Chicks can't depress horizonal nipples, help!

[Ascholten]

thank you aart. Interesting, the concept is so simple, you'd think they could implement a HN assembly in a VN setup and get the benefits of the better construction off it!

Spring Load to help seal and rubber seat so if there is a bit of crap in there it'll smoosh around it and seal.

Aaron

 

[aart]

Interesting, the concept is so simple, you'd think they could implement a HN assembly in a VN setup and get the benefits of the better construction off it!

I see no advantage of having nipples on the bottom of a container.

 

[3KillerBs]

But you start your chicks off on the open waterer and then gradually introduce them to the HN, correct?

Yes. It is several weeks until they're strong enough to use the nipples.

I see no advantage of having nipples on the bottom of a container.

It would be nice to be able to hang my waterers instead of sitting them on stacked up concrete blocks or bricks, but I would not want to have to never be able to sit them down to clean or fill them.

 

[aart]

but I would not want to have to never be able to sit them down to clean or fill them.

This, IMO, is not worth being able to hang them.

 

[3KillerBs]

This, IMO, is not worth being able to hang them.

Exactly!

 

[Ascholten]

I sit mine across the door jamb in the pen, it's a 2 x 4 basically. Plenty of room to balance the 3 gallon water pail, with the bottom / vertical nipples, spray it out, wipe it, whatever I need to do and fill it back up, with the valves not being depressed at all. It balances pretty well too so you can fill it w/o having to worry about tipping over.

WHen I do clean it out, Ill dump it a few times to make sure any grungies that might have wanted to start to grow in there, and slimies on the walls are gone, and I'll also reach under and press each valve several times to make sure anything up in them is cleaned out and they are operating properly too. I'll fill it, put the lid back on, and leave it set on the 2 x 4 cross beam so I can watch it for a minute or so, to make sure none of the nipples are leaking, and if there are problems, take care of them before I pull the thing back up into the ceiling area and out of the way.

Edit: I have my water bucket hanging up over their heads, taller than their butt feathers so they don't stand under it, depress and valves with their tails and drain all the water out.. (ask how I know about this ! ) when they want a drink they just basically reach up, wiggle a valve and let the water go down their throats.

Aaron

 

[rosemarythyme]

I start chicks on a typical gravity waterer for chicks, then they transition to horizontal at around 6 weeks, partially by watching the adults and partially with my encouragement (I build steps up to the nipple and pick them up and "peck" the nipple with their beak). Once I catch all the chicks using the horizontal nipples I remove the gravity waterer.

@Devorah if you don't want to build a nipple waterer, there's many available for purchase. If you want one with a built in heater, this is the one I use: https://www.backyardchickens.com/reviews/premier-1-heated-poultry-waterer.11903/

 

[3KillerBs]

I have my water bucket hanging up over their heads, taller than their butt feathers so they don't stand under it, depress and valves with their tails and drain all the water out.. (ask how I know about this ! )

Since my chickens LOVE to knock even their HN waterer over I'm sure they'd do this too!

 

[Aunt Angus]

I put the vertical nipple into the cap of the water bottle. I can set it down to clean it, if that helps. When I only had 4 hens, I used a food container with a screw on lid. I put the nipples in the lid of that, too.

Although I'm sure there are a million reasons why I'm wrong, it's worked perfectly for me.