Poultry encyclopedia · NEXTEKCI School · Farm equipment
Bell drinker (hanging drinker)
A hanging drinker, connected to the tank by a pipe, which keeps its own water level. Allow one bell for 80 to 100 birds, with the rim at back height, weighted and washed every day.
Key facts
- Number
- 1 bell for 80 to 100 birds, i.e. 10 to 13 per 1,000
- Rim space
- At least 0.6 cm of rim per bird
- Height
- Rim at the height of the birds’ backs, raised every week
- Water level
- 0.5 cm below the rim on day one, then about 1.25 cm deep after 7 days
- Distance
- No bird more than 3 m from a drinking point
- Cleaning
- Every day, with a brush
What it is for
The bell drinker takes over from the starter drinkers. It hangs above the litter and is fed from the tank: a small float or spring mechanism lets water in as the birds drink. No more filling by hand, but it is an open drinker: the water is exposed to air, dust and beaks, and must be cleaned every day.
How many to install
Allow one bell for 80 to 100 birds, i.e. 10 to 13 bells per 1,000, with at least 0.6 cm of rim per bird. In hot weather birds drink much more: if they jostle around the bells in the hot hours, add drinking points before the weakest stop drinking.
Spread the bells over the whole floor, alternating with the feeders, so that no bird has more than 3 m to walk to drink.
Height and adjustment
The rim of the bell is set at the height of the birds’ backs and raised every week as they grow: a bird that lifts its head slightly to drink wets the litter less. The bell is weighted (a little water or sand in the ballast) so that it does not swing or tip.
Set the water 0.5 cm below the rim on day one, then about 1.25 cm deep (the depth of a thumbnail) after 7 days. Too much water and the birds splash; too little and they drink poorly.
Cleaning and maintenance
Every day, empty and scrub each bell: the slimy layer is a film of bacteria. On every round, check that no bell is leaking and none is empty. The water filter is checked and cleaned every week.
Between flocks, drain the tank and the pipework, scrub the tank, leave a cleaning solution in for at least 12 hours, then rinse thoroughly. The bells are taken down, washed, disinfected and dried.
Common mistakes
A ring of wet litter around a bell: the bell is too low, the water level too high, or it leaks. Adjust, repair and replace the wet litter. Dry litter everywhere but low water intake: bells too high, too few, or water too warm.
Other mistakes: an unweighted bell that tips over, bells left at the same height for the whole flock, a supply pipe lying in the sun.
Choosing one
Choose a sturdy bell that is easy to take apart and scrub, with a ballast and a level adjustment that are simple to use. Bell drinkers suit birds past the brooding stage; for the very first days, keep the starter drinkers. If you want cleaner water and drier litter without daily washing, look at nipple drinkers.