Alternative To Current Watering For Our Flock (Chickens & Turkeys)

[smoknz28]

Smoknz28
  If you don't want to try the two people I gave you from BYC or Ebay feedback. You might try search in feed and watering your flock for horizontal watering nipples.
  I was just thinking the horizontal nipples are new here in the US. With any thing new there are those that will stick to the old tried and true system. I think that if they still made square wheel there would be those that swear by them. LOL

I still need to call the contact you gave me, so hopefully I can reach them this week to further discuss. Thanks.

Ah, yes, I was assuming you would be heating the water somehow. Yes, if it gets below 32F, you need to heat it, no matter what the system. With the vertical nipples I had to heat it with an aquarium heater to 68F (lowest setting) to keep the nipples from freezing up to -9F. I don't know if it actually had to be that warm, but it was the lowest setting I could set the aquarium heater for. The V nipples would freeze up with the stock tank deicer, but the water in the bucket itself would be ice free. With the horizontal nipples (being a different design) I think I can now use my stock tank deicer, which only heats the water to 40F. I have read from many others that the H nipples don't freeze up as easily. It also seems to be a more natural way for birds to drink, more similar to the cups.

Search the forums for freezing and watering cups, you'll find plenty of posts saying that the cups don't work as well as the V or H nipples in freezing weather, especially not into the single digits. I wanted to try the cups, but am glad I found out beforehand and wasted time, money and a bucket.

Another note on the vertical nipples...I have both bantams and large fowl using the same waterer. The bucket was either too high for the bantams or too low for the LF. So I had to keep it in between so the bantams can reach it. The downside of this is the bantams would get rather wet when they drink and the area under the bucket was always wet, which could (in a less arid climate than I live in) really cause some toxic mold problems. I've read from those who have tried both the V and H nipples that there is virtually zilch wet/dripping issues with the H nipples compared to the V ones. I just installed them but I can already see why.

Btw, I don't use any sort of auto watering system. 5 gallons for 12 birds is more than enough, lasts a week or more, if we were to go out of town for longer than that, I would just have the person picking up the eggs fill the bucket while they were there. We also don't have easy plumbing access to our coop and I'm not interested in digging a ditch just to save a few minutes once a week

Okay, I gotta see what you're referring to with V and H nipples. Watering systems are all still new to me.

I have 24 chickens and would really like a 5-gallon water bucket, at least.

Thanks.

 

[pdirt]

I still need to call the contact you gave me, so hopefully I can reach them this week to further discuss. Thanks.
Okay, I gotta see what you're referring to with V and H nipples. Watering systems are all still new to me.

I have 24 chickens and would really like a 5-gallon water bucket, at least.

Thanks.

Horizontal nipple system:

Vertical nipple system:

The horizontal nipples seal themselves and need no Teflon tape, the vertical ones need a very exact hole drilled and you must use Teflon tape to eliminate drips. The horizontal ones don't waste water nor get the bird wet (an issue in winter!), my guess is the vertical ones waste 30-40% of the water, it ends up on the ground which could invite molds, etc.

The only downside I see to the horizontal nipples is the cost. I paid about $12 for 10 vertical nipples and $13 for 5 horizontal ones, so about 2x as expensive for the horizontal ones. But you only need 1 nipple per every 6-8 birds and some folks say even more birds per nipple than that.

 

[smoknz28]

Horizontal nipple system:







Vertical nipple system:





The horizontal nipples seal themselves and need no Teflon tape, the vertical ones need a very exact hole drilled and you must use Teflon tape to eliminate drips. The horizontal ones don't waste water nor get the bird wet (an issue in winter!), my guess is the vertical ones waste 30-40% of the water, it ends up on the ground which could invite molds, etc.

The only downside I see to the horizontal nipples is the cost. I paid about $12 for 10 vertical nipples and $13 for 5 horizontal ones, so about 2x as expensive for the horizontal ones. But you only need 1 nipple per every 6-8 birds and some folks say even more birds per nipple than that.

