THE CHICKEN FOUNTAIN Original Automatic Chicken Water System Instructions
- March 1, 2024
- THE CHICKEN FOUNTAIN
Table of Contents
THE CHICKEN FOUNTAIN Original Automatic Chicken Water System
Assembly and Usage Tips
The Chicken Fountain™ is designed to utilize a constant water supply. Your
connected garden hose should always remain on to ensure that The Chicken
Fountain is automatically refilled as needed.
To provide efficient shipping, your Chicken Fountain is partially assembled.
You will need to attach the arm(s) to the main body with PVC cement (not
included).
Parts List
Main body unit with inspection cap and float valve
2 Feeder arms with red drippers. (Mini only includes 1)
2 Mounting hangers with screws (Max includes 4)
Wire stabilizer (The Original and Max systems only)
Read the instructions completely and perform a test fit before assembling with cement.
Assembly
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Place the main body on a flat surface. Note the black reference marks on body and arms.
-
Apply PVC cement around the outside of the arm and the inside of the body, keeping it to about a 1” stripe.
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Insert the arm by twisting and pressing firmly into main body while aligning the black marks on each part, positioning the arms so the drippers are pointing down when the main body is vertical. Let cement cure for at least 30 minutes before use.
IMPORTANT : The cement cures fast so you must work quickly and only do one arm at a time. -
Place the inspection cap on top of the main housing reservoir, ensuring it is fully seated.
-
Snap the hangers on to the main body.
Mounting
Screw the hangers to a sturdy vertical surface, ensuring that the Chicken
Fountain is level.
The mounting height will depend on the size of birds in your flock. Typically,
this will be between 12″ and 19″ from the ground. (See Usage Tips for method
to accommodate different size birds.)
To prevent the unit from tipping forward, install the wire stabilizer across
the main body by inserting the ends into holes in hangers (The Original and
Max systems only).
Flush the garden hose out by letting it run for a minute before attaching to
The Chicken Fountain.
Attach a garden hose to the inlet and slowly turn on the water.
Your Chicken Fountain is now ready for use.
Usage Tips
Training your flock
Birds are naturally curious and will be interested in The Chicken Fountain as soon as it is installed. Removing their current source of water will encourage them to seek a new source. You can also place a rubber band around the feeder arm and pull the band over the dripper, opening the valve. The released droplets of water will attract the birds and they will soon begin to peck at the drippers. Placing their feed close to The Chicken Fountain will also help them become familiar with the new source. For a reluctant bird, place a bit of peanut butter and scratch feed on the end of the dripper.
It is very important that for the next several days you watch your flock closely to ensure they are receiving sufficient water. If they are not utilizing The Chicken Fountain, briefly supply an additional water supply and re-start the process. It usually only takes a day or two for them to adjust.
Check your water source
Inspect your water source periodically to be sure it is still providing water
to The Chicken Fountain. Look inside the reservoir to confirm it is filling.
Test operate the float valve to confirm functionality. Make sure the garden
hose valve is open and the inlet valve on The Chicken Fountain is open
approximately 1/3 of the way.
Open more or less as needed based on the water pressure at your location.
Water temperature
We recommend installing The Chicken Fountain in a shaded area of your coop or pen to help keep the water cool. The garden hose should also be shaded where possible.
Mounting to wire fencing
You can use wire or tie wraps (not supplied) to hang the unit from chain link or chicken wire fencing.
Birds of all different sizes
If you have varying sized birds, position the Chicken Fountain for the tallest birds and use bricks or rocks to provide a step up for your smaller birds. The larger birds can easily reach around the step up to get their water.
Adding dewormers and supplements
Easy access to the main reservoir makes it a snap to add liquid additives to your flock’s water source. The Chicken Fountain system holds approximately 1 US gal. Follow the instructions from the product packaging to determine the correct amount of product to be mixed with 1 US gal. Add directly into the reservoir. To keep the product from becoming diluted, it is recommended that you shut off the water supply until the flock consumes the water contained in the system. Once you are confident your flock has ingested the dosage, turn the water supply back on.
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