Automatic water for our dear old hens
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381925)
Rockingham, Australia
January 11, 2023 4:02am CST
The photo shows the watering system for the hens at our house-sit place. It’s called a float valve or ballcock. Try to ignore the sticks and netting. The ‘ball’ floats on the water. When the level gets low enough, a mechanism allows water to flow until the ball floats up and switches off the flow.
This type of mechanism is also used in flush toilets and stock troughs for domestic livestock. It isn’t without its problems. Animals like to play with the ball, pushing it up and down and wasting water. So farmers often secure half a drum over the mechanism to stop them. Occasionally the float valve jams and the trough runs out of water or water continually flows. Either situation is obviously not ideal.
15 people like this
17 responses
@DaddyEvil (174317)
• United States
11 Jan 23
At least the farmer doesn't have to go out and water twice a day, though.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381925)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 23
@DaddyEvil He'd need to add whiskey to his. 
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@allknowing (153544)
• India
11 Jan 23
I think we had this in water tanks where I lived in the city.
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@allknowing (153544)
• India
12 Jan 23
@JudyEv We were living in a co-operative society and there were four buildings with over head tanks. Water from the Municipality would be filled in there and when the level reached the top these floats would cut off the supply.
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@JudyEv (381925)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 23
I wondered if they were in use in other countries. It seems they are.
@BarBaraPrz (51811)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
11 Jan 23
I had a laugh when I saw the float valve...
1 person likes this
Because you're familiar with them?
@thislittlepennyearns (68246)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
11 Jan 23
I instantly thought that animals play with the ball
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@JudyEv (381925)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 23
And you were right. The chooks but cattle and horses in particular like to push the ball up and down.
@thislittlepennyearns (68246)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
12 Jan 23
@JudyEv i can imagine. lol i bet our dogs would just sit there and play with it too lol
1 person likes this
@stanley777 (9401)
• Philippines
11 Jan 23
That's why it looks familiar. 
I see it in our toilet indeed. That's pretty cool
I see it in our toilet indeed. That's pretty cool1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (56227)
• Canada
11 Jan 23
When my Dad used to raise cattle, he had something similar in a corner outside of the barn for the cattle to go and drink from. We had chickens on the second level of the barn, and he had something smaller for their water toughs, more like a float that we would use for a dehumidifier. We had 3 rooms for the laying hens, and many smaller troughs.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (135643)
• Marion, Ohio
11 Jan 23
We can buy already covered ones for the Rubbermaid troughs. George can't play with it. I know he would
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@Marilynda1225 (91044)
• United States
11 Jan 23
I can see where the animals might be tempted to play wih the ball but the system itself is a pretty good idea.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381925)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 23
It's a great idea but still needs occasional checking.
@LindaOHio (222285)
• United States
11 Jan 23
Hopefully the system will work well while you are there.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (17239)
• China
11 Jan 23
Our flush toilet frequently went wrong due to the float valve thing,I left it alone and used the hose instead .
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@JudyEv (381925)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Jan 23
Do you think it is used there? It seems to be in most other countries - at least the countries represented here.
@Beestring (15373)
• Hong Kong
11 Jan 23
Though not 100 percent perfect, this watering system sounds good.
1 person likes this
