Nipple waterer design question....

[olbupp]

Wow....we just installed a 2 liter bottle with 1 nipple for our 3 week old SLW chicks...it took about 2 minutes and 3 are pecking and drinking. I just hope it will help to deliver them fresh water without my having to clean shavings/poo out 6-10 times a day out of the regular waterer which I'll remove very soon. As long as it doesn't drip into the pen and wet the shavings....thanks for so many people's imput on this site.

 

[krazyboutpets]

That's great . I wished we had the nipples a long time ago !!!! You right.......it is a lot of work to keep cleaning the water all day long. I put a plastic tray with some shavings in it (so they don't slip and slid when they drink) right under the water bottle. I just dump the small amount of wet shavings outside in their new pen where it's sunny.
We let them outside yesterday and today........They are the funniest little critters. They love their new coop, but not ready to stay out all night yet. Still to cold at night. But it was 80 today in Northern Calif.

 

[pdirt]

Wow....we just installed a 2 liter bottle with 1 nipple for our 3 week old SLW chicks...it took about 2 minutes and 3 are pecking and drinking. I just hope it will help to deliver them fresh water without my having to clean shavings/poo out 6-10 times a day out of the regular waterer which I'll remove very soon. As long as it doesn't drip into the pen and wet the shavings....thanks for so many people's imput on this site.

I'm sure you've already done this but if not... Just be sure to poke a hole in the 2 liter bottle. I assume you installed the nipple in the cap and hang the bottle upside down. If so, make a tiny hole in the top (or bottom if the bottle were upright) so you don't get vacuum airlock as the water level drops. If you get an airlock, the birds will tap but be unable to get water.

 

[krazyboutpets]

I'm sure you've already done this but if not... Just be sure to poke a hole in the 2 liter bottle. I assume you installed the nipple in the cap and hang the bottle upside down. If so, make a tiny hole in the top (or bottom if the bottle were upright) so you don't get vacuum airlock as the water level drops. If you get an airlock, the birds will tap but be unable to get water.

Yea it took me a minute to figure that one out.......I was looking at it going dang it...... it was just working, now what??? When I turned the bottle right side up and it sucked in air .......I was like......duhhhhhh......yea my son got a kick out of that !!!! He's 22 and just loves to watch and wait for me to figure out what I did wrong or something I missed.....HaHaHaHaHa, We have way to much fun with this chicken stuff. Thank you for reminding us of that.

 

[bustedchicks]

What are your recommendations for number of nipples to number of chickens?

 

[winteree]

i never liked the nipple design but it does sound like it would work. it's up to you

 

[subhanalah]

What are your recommendations for number of nipples to number of chickens?

I was told one nipple per 3-4 birds.

I wanna know why the vertical nipples require such a stupid drill bit size!?!!?

 

[olbupp]

Thanks for the advice. Actually hubby put the nipple in the bottom of the bottle and used a coat hanger wire to go thru the cap so as to hang it....he drilled 2 holes into the cap for air vent. We may have forgotten that step except someone posted to add an air hole so it wouldn't air lock on us. Now my only concern is that they are getting enough water. I'll probably put their regular waterer in tomorrow a.m. and watch them for a bit and remove it after I've seen them take a turn at it.

 

[pdirt]

What are your recommendations for number of nipples to number of chickens?

I've been told anywhere from 2-30 birds per nipple. I use 2 nipples per dozen birds. Also, install a minimum of 2 nipples, no matter what. Should one nipple fail for any reason, the second one can be a back-up.

 

[Beekissed]

To those with a watering system, I'm in the process of building a system, in my mind at least. I've seen the bucket with the toilet valve and then pvc running to a length of pvc with the nipples drilled into it. My question is, couldn't I just use the bucket. Have a 5 gallon bucket with the toilet valve and just drill the nipples into the bottom of the bucket?? This would allow me to save time and money with all the pvc as well as being able to raise or lower the bucket as the new chicks grew. The only disadvantage I see is having the bucket hanging in the coop and taking up room or providing a roost spot for one of the birds. Other than that, the nipples would not be under any water pressure and would still be able to be gravity fed. Does this make sense and would it work??

It makes sense and it works wonderfully. My vertical nipples do not leak and never have, no matter what type of bucket we place them in. I just place a dab of silicone around the nipple after they are installed but have done it without the silicone as well and they did not drip.

My birds have never roosted on the 2 gal. bucket but I've had meaty birds jump and roost on the 5 gal. bucket. They don't take up any more space in the coop than a traditional waterer.

You need to take out their other water source because they will keep using what they are used to. By taking out the other water source, you are forcing them to use the water nipple waterer. You can take the chick/chicken and make it peck the nipple so that they see what comes out. They catch on quickly!

I agree!

I've been told anywhere from 2-30 birds per nipple. I use 2 nipples per dozen birds. Also, install a minimum of 2 nipples, no matter what. Should one nipple fail for any reason, the second one can be a back-up.

I only use 2 nipples for a flock of 10-15 and have used 5 nipples for flocks of 50+.