Automated everything...pretty much!

[BunnyStuff...]

I've been working on installing an automated watering system in my 12 by 14 rabbitry. The supply runs from the low pressure side of our city water via a series of water hoses; combined from several lines, which is a pain to ensure no leaks (12000 gallons one leaky month with a $104 water bill ). the lines will be teed off to the chickens in three areas, the rabbits in the hutch for grow out pens, the breeders, the guinea pigs, and finally, yes, a sink newly installed for cleaned among other things. Every thing has valves to cut off each section individually! Water pressure...affecting nipples...problem solved! I put toilet float/fill valves in five gallon buckets and run lines to the cages from the buckets. Got a poop collecting cage shelf on wheels that I'm building. A crate goes on bottom to collect the poop and keep the floor clean! I got lucky and found 7 fresh, brand new bales of first cut hay on the roadside that had fallen off someones truck :roll: More to come folks!

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

Great find on the hay.

 

[Hucksdaddy]

I'm trying to think of an automated feeding system. I think it's going to have something to do with gumball type machines on timers. Just haven't figured it out yet. My wife is missing her vacations, so I have to figure out something!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

My wife is missing her vacations, so I have to figure out something!

What's a vacation? :?

 

[Hucksdaddy]

My wife is missing her vacations, so I have to figure out something!

What's a vacation? :?

It's that thing that "normal" people do when they don't live their life for taking care of animals, or so I heard....

 

[Secuono]

Hoses? Why not use cpvc piping instead, hard to create a leak in that.

 

[BunnyStuff...]

Well, problem I went all the way to the next town over bought a bunch of fittings for 3/4" cpvc. I got home, starting working on it, and found that I bought the wrong pieces for 1/2" instead! I might still change over to cpvc when I exchange the parts.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

It's that thing that "normal" people do when they don't live their life for taking care of animals, or so I heard....

Ohhhhh... :roll:

I can't recall being gone more than overnight in I don't know how long. We always have a huge garden to take care of in addition to the animals, so it is a lot to ask of people to watch our place. Maybe I should market our property as an "eco-vacation" hot spot...

 

[grumpy]

Schedule 40 1/2" pvc is normal for rabbitry water systems. The nipple "T" for the valve is sized for this sized water pipe.

I've got two independent water systems ran off of barrels, gravity fed during the summer and "pressurized" in the winter with submersible pumps with a return line going into a heated cabinet.

You'll like the auto-waterers. They'll save you a lot of time. Plus, they are more sanitary than standard waterers.

Grumpy.

 

[SMR]

Humm does your lines ever freeze grumpy? I worried about that, have a heater to keep things just at freezing but I worried with the lower lines.

 

[grumpy]

Humm does your lines ever freeze grumpy? I worried about that, have a heater to keep things just at freezing but I worried with the lower lines.

The barrels, 30 gallons and 40 gallons, are set in a cabinet that is heated to 95 degrees during the winter. The pumps circulate the water at 350 gallons per hour. I've had one partial freeze-up when it got to 18 below zero. Part of the lines broke and I had to replace them on the next warmer day. 12 below doesn't freeze the lines....but the valves will freeze until the temps go up a degree or two. I plan on getting larger, stronger pumps later this summer to move the water a little faster this coming winter.

I always "worry" when the temps get down around zero....But, it's had to get much colder to freeze the water system. I keep the "nipple-tee's" and pipe on hand for such emergencies.

Grumpy.