When raising baby chicks, keeping the water clean in their brooder can be a major challenge. Busy chicks kick shavings into the waterer and always find a way to poop in it. By far, my preference is to use poultry nipple waterers, however, it is not always possible to hang a bottle of water from the side of the brooder, particularly when utilizing a cardboard box. 
Chicks also step in and splash water, which leads to wet litter and when chicks eat feed off the wet, soiled brooder floor, that can lead to a disease called coccidiosis. Cocci is the #1 killer of baby chicks and a clean, dry brooder is critical to keeping them alive and healthy.
My attempt to keep traditional chick waterers cleaner longer was to fashion a simple riser to get the water up out of the way of the litter and out of the way of chick butts. Four bends in a piece of hardware cloth is all it takes to create the riser. The riser measures 4 inches from the floor, low enough for the chicks to be able to hop up onto and not walk underneath. The surface is only large enough for the feeder and waterer and a few chicks to fit on it at the same time- no extra room for playing. I wasn’t sure if the hardware cloth alone would be strong enough to support a full waterer, feeder and two chicks, but it is!
I placed a sheet pan on the brooder floor, lined the sheet pan with shavings and placed the hardware cloth riser on top of the sheet pan. The sheet pan and shavings catch any spills and the chicks are unable to play on or eat out of the wet shavings. Most notably, they have been unable to find a way to poop in the water 99% of the time! Right on!
The chicks are 4 weeks old today and are tall enough to reach the water without climbing onto the riser and their water stays clean!
Kathy Shea Mormino
Affectionately known internationally as The Chicken Chick®, Kathy Shea Mormino shares a fun-loving, informative style to raising backyard chickens. …Read on
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When raising baby chicks, keeping the water clean in their brooder can be a major challenge. Busy chicks kick shavings into the waterer and always find a way to poop in it. By far, my preference is to use poultry nipple waterers, however, it is not always possible to hang a bottle of water from the side of the brooder, particularly when utilizing a cardboard box.
Chicks also step in and splash water, which leads to wet litter and when chicks eat feed off the wet, soiled brooder floor, that can lead to a disease called coccidiosis. Cocci is the #1 killer of baby chicks and a clean, dry brooder is critical to keeping them alive and healthy.
My attempt to keep traditional chick waterers cleaner longer was to fashion a simple riser to get the water up out of the way of the litter and out of the way of chick butts. Four bends in a piece of hardware cloth is all it takes to create the riser. The riser measures 4 inches from the floor, low enough for the chicks to be able to hop up onto and not walk underneath. The surface is only large enough for the feeder and waterer and a few chicks to fit on it at the same time- no extra room for playing. I wasn’t sure if the hardware cloth alone would be strong enough to support a full waterer, feeder and two chicks, but it is!
I placed a sheet pan on the brooder floor, lined the sheet pan with shavings and placed the hardware cloth riser on top of the sheet pan. The sheet pan and shavings catch any spills and the chicks are unable to play on or eat out of the wet shavings. Most notably, they have been unable to find a way to poop in the water 99% of the time! Right on!
The chicks are 4 weeks old today and are tall enough to reach the water without climbing onto the riser and their water stays clean!
What will put an end to contaminated water is The Chicken Fountain! https://the-chicken-chick.com/2012/07/the-advantages-of-poultry-nipples.html
Thank you so much! My chicks filled the waterer with shavings so quick but making this riser was quicker! The only thing in the water now is poop and I don't think anything will stop that!
Thank you! I have been trying to find a way to get the chicks from making a mess in their water dishes and food dishes. I used kitchen cooling racks that were really old and they hop right up there and eat! Nice and clean. Thanks again!
That's so nice of you to say, Gregoria, thank you. I'm happy to know that you were empowered to fix the problem yourself!
I find myself coming back to your page quite often these days. Its my first time raising chicks. Seems like hard work being a chick mom, but look forward to it. My husband also purchased two Polish hens that were infested with lice. He dusted them with Seven and have them in quarantine and will re-dust in seven days. Thanks to your page I new what to do. They are sweetest girls and I feel bad for them. Thanks for all you do and will look forwards your knowledge to help me raise healthier happy hens.