Chicken Nipple watering system - what size pipe to use?

[206ChickenGuy]

Hi all, I am building a coop feeder and watering system for my baby chicks and am curious to see if anyone has any input on the size of pipe that work best. I just got a bunch of free 2" schedule 40 PVC pipe and bunch of fittings but looking at it, it just seems big for the application. I am guessing it would work fine just seeing if anyone has good or bad experiences with various dimensions of pipe. Seems like most are made of 1 1/2 inch pipe but I cant find any diameters on these threads (really surprised). I know it will hold more water and be heavier because of that, any other issues?

I'll be using 4 threaded style nipples that comes with little rubber O-ring, they look to be good quality, 1 nipple will be inside the coop and the other 3 will be underneath the coop.

Black Austrolorps and 2 Red Star, just turned 1 week old today!!!

 

[ShockValue]

I'm curious about this question too. I doubt it matters, but would like input from people who have them in use..

 

[ladycat]

The standard size is 1/2" (1/2" being the inner diameter).

 

[randerson846]

Show pics when done

 

[Desert Brooder]

We just bought Pvc to make feeder-and waterer I will post photos and pipe dementions when we are done

 

[randerson846]

Ok, thanks

 

[Desert Brooder]

This is my chicks drinking from the waterer my husband made. This one is made frome 1 1/4 pvc pipe but our next one will be made from 2 inch as it will hold more water also we are going to make it in a U shape with the nipples running along the bottom of the U. My husband said to sand the pipe to make a flat spot for the nipple to rest tightly and he used a 10 mm fine thread tap to make the hole for the nipples to go into and he used plumbers tape on the nipples. They only drip when the chicks are drinking. My sister said her day old chicks were too small to move the nipples to make the water come out but my older chicks have no proublem.

 

[randerson846]

Ok thanks

 

[Desert Brooder]

Oh and as you can tell from the photo mine is a gravity feed waterer there isn't a water line hooked to it.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Un

 

[206ChickenGuy]

Thanx for the pic Desert Brooder - just what I was looking for. I think the 2" will be great - holds more water and maybe a little less likely to freeze. I will hopefully be putting together the watering system this week and will post pics when I am done. It will be a 4 gallon bucket then using 2" pipe with 1 nipple in the coop then running through the floor underneath the coop where 3 more nipples will be mounted silimar to you picture!

By the way - I switched the girls to the nipple waterer I made a couple days ago and they took right to it! Proud of them and no dirty water any more

Plus I think it gives them something to do