Arizona Chickens

[maryhysong]

I'm so jealous of people's watering systems. I just have a large dish bucket that in the summer gets frozen water bottles and a spot in the shade. I have unsuccessfully tried building a nipple waterer a few times. I don't know what I do wrong but the joint glue never stays with the weight of the water in it. I'm not very familiar with ways to glue pvc but I have used a combo primer and water proof pvc cement and let it dry 2 days but as soon as I hang it and turn the hose on to fill it it bends at the joint and breaks. I think perhaps I use too large of a PVC pipe. I may purchase one of the premade cooler/nipple combos like the BriteTap one. http://www.chickenwaterer.com/BriteTap-Automatic-Chicken-Waterer-p/bt100.htm

I just bought the screw in nipples from dmrippy here on byc, drill the holes in the bottom of 2 or 5 gallon buckets and screw them in. If the holes are drilled straight and the nipples screwed in straight and tight there usually isn't a leak. Then hang the buckets up; set the lid on top loosely (these won't work if you seal the lid and there is a vacuum) You can always put an ice bottle in the bucket in the summer. I use the little two gallon ones in my breeding pens and a five gallon in the layer house

 

[Twinklin]

I just bought the screw in nipples from dmrippy here on byc, drill the holes in the bottom of 2 or 5 gallon buckets and screw them in. If the holes are drilled straight and the nipples screwed in straight and tight there usually isn't a leak. Then hang the buckets up; set the lid on top loosely (these won't work if you seal the lid and there is a vacuum) You can always put an ice bottle in the bucket in the summer. I use the little two gallon ones in my breeding pens and a five gallon in the layer house

Thanks. I had contemplated this method but I really wanted something more compact and out of the way which is why I tried the PVC pipe method. Hanging a bucket would be just as in the way as the dish bucket is. I think having the cooler with the premade waterer attached from the front would be good because I could have the cooler on the outside of the run with only the pipe with the nipples in the run taking up very little space.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

I'm so jealous of people's watering systems. I just have a large dish bucket that in the summer gets frozen water bottles and a spot in the shade. I have unsuccessfully tried building a nipple waterer a few times. I don't know what I do wrong but the joint glue never stays with the weight of the water in it. I'm not very familiar with ways to glue pvc but I have used a combo primer and water proof pvc cement and let it dry 2 days but as soon as I hang it and turn the hose on to fill it it bends at the joint and breaks. I think perhaps I use too large of a PVC pipe. I may purchase one of the premade cooler/nipple combos like the BriteTap one. http://www.chickenwaterer.com/BriteTap-Automatic-Chicken-Waterer-p/bt100.htm

Western Ranchman has the BriteTap. Saw it there last week.

 

[Demosthine]

I'm so jealous of people's watering systems. I just have a large dish bucket that in the summer gets frozen water bottles and a spot in the shade. I have unsuccessfully tried building a nipple waterer a few times. I don't know what I do wrong but the joint glue never stays with the weight of the water in it. I'm not very familiar with ways to glue pvc but I have used a combo primer and water proof pvc cement and let it dry 2 days but as soon as I hang it and turn the hose on to fill it it bends at the joint and breaks. I think perhaps I use too large of a PVC pipe. I may purchase one of the premade cooler/nipple combos like the BriteTap one. http://www.chickenwaterer.com/BriteTap-Automatic-Chicken-Waterer-p/bt100.htm

I've seen that BriteTap mentioned quite a few times around here and it gets great reviews. I am much more of a do-it-yourself type person, but as you've tried that unsuccessfully, I can see why you'd go that route. Working with PVC is usually fairly simple, so long as you've purchased the correct primer and glue combination. I'm having a little bit of trouble understanding your design without more details, but perhaps you aren't supporting the weight of the pipe correctly if you are hanging it? Feel free to message me some photos or more information and I can make recommendations. Depending on where you are in Scottsdale, I could possibly come out and help you some time before summer starts.

Unlike Mary, I took it a step farther and used a tap and die to add the threading to the holes where I screwed the nipples in. It was a very simple extra measure of safety to ensure they didn't leak and I didn't ruin the threading. I happen to be fortunate enough to have one handy because my Dad is a pack rat. My poultry nipples were ordered from QC Supply as well, and the quality has been great. I also spent the extra money to plumb it directly in to my water supply, so I would never have to worry about flushing the water or cleaning it. I purchased this Ziggity Pressure Regulator from QC Supply for about $55 in order to control the actual pressure to the nipples. Already mentioned, too little pressure won't provide enough water and will allow them to leak, but excess pressure will prevent the hens from getting any water at all. I believe I have mine set to 2psi or 3psi. The supply line is run underground and in to the coop, where it will always be cooler than the ambient temperature and well shaded.

In the photo, you can see the regulator and nipples in the back, right corner. Interestingly enough, the rabbits all drink from the poultry nipples, too. Because they are the higher quality, stainless steel nipples, there hasn't been any problem with the rabbits nibbling the plastic, like the cheap versions I saw at The Stock Shop. I could not believe it when I saw completely plastic nipples, and at nearly three times the price, too! It's a bit hard to tell, but if you look carefully, you can see a second row of nipples looping back across from left to right. I set the lower height for smaller pullets or bantams, while the higher one works for the heritage breeds and roosters. The line split off to go to the regulator, but the other split runs along the house to the porch, where I'm installing a misting system for us humans. Kills two birds with one stone.

