Trials And Tribulations Of Suburban Meat Bird Production

[Birdinhand]

Are the extra chicks also the cobb500?
Guessing not, will be an interesting thing to observe,eh?

yes, they are the cobb 500 from the same hatchery, I'm guessing about a week older.

 

[trudyg]

Hey Birdinhand, I have a question. I have a 5 gal bucket with nipples like in your picture. How high should it be off the floor for new chicks? I see you have bricks under it, so should I put it maybe 4" up and put some bricks under it for the shorter chicks? Thanks

 

[Birdinhand]

Hey Birdinhand, I have a question. I have a 5 gal bucket with nipples like in your picture. How high should it be off the floor for new chicks? I see you have bricks under it, so should I put it maybe 4" up and put some bricks under it for the shorter chicks? Thanks

more than peck or lift the trigger, its more like the chicks kind of wick the water from it by pushing it to the side. in that picture the height is more a matter of convenience for hanging and filling, so instead I adjust the bricks as they grow. you need to watch how they respond. I'd like it where they have to lift their heads up a bit to get to it, but no so hard they they are struggling. In my favorite brand, the one shown in the picture, it's see through for easy monitoring of the water height but UV resistant plastic to keep it from growing algae and the nipples leak the least of the the vertical waterers I've tried. after trying like 5 different kinds of waterers, I called around and got to talk with the guy who "invented" it, he was full of great info and explained why his works so well, this was after having the unit recommended to me by a very knowledgable store employee at a place near me. apparently not all nipples are created equal so here it is: http://www.atwoods.com/poultry-feeders-watering/cheery-chicks-chicken-kooler-35-gallon.htm

 

[aart]

and the nipples leak the least of the the horizontal waterers I've tried.

You mean vertical nipples
horizontal nipples don't leak that bad, it looks pretty wet in there.

 

[Birdinhand]

You mean vertical nipples
horizontal nipples don't leak that bad, it looks pretty wet in there.

thanks for the catch, yes I did mean vertical. I was thinking that one was a little drippy, I picked it up used recently for cheap, I have a extra nipples and will try a cleaning and then see if any still leak and then swap them out. sometimes if people let them freeze they no longer hold a good seal.

 

[aart]

sometimes if people let them freeze they no longer hold a good seal.

The tiniest piece of grit can hold them open...or if they're not perfectly level...or....

 

[trudyg]

I've got both, horizontal and vertical. They both leak after awhile. I take them out, clean them up and then use teflon tape on the threads before winding back in. The vertical tend to drip, for some unknown reason, but so do the horizontal if the bucket is not level. Now I have to figure out how to hang the 5 gal bucket. The horizontal nipple buckets are high enough for the bigs......I don't want to change that setup and the other option is fountain waterer with mason jar or vertical nipples.

 

[aart]

I've got both, horizontal and vertical. They both leak after awhile. I take them out, clean them up and then use teflon tape on the threads before winding back in.

If threads are leaking, you've got an installation problem.

The vertical tend to drip, for some unknown reason, but so do the horizontal if the bucket is not level.

The VN's drip because they have a gravity 'seal', metal to metal, which can be touchy and unreliable.
I have never had an HN leak, no matter what the 'level', the seal is spring loaded, rubber to metal. Have had one faulty seal, out of about 2 dozen nipples.
Again, if threads are leaking, it's an installation problem.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...nipple-waterer-for-wire-crates-by-aart.72704/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/2-nipple-quart-water-bottle-holder.67773/

 

[Kusanar]

The VN's drip because they have a gravity 'seal', metal to metal, which can be touchy and unreliable.
I have never had an HN leak, no matter what the 'level', the seal is spring loaded, rubber to metal. Have had one faulty seal, out of about 2 dozen nipples.
Again, if threads are leaking, it's an installation problem.

Dumb question, but, why not use the HN for VN so that they have the better seal and don't leak??

 

[trudyg]

I didn't mean that I use teflon tape to correct the leak. I clean any grit, etc, but then use teflon tape since I figure the plastic bucket has stretched a bit from removing the nipple. I just thought it might prevent failure....and I happen to have it, so why not.