The Corning Egg Farm book, by Corning himself

Eighty per cent. of an egg is water. If a sanitary egg is to be produced it is most essential that pure water should be accessible to the hens at all times, and not only should the water be pure, but the drinking fountains must be of such a nature that they can readily be kept in a pure state, and that the cups, into which the water flows from the main fountain, cannot be fouled by the birds.

Automatic Fountains Essential

On The Corning Egg Farm the supply of water is placed before the birds in automatic fountains, which work on air pressure, and contain five gallons each. The water feeds down through a pipe into the cups, the feeding pipe shutting off by the turning of a small cock, thus permitting the removal of the cup, so that it can be thoroughly cleansed each day at the time of filling the fountain, by the use of a small brush, or swab. Once a week a quarter of a teaspoonful of Potassium Permanganate is put into each fountain, just enough to give the water a slight coloring. It is a mistake to have the color so deep that it verges on the purple. This purifies the fountain and acts as a preventive of colds.

It is a very good practice also to occasionally put a few drops of Kerosene oil into the bottom of the cup and then allow the water to run in. The Kerosene will run over the entire surface of the cup and then rise to the top of the water. As the birds dip their bills to drink a small amount of the Kerosene is taken up on the bill, and, when the head is thrown back to swallow it runs into the nostrils.

The drinking fountains are occasionally thoroughly cleansed with a strong solution of Washing Soda. This, of course, is carefully washed out of the fountains before they are filled up and placed in the Laying Houses.

Hot Water in Cold Weather

In the Breeding and Laying Houses during the cold months, hot water is placed in the fountains. On The Corning Egg Farm a large boiler, with a hot water attachment, is maintained for this purpose, and water is taken to the Laying Houses at as close to boiling point as it is possible to get it there.

Hens Drink More in Afternoon

At first the watering was done early in the morning, but now the watering hour has been changed to the first hour of the afternoon. The reason for this is because, by sitting in the Laying Houses and watching the birds, it was discovered that from one o’clock to roosting time more water is consumed than at any other hours of the day. At first it was thought that Biddy, on leaving her roost, immediately sought the drinking fountain, but we find the first act, generally speaking, is to endeavor to fill the crop with grain, and she vigorously starts to work in the litter.

By placing the hot water in the fountains during the hour after noon, we find that with the closing of the house for the night, the water retains its temperature to a remarkable degree, and it is not at all chilling to the birds in the morning of ordinary cold weather. If the night has been an extremely cold one we make it a practice of going through the Houses with boiling water, emptying out what may be in the cups, and refilling them from the hot water can, thus giving any bird which may desire a large quantity, warm water to drink at this time in the morning.

The supply of water for all the stock on The Corning Egg Farm comes from the deep well, already described in the chapter on “Building the Farm.”