Before you start raising poultry, you need to understand in detail the intricacies of caring for them. If you decide to practice ducks, then this article will be useful to you. In it you will learn about the types of drinking bowls, you can choose a suitable model and learn how to build a drinking bowl for ducks yourself.
What should be the drinker?
When breeding ducks, it should be borne in mind that they consume a lot of fluids due to the high metabolic rate, so it is important that fresh and clean water is available around the clock.
Factors such as the age of the bird, the amount of food, and temperature conditions affect the amount of fluid used. About 1.65 liters of water are consumed per adult per day.
The drinker should be made of good quality materials that are not susceptible to decay and resistant to temperature extremes. Also, it should be easy to wash and be quite durable.
Most often it is made of high-quality plastic with well-crafted edges. The edge should be absolutely smooth, or you need to put on a special rubber rim.
You can either make a drinker for ducks yourself from your available materials, or buy a ready-made one in a specialized store.
Features of drinking bowls for little ducks
For babies, it is especially important to monitor the purity of water and avoid spilling, because if they get wet, they can very easily catch an infection. Drinkers for ducklings must comply with the following rules:
- The depth of the tank should allow the chick to completely immerse its head in it to clear the nasal passages.
- There should be an opportunity for ducklings to swim.
- Water should be available around the clock and uninterrupted.
- The container should be simple for high-quality washing and disinfection.
It is very important that water is freely available for ducklings at any time of the day. Babies up to 5 days from birth need water at room temperature. At 10 days of age, you can already use a metal drinker.
In winter, ducklings need to be warmed up a little.
The average length of the drinking structure is about 20 cm, and the width of the walls is not more than 3 cm, so that the kids are comfortable getting to the water. Little ducklings love to splash and spill water on the floor, so under the bottom of the tank you can put a wide tank with a net at the top. They grow very quickly, so it is better to choose the most economical version of the drinker.
Features of drinking bowls for adult ducks
When deciding on the choice of drinking bowls for ducks, it is important to correctly calculate the number of tanks and their position. For adult birds, they should be shallow and wider than those used in young animals.
Basic requirements for drinkers:
- the convenience of use;
- location at a comfortable height;
- it must be closed so that dirt does not get into it;
- easy to clean;
- water from it should not spill around.
For adults, it is important to firmly strengthen the drinkers so that there is no way to drop the tanks and spray water. In addition, adults like to climb directly into drinking water, swim, while polluting it, so it is better for them to choose closed nipple containers.
Advantages and disadvantages of different types of drinking bowls
There are various types of drinking bowls, each of which has both its advantages and disadvantages. You will learn more about the pros and cons of different drinkers below.
Deep water tank
This is the simplest drinker available to everyone. As it is possible to use any bowl or basin with water. The advantages of such a drinking bowl include its ease, simplicity and cheapness.
But still she has more shortcomings, of which the following can be noted:
- open water is easily polluted;
- due to pollution, water must be constantly changed;
- such a capacity cannot provide water for a large number of birds;
- it can easily roll over from a jolt or sloppy bird movement.
Vacuum
The main advantage of such a drinking bowl can be called a very economical water consumption, since it maintains one water level for a long time. In addition, it will always have fresh water due to the self-filling of the tray; the main thing is always to monitor the presence of water in the bottle.
Like a nipple, this is a closed drinking bowl, which means that various garbage and litter will not get into it, the water will always remain clean. This is necessary to avoid diseases in ducks.
The disadvantages include the very light weight of the structure, due to which it can be overturned. But still, she has many more advantages, so this model is especially popular with farmers.
Nipple (nipple)
It is one of the simplest and most convenient drinkers. It is very easy to wash, but you need to fill it with water manually. In stores you can find a more modern model, which is connected to the water supply or water tank.
In this type of drinker it is very important to correctly calculate the number of nipples. The optimal amount is 10 ducks per drinking hole.
The liquid is dosed, which means that the water in the drinker always remains clean and fresh. The main thing is to fill the main tank in time. For ducks, nipples with large nipples and good feed are best suited.
There is no need to accustom him, the birds quickly realize that to get water you just need to press the nipple.
Groove
It has the following advantages:
- inexpensive price;
- easy to manufacture;
- durable
- due to its length provides access to water to a large number of birds at the same time;
- easy to clean and wash;
- With such a drinker, ducks can not only drink, but also dip their heads into it in hot weather, wash their beak.
