Figuring Out a Better Way to Water the Flock
You know, keeping chickens is mostly fun, but man, the water situation was driving me nuts. I was using one of those standard gravity waterers, the kind you flip over. Seemed like every single day, it was full of dirt, straw, and who knows what else the chickens decided to kick into it. Plus, they’d knock it about, spill water everywhere, making a muddy mess. I was constantly cleaning it, refilling it, and just getting fed up.
Stumbling onto the Britetap Idea
So, I started poking around online, looking for something, anything, that would be less of a headache. Saw these things called Britetaps – little nipple drinkers, basically. Looked almost too simple. The idea is they attach to a container, and the chickens peck at them to get water. Seemed like it could keep the water a whole lot cleaner. Watched a couple of videos, read what other folks said. Figured, okay, let’s give this a whirl. It couldn’t be worse than the daily swamp cleaning I was doing.
Getting My Hands Dirty: The Setup Process
The Britetap itself arrived, just a small plastic tap, really. The deal is, you provide your own container. I had an old five-gallon food-grade bucket in the shed, which was perfect. Cleaned it out real good first.
First job was drilling the hole. The little slip of paper that came with the tap said what size drill bit to use. Had to dig through my toolbox for that. You always get that little moment of panic before you drill into a perfectly good bucket, right? Hoping you don’t mess it up, make the hole too big, or crack the plastic. Anyway, took a deep breath and drilled the hole near the bottom of the bucket.
Once the hole was there, I smoothed off any rough edges. Then, it was time to screw in the Britetap. It’s got a rubber washer on it – super important to make sure that’s seated properly to stop any leaks. I hand-tightened it as much as I could, then gave it just a little extra nudge with a wrench. You don’t want to go crazy and strip the threads, ’cause it’s all plastic.
Filled the bucket up with a few inches of water, right there in the workshop, just to see if it would leak. Waited a bit. Nope, bone dry around the tap. Phew! That was a relief, I tell ya.
Introducing the New Gadget to the Feathered Critics
Alright, so I lugged the bucket out to the coop. I hung it up on a couple of sturdy screws I put into a post, so the taps were at about head height for the chickens. And then, well, I waited for them to discover this marvel of modern poultry hydration.
Chickens, bless ’em, are creatures of habit. And suspicious of anything new. They all gathered ’round, gave it the evil eye. Clucked a bit. One brave hen sidled up, gave the shiny tap a suspicious peck, then jumped back like it had zapped her. It was pretty funny, actually.
It took a good day, maybe two. I went out a few times and tapped the little metal nipple myself, showing them that water came out. Eventually, one thirsty bird got the hang of it, and then, like magic, the rest started copying. They’re like that, once one figures it out, the others follow.
How’s It Working Out Long Term?
Let me tell you, this simple little thing has made a big difference. The biggest plus? The water stays clean. I mean, remarkably clean. No more grit, no more feathers, no more random bits of coop floor floating in their drinking water. That alone was worth the effort.
I still have to clean out the main bucket, of course, maybe once a week or so, just to keep things fresh. But that’s nothing compared to the daily scrubbing of the old waterer. And the taps themselves? A quick wipe now and then if they look a bit dusty, but that’s it.
- The water is way cleaner, no doubt about it.
- I’m not refilling water twenty times a day.
- The chickens all use it fine now, no problems.
Any Hiccups or Things to Watch For?
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though nothing major. One thing I’ve been thinking about is winter. I’m in a place where it can get properly cold. These taps, being small and exposed, could freeze up. I haven’t gone through a hard freeze with it yet, but I reckon I’ll need a plan – maybe a submersible heater in the bucket or something. That’s a bridge I’ll cross.
Also, you gotta get the height right. Too low, and they’re craning down uncomfortably. Too high, and the smaller birds might struggle. Took a bit of fiddling to find the sweet spot for my mixed flock.
So, My Final Thoughts on This Britetap Business
Overall, yeah, I’m pretty chuffed with this setup. For a small investment of time and a few bucks for the taps, it’s solved my biggest chicken-watering headache. If you’re tired of mucky water and constant refills, I’d say give these Britetap things a serious look. They’re not complicated, they work, and the chickens get cleaner water. Can’t ask for much more than that, really. It just makes that one part of chicken keeping a whole lot easier.
