Easy to build your own automatic water feeder
We used these as Remote water feeders for drought and bushfire effected effected wildlife at our 16 feed stations after the fire and we use this in our wombatoriums and near out silt poluted dam.
Main image is a 200 lt drums with a water feeding bowl with float attached
Costs $20 fittings $45 feed bowl and fittings Drum get any size the bigger less times you need to fill it from a 1 cubic Metre IBC to a small 20lt drum, its up to you. Find them online or rural supplies
Build one yourself and just attach feeding bowl with float to drum. You will need fittings as below
Note we also show that an pet feeder bowl can be fitted to a 1,000 IBC or you can add the flow valve to a trough for a larger number of wildlife (see long trough image)
- and sized plastic drum 200lt is great if you can only go and refill weekly or fortnightly. Needs lid and keep lid on to stop birds drowning
- 15mm (1/2BSP) tank outlet (from rural or plumbing supplies)
- 15mm (1/2 BSP) male to female elbow (tank is not flat allows bowl to sit properly) (black plastic)
- 15mm Brass Gate valve is best
- 15mm nipple (black plastic )
- Self feeding water bowl from hardware and rural supplies stainless steel or plastic $45 (plastic) to $65 metal Best brand water feeder in filling is from JONO and JOHNO (your even get a spare float)
- Survey peg to screw or cable tie bowl to from hardware $3.50 there only short and help stop animals bending the plumbing.
- Teflon thread tape so it all wont leak.
Ensure bowl sits above the ground when drilling your hole in drum and is supported if a heavy animal leans on it
Lid needs a small hole so air comes in as water goes out say 5mm
Glue some webbing on one side frm rim of bowl into water for insects to access water and not drown.
Position on southern side of tree to keep water out of sun
Cover in tine to protect plastic for long term use
We hope this is helpful call us if you dont understand something
Place on south side of tree so its out of the sun, secure to tree with rope if needed
Placed outside our release pen for wildlife, its a good idea to glue some webbing strip from rim into water then bee's and insects have something to grip on and suck water rather than drown in bowl.
Inside a wombatorium, the plywood flap is hinged to help keep birds from bathing and pooing in water. wombat puts his nose under and lifts hinged on back
Fixed to a trough with the float protected by my favourite oven tray! Installed to feed a mob of wallabys and roos with what we had around.
This is the Johno and Johno metal feeder $65 comes with spare float valve. we have been using these for over 10 years in the field used daily.
Attach to IBC (cubic meter container, buy only food quality ones there second hand around $100 for a good clean one. We covered i in tin to stop the sun degrading the plastic and had a much bigger bowl as it was feeding alot of wildlife at a main feed station
We hope this has given you some inspiration