicately positioned to auto fill, but also easily toppled. This morning it looked like they jumped on top of on of the cups, knocking the cup completely off the track, and turning the spout completely upside down- an open faucet in a never ending stream of water, soaking the straw and wood that is framing the walls.
Does anyone have a better idea for an automatic watering system that won’t cause these problems? I’d really like to start enjoying my birds and the new coop, but it’s been a nightmare from the beginning, and I’m tired of cleaning up heavy, wet straw. I’m actually thinking of installing a barkeepers beer drain to run the length of the cups for a permanent drain solution, and I can have a few beers without worrying about spillage while I’m pulling the hair out of my head. Not really- but maybe a French drain.
Thank you.

 

[Susan Skylark]

That looks like a nightmare waiting to happen (between birds, weather, and design issues), finding a watering system that works for your situation and doesn’t leak and saturate bedding is certainly a pain. I have penned quail in a northern climate and spent nine months trying rabbit water bottles (very leaky!), a cup thing that screws onto a soda bottle (birds spill a ton, messy to fill, easily contaminated) and nipple waterers converted from any plastic container (birds don’t like them but don’t leak). I switched to a group housing situation and couldn’t hang a water bottle in it so had to use the nipple waterers made out of ice cream buckets or coffee cans and love it. The birds still don’t love it but they don’t leak (which is ironic now that I need to actually add water to the bedding as I’m trying deep litter management inside a garage!), they stay clean and I only need to water twice a week. They are also fairly affordable ($10 for 8 nipples on Amazon vs $15 per water bottle!). Could you find a chicken sized version and use some five gallon pails or something instead of something with tubes and bowls and multiple parts?