​

 

[desertmarcy]

Yesterday I had the usual big delivery truck come with my feed order. This time, the truck knocked down our phone line on the way out the driveway. This same size truck has been here numerous times, no problem, so we stopped watching it go under the cable which crosses over the driveway. I don't know why there was not enough clearance this time, unless the cable had sagged. So they finally came out towards the end of the day today. Two workman, one obviously in a hurry since DP overheard him tell the other guy he wanted to be out of here by 5. OK, so they got the line back up but some of it had broken off, so it was a bit shorter and they had to put it up really tight. I do not think it is up high enough.

Tomorrow I am going to get the ladder out and see how high it is and call them back if it is not high enough. If the cable had broken, then they should put in a new one that is long enough to get it high enough, up where it was, don't you think? These workman were doing the minimum they could to get out of here. I get feed about every 2-3 months, that truck has got to be able to drive to the back. NO way do I want to move 5000 lbs of feed from the end of my long driveway

 

[roostereggs]

Argggghhhhh! So Two Pullets This Morning...And Then i Get Home To A Wry Neck Cockerel! REALLY? At Least It's Not Another Pullet, but jeez! And My Littles Wanted Out In The Run Today With The Adults, So They Learned How To Push Thru The Reed Fence Into The Adults Coop...And Out Into The run! Stinkers! At Least I Got A Good LOL over That. The Run Is Covered With Aviary Net So Hopefully They Will Be Ok Out There.

 

[Twinklin]

Western Ranchman has the BriteTap. Saw it there last week.

Awesome! Would love to see it in person before buying it. Maybe I'll drive out there this weekend... and try to avoid the peeps LOL

 

[Twinklin]

I've seen that BriteTap mentioned quite a few times around here and it gets great reviews. I am much more of a do-it-yourself type person, but as you've tried that unsuccessfully, I can see why you'd go that route. Working with PVC is usually fairly simple, so long as you've purchased the correct primer and glue combination. I'm having a little bit of trouble understanding your design without more details, but perhaps you aren't supporting the weight of the pipe correctly if you are hanging it? Feel free to message me some photos or more information and I can make recommendations. Depending on where you are in Scottsdale, I could possibly come out and help you some time before summer starts.

Unlike Mary, I took it a step farther and used a tap and die to add the threading to the holes where I screwed the nipples in. It was a very simple extra measure of safety to ensure they didn't leak and I didn't ruin the threading. I happen to be fortunate enough to have one handy because my Dad is a pack rat. My poultry nipples were ordered from QC Supply as well, and the quality has been great. I also spent the extra money to plumb it directly in to my water supply, so I would never have to worry about flushing the water or cleaning it. I purchased this Ziggity Pressure Regulator from QC Supply for about $55 in order to control the actual pressure to the nipples. Already mentioned, too little pressure won't provide enough water and will allow them to leak, but excess pressure will prevent the hens from getting any water at all. I believe I have mine set to 2psi or 3psi. The supply line is run underground and in to the coop, where it will always be cooler than the ambient temperature and well shaded.

In the photo, you can see the regulator and nipples in the back, right corner. Interestingly enough, the rabbits all drink from the poultry nipples, too. Because they are the higher quality, stainless steel nipples, there hasn't been any problem with the rabbits nibbling the plastic, like the cheap versions I saw at The Stock Shop. I could not believe it when I saw completely plastic nipples, and at nearly three times the price, too! It's a bit hard to tell, but if you look carefully, you can see a second row of nipples looping back across from left to right. I set the lower height for smaller pullets or bantams, while the higher one works for the heritage breeds and roosters. The line split off to go to the regulator, but the other split runs along the house to the porch, where I'm installing a misting system for us humans. Kills two birds with one stone.

​

I wish I had taken pics of my "design" before it broke. It was 2 pieces of PVC with a 45 degree angle joint. One section was flat and banded to the side of the run, with the nipples screwed in and the end capped, and the other piece angled up from that to the top corner of the run where it was capped and the hose could fill the angled tube easily. It wasn't pressurized. It was an attempt at the gravity method like the simple bucket or coolers just with a tube design to save space. I think my issue was the wrong size PVC. Looking at your pics it was much larger than the tube you have. I went with larger PVC thinking it would hold a sufficient amount of water. I'm going to go to Ranchman this weekend and check out the BriteTap but if I don't like it I may have to take you up on your offer to help

 

[City farm]

I am SO sad. Went out to the coop this morning and found 2 of my FAVORITE 12 week pullets laying dead on the ground...a CCL with blood on her neck and a BCM with no blood. It looked like a pillow exploded in the coop. And on my street is a disemboweled wild rabbit.

Just talked to dh and he said he saw our INDOOR cat outside last night. (We have a dog door). There is a tiny hole at the bottom of the fence big enough for a large rat to get in...that is the only possible way I could think that she got in. I did some interior decorating when I cleaned the coop yesterday, so it must have opened up access in that spot because there was a chain link enclosure up against it previously but I was only thinking about coyotes as a risk. 

I read about this so much on these forums, but nothing can prepare you for the first time it happens. I was prepared to give away a bunch of the cockerels next month...why couldn't it have been THEM???      

Oh no!!
Condolences from us!!
We lost one chick... It must of jumped out of the the nesting box.. They are to young to jump back up & into the nesting box.. The Moma did not
rescure it... She is the lowest on the totem pole.. Her feathers on the top of her head make it hard for her to see, so she is always getting pecked
on... Agh... I keep telling myself it was a rooster... He was very active for a day old chick....

 

[LindaMurphy]

Does anyone near surprise Arizona have any buff orpington ducks? I am looking for a female for my drake. Momma was taken by a coyote.
I just got a couple magpie ducks but have no idea if they will breed with my drake.
I am hoping I have a pair of magpies, but it will be a while before I know.