Design and Prototyping
We made a watering system for chickens that meets the standards of the American Humane Animal Welfare Standards for Broiler Chickens. The watering system can be used with minimal maintenance from human caretakers and provide clean on-demand water for the chicken users. The heated water container prevents the water from freezing which reduces the likelihood of dehydration during the winter and beak injuries caused by pecking ice. The design of the system reduces the labor required to provide clean water to the chickens because the water storage is completely enclosed and protected from debris and contaminants.
Testing
In order to test the watering system of Chicken Friend, we measured the heights of the chickens at the Columbia Secondary School Garden and took an average. From this average height, we could determine the necessary height for the water valves to be placed at so that the chickens could use the nozzles without issue but the nozzles would remain out of reach for pests and rodents such as rats. We also performed a walkthrough of the tasks a volunteer would be required to do throughout the day to take care of the chickens in order to ensure all needs were met.
