Drinkers for turkeys: types and how to do it yourself, step by step instructions
One of the main factors for the full development of poultry is to provide enough clean water. At the same time, the container should be both convenient and functional, and be freely available. There is a huge range of drinking bowls for turkeys on the market, differing in size and material. But, if you wish, you can make them yourself. The main thing is to know what is better to do, in what sequence to act.
Requirements for drinking bowls for turkeys
To make breeding turkeys the most profitable occupation, you should take care not only of a comfortable microclimate for them, but also of equipment. Requirements for drinkers:
- ease of use;
- should be easy to wash;
- do not create problems with disinfection;
- be big enough;
- do not roll over when used;
- turkeys and adults should have different designs.
If you ignore these rules, the water in the drinkers will be splashed, poured onto the floor, creating dampness in the room. And, as a result, a favorable environment will arise for the development of diseases in turkeys.
Types of drinkers
Given the variety of factory-made drinkers, it is sometimes very difficult for a novice poultry breeder to decide on a specific option. Each type has its pros and cons, which should be considered when choosing the right tank.
Regular
A drinking bowl is a primitive design in the form of a basin, bucket, tray, or any other reservoir.But the use of a regular drinker is allowed only for adult turkeys. You need to install it at some distance from the floor, on a hill. Otherwise, the water will quickly become contaminated.
The advantage of conventional designs is budget. This is an affordable drinker. In addition, it is quite voluminous, there is no need for constant monitoring of the water level. Of the minuses, it is worth noting the poor stability, it can be easily overturned, because turkeys are quite strong birds. You can’t use ordinary tanks for the younger generation, they may not get out of there if they accidentally fall.
Grooved
This type of construction is designed more to quench the thirst of several turkeys at the same time. Here it is possible to drink more than a dozen individuals at once.
Pros:
- availability;
- easy to make;
- functionality.
Cons:
- need to control water volume;
- requires regular fluid renewal.
Cups
The design consists of a hose, a water tank and a drinking bowl in the form of a bowl. The hose, as an intermediate link, supplies liquid from a large cylinder to a smaller vessel. The water-filled bowls begin to sink, blocking the valve through which the water flows through the hose.
Turkeys empty containers, making them lighter. Under the action of a spring mounted inside, they rise, opening the valve. And so the bowls are filled with water again.
Pros:
- no need to constantly add water to the tank.
Cons:
- requires additional financial investment for installation of drinkers;
- equipment to protect the container from adult turkeys.
Bell type
Bell-type containers function in the same way as cup-type ones. When the tank fills with water, it lowers, shutting off the valve, and vice versa. A distinctive feature is that in this version the liquid is not distributed to individual drinkers, but fills only one tray.
Pros:
- no need for regular monitoring of water levels.
Cons:
- high cost drinker.
Nipple
Nipple-type drinkers are installed according to the same principle as cup-type drinkers. Nipples are mounted along the pipe, under each - a small plastic container into which excess water enters. Drinkers, in order to avoid the development of pathogenic microorganisms, it is recommended to wash and clean regularly.
When a turkey approaches the bowl, it lifts the movable nipple, opening the valve for water supply. The jet is small, there is no excess flow, the liquid enters directly into the mouth of the turkey. After quenching thirst, the bird moves away, returning the nipple to its original position. According to the internal structure, nipple drinkers are similar to a washbasin in the country.
Pros:
- no stagnant water;
- auto feed system;
- dosing.
Cons:
- expensive.
Vacuum
The design is made in the form of a container installed on a tray. It is from it that turkeys will quench their thirst. The tank is filled with water from the top. Below there is an opening for supplying liquid to the drinker. Thanks to the vacuum, water does not go overboard. The container is filled as needed.
Pros:
- variety of varieties (with legs, floor type, hanging);
- no need for constant monitoring of the water level.
Cons:
- poor resilience;
- connect to water supply (but can be refilled from a bucket).
What tools and materials will be needed
For self-production of drinking bowls for turkeys, expensive materials and tools are not required. To make equipment convenient for birds is within the power of everyone, from improvised means. For work you will need:
- fragment of a plastic pipe (length - 1 m);
- stubs;
- wood legs;
- self-tapping screws;
- Bulgarian;
- electric drill.
Instructions for DIY
You can make a design for turkeys with your own hands in just 1.5-2 hours. The number of troughs will depend on the number of stock to be kept. A home-made design is made taking into account the following steps:
- Prepare a sewer pipe 100 cm long.
- Use a grinder to cut holes, focusing on the size of the head of turkeys.
- Mute the workpiece on both sides.
- Make props out of wood.
The easiest and most budgetary option for equipment for turkeys is plastic bottles.
Installation rules
To increase the stability of drinkers, you do not need to come up with complex technological solutions. For adult turkeys, structures with water are mounted to a vertical support, maintaining a distance of 40-50 cm from the floor. For small turkeys, 20-30 cm is enough.
Drinkers for turkeys are simple equipment, but require proper selection and installation. The main thing is that poultry should not experience discomfort in quenching their thirst.
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