The disadvantages of such a drinking bowl are its heavy weight, which can be traumatic for birds if the pipe is not well enough strengthened. Also, water is often contaminated in such a drinking bowl, and it must be periodically changed. Due to the heavy weight of the pipe, a second person will need help every time to change the water.
DIY instructions for making drinkers
Making a drinker yourself will not take much time and effort. Each of the structures is convenient to use, it does not require constant monitoring of the amount of water, because when it is consumed, it is independently replenished in the tank due to the weight of the birds.
Car bottle made of plastic bottle or canister
Such a drinking bowl will be especially convenient for adult birds. In order to make such a drinker, put a bottle of the required volume in a regular basin. In its lower part, make a hole with a diameter of 1.5 cm, the finger should completely cover the hole.
When pouring water into the bottle, cover the hole with your finger, then put it in the basin and you can remove your finger. The drinker is ready. Now the water is poured through the hole into the sump, and at the expense it will be replenished independently.
Groove drinker from a sewer pipe
It will be the most durable and suitable for ducks of any age. The groove drinker is convenient to use, and it is made very simple. In order to make a groove drinker, take part of the sewer pipe of the required length.
Then make the right number of holes in it and fix it on a special stand. A plug is placed at one end of the pipe, and the angle at which water is poured is attached at the other end.
How to make such a drinker is shown in the video below:
An important point in the use of such a drinking bowl is its reliable strengthening. Care must be taken to ensure that the pipe does not in any way fall on the birds, otherwise they will be seriously injured.
Nipple drinker
This species is best suited for young animals. Its use is similar to the animals receiving milk from the breast, therefore it is also called the nipple.
It is this type of drinking bowls that is widely used in industrial production, as it allows to save water well and prevents splashing. In addition, such a closed drinking bowl prevents debris from entering the water, which in turn protects birds from various diseases.
To make it yourself, you will need the following items:
- the pipe is square in shape, it can be plastic, and the side of the square should be no more than 2.2 cm;
- nipples that are selected according to the size of the birds: for babies it is better to take type 3600, and for adults it is type 1800;
- pipe plug;
- a large water tank and a rubber hose or tube - a source of water;
- adapter for connecting square and round tubes.
You will also need an electric drill with a 9 mm tip and a tapered tap.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Drill a hole with a diameter of 9 mm in a square pipe.
- Using a tap, form a thread and insert a nipple into it.
- Make the same nipples along the entire length of the drinking bowl so that their number matches the number of ducks. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the distance between the holes should be at least 30 cm.
- A plug is installed at one end of the tube so that fluid remains inside.
- At the end, pallets are attached under each nipple, which will collect excess fluid.
As the blogger and handyman Dmitry Izyumov collected the nipple drinker, see below:
Vacuum
This is the easiest type of drinker. Pour enough water into the container, cover with a small bowl, and press it well against the bottle. Now flip the structure upside down so that the bowl is at the bottom.
Place a drinker in the house and place a small wooden support under the bottle so that the liquid flows freely into the bowl. A drinker made from an ordinary three-liter can and a plastic bowl is suitable for very small ducklings.
For the main tank, you can take a tank of any volume, even 50 liters. Nevertheless, it would be better to install several smaller drinkers so that the water does not stagnate and sediment does not appear. The main thing is to strengthen the bottle well so that it does not fall and does not injure the birds.
When using this drinker, water does not spill onto the floor, the birds remain dry, which prevents ducks from overcooling. In winter, so that the water in the nipple drinker does not freeze, you can put a heater in it, which is usually used to heat aquariums.
What else can be used for drinking?
As another idea for drinking, you can use a leaf of burdock or another plant with large leaves. To do this, dip it in a cement mortar and leave to dry for several days. Such a drinking bowl will not be practical, but is well suited for decorating the site.
Another original material may be a car tire. It needs to be cut in half, pour purified water inside, and it is ready for use. Only previously you need to remove the unpleasant odor with a soda solution.
Such a drinker will look unusual and interesting, but not suitable for use by a large number of birds.
Drinker Installation
Fastening drinkers is an important nuance for anyone who starts breeding ducks. These are active birds, they move a lot and can easily drop even a heavy drinker made from a sewer pipe.
Try to strengthen the drinker as reliably as possible, you need to approach this issue with all responsibility, because the health of your duck population depends on this. For ducklings, fastening can be made a little easier, but it's better not to risk it anyway.
Drinking bowls, like feeders, can be bought without any problems in any specialized store, where they are presented in a wide assortment. But it’s much more interesting and exciting to invent and make a construction yourself, using improvised materials. In addition, this option is well suited for those who live away from shops with similar goods.