Vertical (gravity) vs. horizontal (spring loaded) watering nipples

[minpins99]

I purchased the conventional nipples for mounting on the bottom of the bucket. Can these be used for side mounting or is there another type that is only for side mounting? One of may Americaunas thinks the water bowl is also a foot bath and the bucket idea should solve that problem although they have been outwitting me at every turn since they were chicks!

Thank you

 

[Gardeneer]

You can't place them horizontally. What prevents water from spilling out of them is gravity pulling down, towards the opening, on the stopper inside the nipple. If you orient them horizontally, gravity will no longer pull the stopper towards the opening and, thus, there will be nothing preventing water from spilling out.

After what I saw after taking one apart, I wouldn't place a vertical nipple any orientation other than straight up and down.

If you want them to be placed horizontally, you'll need to search for the horizontal type. The horizontal nipples have a spring, as opposed to gravity, that pulls the stopper towards the opening, so it doesn't matter how they are oriented.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Side mount are a different design. Both are pictured throughout this thread.

 

[minpins99]

I had a feeling I couldn't use the vertical nipples side mounted. On the pictures I viewed, the side mounted ones had a cross shaped piece just behind the nipple.

Thanks all for the expert advice

 

[Gardeneer]

In my tests, the vertical nipples didn't leak at all, but, then again, I didn't just drill a hole in a bucket and screw it in. I used either a metal NPT adapter or used a NPT tap to add threads to a nice thick PVC plug.

 

[aart]

In my tests, the vertical nipples didn't leak at all, but, then again, I didn't just drill a hole in a bucket and screw it in. I used either a metal NPT adapter or used a NPT tap to add threads to a nice thick PVC plug.

Vertical nipples usually 'leak' from the gravity valve, not from the installation threads.

 

[Gardeneer]

If the ball inside sits well, it's not going to leak. Mine sat on a workbench for a week and didn't lose a drop. That said, I believe you, but I'd like to know more about how it happens, because it's not an inherent design flaw......possibly just something else that can be prevented.

I can see them leaking if something gets jammed between the ball and the opening. That could be introduced by a bird. Maybe she ate some biscotti right before grabbing a drink. Unlikely, though, because the opening is small and flush and it wouldn't be easy to get something inside there from below. More likely, the jam would be caused by something inside the bucket. Leaving the top of the bucket open is going to allow dirt, feathers, bugs, and other debris to get in there and settle at the bottom where they will be drawn toward the nipple opening where they can jam and block the ball from settling. Solution: lid.

The bucket being jostled could also result in the ball rocking off the opening. So just hanging a bucket from a rafter with a rope is going to exacerbate this. Solution: secure waterer.

There could be some brands of vertical nipples that are better than others. Maybe we should be happy paying $5 for 10 instead of paying $10 for 50. Solution: splurge for the higher quality nipples.

Also, from what I've seen, people are screwing vertical nipples into thin wall buckets and, most of the time, not using the right size drill bit. You see all the time how people state you can just use a 3/8 or 5/16 bit. 11/32 is not very common. I have a half dozen name brand drill sets and not one of them had an 11/32 bit. I had to pick up a new set specifically to get one.

If you used the wrong size bit, and your nipple is leaking, the water is going to creep down the plastic to the opening and then down to the end of the metal pin. To many, that would look like it's leaking from the opening.

 

[Chickens R Us]

I have the cat litter box on top of a chimney block then a landscaping brick in the cat litter box and water pail on top of the landscaping brick. Seems to be the perfect height for the chickens.

 

[lynordb]

I stuck a big red funnel on it. They knocked it off the first time I put it up there, scared the peewaddin' outta them. They never did it again! It's not even attached to anything...it just sits up there. Silly chickens! The babies are now drinking out of it very well too. I start them with vertical nipples until they get a little stronger, then switch them.

I took I big chicken food bag that's empty, over the top of my 5gallon bucket to keep it clean, otherwise they will poop all over the top and then your chances of getting that inside of the bucket is high, and can stop up the nipples, plus I believe in the gravity feed nipples.

 

[lynordb]

I did the same thing with the feed bag over the 5 gal bucket with the water nipples on the bottom of the bucket.