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Gravity watering system for rabbits
Encouraged by some pics Eeyore sent me a long time back and a similar system I saw in action, I decided to finally get off my butt and get a better watering system set up for our bunnies.
I decided to go with just a basic 5 gallon bucket. If this ends up working out long term I'll probably go with a larger water tank, like one of the 35 gallon tanks from Tractor Supply Warehouse.
The nice thing about the 5 gallon bucket is that it allows me to catch some rainwater coming off this building also. This means potentially longer times between refills.
Here's what I did-
First I put in an additional 4x4 and built a simple tripod type support for the bucket. It doesn't weigh a lot, but 5 gallons of water is 40 lbs. of weight.
Using a 3/4 spade bit, I drilled a hole in the bottom center of the bucket and put a 3/4 inch PVC threaded to slip connector. The threaded side was put inside the bucket. The threads were teflon taped and the threaded end was screwed into a female threaded connector. The entire apparatus was caulked in place also. I looked for a plastic screw nut type deal that would have anchored the 3/4 inch threaded to slip connector inside the bucket without the female connector, but couldn't find one.
This will limit me slightly on how far the water can be drawn down as it raises the pipe level up in the bucket higher than the bottom.
The pipe comes out of the slip connector on the bottom of the bucket to a "Tee" fitting for the top leg of the run to the cages. The pipe continues down vertically from the "tee" to another "tee" that serves the run to the bottom cages.
As a way to have a drain for wintertime, a threaded connector with a hose bib on it serves as the lowest most connection in the system. This will allow us to drain the system for rinsing as well as in inclement weather. It will probably serve itself handy just for the occasional handwashing while the rest of the irrigation system is off task also.
Each cage has a "tee" connector with a slip adapter to the threaded metal nipple where the water comes out. Just like the standard water bottles wherein when the rabbit pushes against the little ball water comes out, this work in the same manner.
Since our regular irrigation line was close by, I tee'ed into that and put a ball valve wherein we can just turn the ball valve on and the bucket gets refilled.
To finish up (not in pics), I cut a piece of sunshade material like you use over RV's, tomatoes, etc. and draped it over the whole setup and around the far corner of the rabbit part of the shed. This gives the rabbits a little more afternoon shade in the 100+ temps we've been having, as well as it should keep the water cooler and serve as a gross filter for the water coming off the roof to the bucket. The top of the bucket is open.
If the bucket was low enough to where chickens could roost near it, I'd consider putting the lid on and sealing it to avoid problems with coccidiossis.
In one of the pictures a standard water bottle is suspended above the water nipple. We just finished this system and I figured it would take a week or so for them to transition over to it. Thought maybe placing the waterers they are used to over the ones they will be using might help them get the picture quicker. Also, their is apple peelings in that cage, they aren't worms. Our peeler corer deal leaves the peels in long thin strips that look like pasta or worms. :)
In retrospect, I should have done this years and years ago. Sometimes you get so busy you forget to work on projects that should end up saving you time on your daily chores.
I decided to go with just a basic 5 gallon bucket. If this ends up working out long term I'll probably go with a larger water tank, like one of the 35 gallon tanks from Tractor Supply Warehouse.
The nice thing about the 5 gallon bucket is that it allows me to catch some rainwater coming off this building also. This means potentially longer times between refills.
Here's what I did-
First I put in an additional 4x4 and built a simple tripod type support for the bucket. It doesn't weigh a lot, but 5 gallons of water is 40 lbs. of weight.
Using a 3/4 spade bit, I drilled a hole in the bottom center of the bucket and put a 3/4 inch PVC threaded to slip connector. The threaded side was put inside the bucket. The threads were teflon taped and the threaded end was screwed into a female threaded connector. The entire apparatus was caulked in place also. I looked for a plastic screw nut type deal that would have anchored the 3/4 inch threaded to slip connector inside the bucket without the female connector, but couldn't find one.
This will limit me slightly on how far the water can be drawn down as it raises the pipe level up in the bucket higher than the bottom.
The pipe comes out of the slip connector on the bottom of the bucket to a "Tee" fitting for the top leg of the run to the cages. The pipe continues down vertically from the "tee" to another "tee" that serves the run to the bottom cages.
As a way to have a drain for wintertime, a threaded connector with a hose bib on it serves as the lowest most connection in the system. This will allow us to drain the system for rinsing as well as in inclement weather. It will probably serve itself handy just for the occasional handwashing while the rest of the irrigation system is off task also.
Each cage has a "tee" connector with a slip adapter to the threaded metal nipple where the water comes out. Just like the standard water bottles wherein when the rabbit pushes against the little ball water comes out, this work in the same manner.
Since our regular irrigation line was close by, I tee'ed into that and put a ball valve wherein we can just turn the ball valve on and the bucket gets refilled.
To finish up (not in pics), I cut a piece of sunshade material like you use over RV's, tomatoes, etc. and draped it over the whole setup and around the far corner of the rabbit part of the shed. This gives the rabbits a little more afternoon shade in the 100+ temps we've been having, as well as it should keep the water cooler and serve as a gross filter for the water coming off the roof to the bucket. The top of the bucket is open.
If the bucket was low enough to where chickens could roost near it, I'd consider putting the lid on and sealing it to avoid problems with coccidiossis.
In one of the pictures a standard water bottle is suspended above the water nipple. We just finished this system and I figured it would take a week or so for them to transition over to it. Thought maybe placing the waterers they are used to over the ones they will be using might help them get the picture quicker. Also, their is apple peelings in that cage, they aren't worms. Our peeler corer deal leaves the peels in long thin strips that look like pasta or worms. :)
In retrospect, I should have done this years and years ago. Sometimes you get so busy you forget to work on projects that should end up saving you time on your daily chores.
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