Thursday, November 24, 2011

Chicken Waterers.....



I picked this up from a pile of rubble and dirt out on the farm.  It was so coated with soil that I didn't know at first what it was.  When I was on my family's farm my parents used these to water our baby chick.  Sometimes they would put a medicine in the water before they would give it to them.




The jar was filled with water and the glass tray was set over of the jar opening.  The whole thing was then flipped over so the water could drain into the glass tray.  Today they sell plastic devices that screw onto the jar and they work the same way.

While on the farm as a youngster my parents would buy baby chicks from the local farm and home store.  In the utility room in our house we put down many layers of newspaper and then took some old table boards and placed them on edge into a square to create a contained area for the chicks.  The weather was too cold usually at the time to put them in the chicken house so they were raised in the house for seven to ten days until they started to gain a few white pin feathers.   It was always a fun time for me to watch them as they would eat and drink freely and grow right before your eyes. They were taken out to the chicken house once they reached maturity to handle the cool air.




They worked well until the chicks grew up to be so large that they could knock them over with their bodies accidentally.  I hope to use this in the summer.   It will be a special thing in which to water the wild birds outside on the patio.

We are having breakfast out today with our son Andy and his wife.  They will return to Chicago today.  They braved the Christmas shopping in Des Moines yesterday and were hoping to get some of that shopping done early.

I have to plant my tulip bulbs today even though the air is cold out there.  It was so nice yesterday that I foolishly didn't do it then.  Christmas decorations seem to be dancing in my head but I don't know if it will develop into any actually work.  I may just spend the day resting again today.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

5 comments:

Gary said...

Larry,
How amazing, had I come across this I would have thought it to be some kind of juicer. I have seen the old galvanized water despisers that worked on the same principal but never have seen the glass ones. – gary

Anonymous said...

I once worked for a co. that mfd. these waterers. What a great idea to use this to feed the birds. I enjoyed your memories of raising the chicks when you were young.
We stayed in yesterday and the house was "cool" but I checked the thermometer and it got up to 76* outdoors! Today is another pretty day here.
I remember all the special Christmas ornaments you have. We gifted our/mama's ornaments to the young family who bought our house. The 8 yr old girl has had a blast unwrapping them all!!!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Larry, belated Thanksgiving wishes and glad to read you had a nice visit with your son Andy. I have seen these chicken waterers in photos and enjoyed reading your personal experiences.

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

Love the chicken waterer. We had larger galvanized ones too for use when the chicks got bigger. I remember having chicks in the house and turkeys one year. It should work nice for the birds in your garden.

Far Side of Fifty said...

I used to have top clean them out..be4cause the chicks were messy..so I remember them well! It should work great to water the birds:)