This was good information and well needed for me.

Okay, I think you've all broken me down.... I'm starting to now push away from the cups and reconsidering the Horizontal nipples. I can definitely see these better for use during the winter time with proper heating for the water.

Thanks all for putting up with me and helping educate me. I'll be in touch with Solway this morning. ;-)

 

[smoknz28]

Update...

Got off the phone with the U.S. rep and wow! Talk about customer service!!

He's going to set me up with a 5-gallon bucket and I'm going with the Horizontal nipples.

I'll be installing the Solway system in a few days.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[pdirt]

Update...

Got off the phone with the U.S. rep and wow! Talk about customer service!!

He's going to set me up with a 5-gallon bucket and I'm going with the Horizontal nipples.

I'll be installing the Solway system in a few days.

Thanks again everyone.

Glad to hear it. You'll notice there are quite of few fans on BYC of the US Rep, Rich (Rich386 on BYC), including the passionate chad-o. I have to agree with them! With service like that I can't see why the horizontal nipples won't take over the chicken watering nipple business, especially if the price can come down a bit. But worth the price to me

I can't tell you how nice it is to not have to deal with cleaning and refilling the waterer EVERY day. Once a week or even less now with the larger bucket I'm now using.

 

[pawtraitart]

Update...

Got off the phone with the U.S. rep and wow! Talk about customer service!!

He's going to set me up with a 5-gallon bucket and I'm going with the Horizontal nipples.

I'll be installing the Solway system in a few days.

Thanks again everyone.

Awesome!

 

[chad-o]

Horizontal nipple system:







Vertical nipple system:





The horizontal nipples seal themselves and need no Teflon tape, the vertical ones need a very exact hole drilled and you must use Teflon tape to eliminate drips. The horizontal ones don't waste water nor get the bird wet (an issue in winter!), my guess is the vertical ones waste 30-40% of the water, it ends up on the ground which could invite molds, etc.

The only downside I see to the horizontal nipples is the cost. I paid about $12 for 10 vertical nipples and $13 for 5 horizontal ones, so about 2x as expensive for the horizontal ones. But you only need 1 nipple per every 6-8 birds and some folks say even more birds per nipple than that.

My only question would be what does that 30 - 40 % more water cost? I have city water and it's not cheap. Even if you are on a well you still have electric to consider. I wonder if the cost is not offset by the savings?

 

[smoknz28]

As I told you SERVICE SERVICE SERVICE!!!!
Best company I have ever dealt with.
Was your 5 gal. setup a special order? If it was what is your wait time?
Was there an extra charge for it? If so how much?

Yes, Rich was good to speak to on the phone. After speaking to him about wanting a 5-gallon bucket for holding my water...he said that he can make this happen and would call me back once he got to the local store to see about the pricing on the bucket. Called me back with an update and said it's doable and the price would be a couple dollars more. Yes, this 5-gallon request was a special order.

I know I could backward engineer how he plumbs into the bucket and install my own water container of any size...but I think 5-gallong will be good and having it all done from him at a couple of dollars more shipped was well worth it to me.

He shipped it the next day and I'm looking forward in getting it installed for my flock.

I will be sure to report back on my review of the product and how my birds react to it.

 

[OnceAroundTheBlock]

I just ordered one of these tonight. I have a 5 gal Rubbermaid cooler that I haven't used in years so that's what I'll use for my water source.

https://www.chickenwaterer.com/

 

[pdirt]

I just ordered one of these tonight.  I have a 5 gal Rubbermaid cooler that I haven't used in years so that's what I'll use for my water source.

https://www.chickenwaterer.com/

What the heck is your avatar? Is that a Kung fu master being chased by a rooster?!

I looked at the link for the britetap waterer. I couldn't easily find info on WHY I should buy it, what's better about it, benefits, etc. So I'll ask you, why did you buy it...say over just installing nipples (vertical or horizontal) directly into your Rubbermaid container?