Shipton's Big R Chicks, Billings

[desertchicken92]

Yeah, I was so excited to get baby chicks I totally forgot to ask lol.

 

[PapaChaz]

sounds like those people got it going on!

I see a lot of negatives about TSC on here, but our local one has pretty well informed people working there. And when I was in there the other day they had those water buckets, same exact color and everything, and they were $14.99.... but you can make them a lot cheaper!

anyway, Montana is a LITTLE far for me from NW GA, LOL but hey, we travel a lot, maybe one day I'll be through there and get to check that out

 

[Blooie]

I also thought the price on those buckets was a little high, but I was just so surprised to see them on a store shelf! We have a few TSCs here as well as several other feed and farm stores and I'd never seen them stocked before. I use our homemade ones all the time.

I've heard mixed reviews about TSC chicks, Glad that your experiences was positive! Montana is a bit out of your neck of the woods!

 

[cicknmama]

I was getting ready to order one of those waterers online, the one I look we d at was $65 yikes! The one in that picture will do just fine and less than half the price of online. That works for me. Going to pick one up next trip to Billings. Glad you posted that picture.

 

[Blooie]

That works!

 

[PapaChaz]

I was getting ready to order one of those waterers online, the one I look we d at was $65 yikes! The one in that picture will do just fine and less than half the price of online. That works for me. Going to pick one up next trip to Billings. Glad you posted that picture.

you can buy the nipples and make them a lot cheaper! for your chicks, you can even put on in an empty coke bottle, just drill the hole in the top. I've got both kinds, the push in and the screw in. The push in were easier to make, but harder to take back out....in this pic, you see the two coke bottles in the shampoo holder, and the 1 gallon bucket I made yesterday. Easier to get water into the bucket, LOL


our TSC has the nipples, but you can order them on amazon if you can't find them here on this site, if you can operate a drill, you're good to go. So much easier to keep clean water. My new coop build that I am starting on this weekend will have a holding tank of some kind that feeds PVC with the nipples strategically placed. Probably going to use a food grade barrel.

 

[Blooie]

I have the vertical nipples waterers for my little chicks - I think it takes less pressure for them to be successful. We got the nipples at TSC and used a bucket we had on hand. But they do tend to drip (not exactly a leak) a little when the chicks are drinking. As soon as they are a little older I'll switch them to a bucket with horizontal nipples, again a home built waterer. I don't have the dripping with those. But that mechanism has to be tripped just a little harder to get water, and I'd rather they got used to the system and then got changed to what's out in the coop. We got the horizontal nipples off eBay. Been really happy with doing it that way.

 

[cicknmama]

...

you can buy the nipples and make them a lot cheaper! for your chicks, you can even put on in an empty coke bottle, just drill the hole in the top. I've got both kinds, the push in and the screw in. The push in were easier to make, but harder to take back out....in this pic, you see the two coke bottles in the shampoo holder, and the 1 gallon bucket I made yesterday. Easier to get water into the bucket, LOL our TSC has the nipples, but you can order them on amazon if you can't find them here on this site, if you can operate a drill, you're good to go. So much easier to keep clean water. My new coop build that I am starting on this weekend will have a holding tank of some kind that feeds PVC with the nipples strategically placed. Probably going to use a food grade barrel. Wow!!! The coke bottle is a great idea. I'm building a new coop this month also. Using a shed kit and then converting it to a coop. I have been looking for some kind of watering system for my girls. Would like one I can also use in the winter. I would love to see your idea when you have it finished. I was just going to use aquarium heaters for my nipple waterers. Would love to see your idea.

 

[cicknmama]

I have the vertical nipples waterers for my little chicks - I think it takes less pressure for them to be successful.  We got the nipples at TSC and used a bucket we had on hand.  But they do tend to drip (not exactly a leak) a little when the chicks are drinking.  As soon as they are a little older I'll switch them to a bucket with horizontal nipples, again a home built waterer. I don't have the dripping with those.  But that mechanism has to  be tripped just a little harder to get water, and I'd rather they got used to the system and then got changed to what's out in the coop.  We got the horizontal nipples off eBay.  Been really happy with doing it that way.

What do you do in the winter? Don't the nipples freeze up?

 

[Blooie]

What do you do in the winter? Don't the nipples freeze up?

By the time winter rolls around the chickens are all adults and have no problem with the horizontal nipples. I only use the vertical nipples for little tiny chicks. In winter we put a heater in the bucket and it's worked very well. We had a couple of frustrating days when water that had overflowed slightly froze into icicles, from the nipple all the way to the ground, but the water itself never froze and it took Ken about 3 minutes with a hot air gun to free everything up again.