Chicken Nipples

[Ms Biddy]

My pullets have been on horizontal nipples starting at around 2 weeks. I love them! Little to no leaking, and the babes learned quick how to get it to give water.

I wonder if the cross shaped ones are easier to push than the square ones? My chicks are older but haven't figured them out yet. They peck and peck, but not hard enough and not in the right spot.

 

[imnukensc]

I wonder if the cross shaped ones are easier to push than the square ones? My chicks are older but haven't figured them out yet. They peck and peck, but not hard enough and not in the right spot.

View attachment 1207841

If I'm seeing that correctly, I don't doubt that the chicks can't get any water out of it. Hanging from chains, it's not going to be stable so that they can get enough force on the nipples to allow water to flow and there doesn't appear to be any reservoir of water to keep any pressure on the back side of the nipples so that water will flow if they do get enough force.

 

[Ms Biddy]

If I'm seeing that correctly, I don't doubt that the chicks can't get any water out of it. Hanging from chains, it's not going to be stable so that they can get enough force on the nipples to allow water to flow and there doesn't appear to be any reservoir of water to keep any pressure on the back side of the nipples so that water will flow if they do get enough force.

The reservoir is a bucket that you can't see a couple of feet above the stock tank. It has pressure and flows well. You have a good point about the chains though. I'll try mounting it on a wooden stand.

 

[aart]

The reservoir is a bucket that you can't see a couple of feet above the stock tank

I think too much water pressure can be a problem, not sure if gravity at a certain height would take it that far tho.

 

[jthornton]

I wonder if the cross shaped ones are easier to push than the square ones? My chicks are older but haven't figured them out yet. They peck and peck, but not hard enough and not in the right spot.

Stick a couple of blocks of wood behind the swing and they won't have to chase it.

JT

 

[Ms Biddy]

Stick a couple of blocks of wood behind the swing and they won't have to chase it.

JT

I peck it with my finger to show them and it works just fine. It's leaning against the trough wall and not swinging around. It doesn't move all over when they peck at it, especially when they peck from the front which is what they need to do. The problem seems to be that they don't peck forcefully enough. Just wiggling, tapping or pecking the sides doesn't work with these. They're spring loaded and form a nice seal. Not trying to hijack this thread. Just sharing my experience with these square nipples since the cross style seems more common.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I wonder if the cross shaped ones are easier to push than the square ones? My chicks are older but haven't figured them out yet. They peck and peck, but not hard enough and not in the right spot.

It takes a while before chicks learn to peck it hard enough to make them work. I have the cross kind.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Your thread header made me laugh....
Sorry, it is too funny....

Chickens aren't mammals.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

What I like about the HN's is you don't need to tap, if HDPE or softer, if you drill a clean hole the right size.

This may get deleted but:
View attachment 1207583

aart having fun..

 

[hillbillyreefer]

I have both square and crosses and have seen no difference in the chickens and turkeys use them.

Both the ones I had fail in the pheasant pen were the square ones, no failures with the crosses yet. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy more square ones.

Ms Biddy your girls are likely getting enough from the nipples. A drop of water sits under the valve they are probably drinking that and tapping the valve enough to replenish the drop.