Horizontal Nipple Waterers... in your opinion, yes or no?

[blackdog043]

Here are her reservations:

Would stress them?

I'm not sure how it will stress them. I've never seen my chickens stressed using them.

Unnatural?

Yes, they're used to dipping their beak into something, but once they catch on, it's not a problem. I even had a rabbit using the chickens HN's.

How would you retrain them?

Take their other waterer away and put the nipple waterer in the same location. Tap the metal rod so they see water coming out. Once one gets to pecking at it, the others will start to follow, some slower than others. I've only retrained older birds a couple times, but it didn't take very long to get them to use the nipples. Maybe a couple hours.

Chickens should be able to dip their combs in water. (I’m not sure about this one, but that’s what she says)

I'm not sure why they would need to dip their comb in water. That's a new one on me.

A few of my questions:

Where is the best place to purchase them?

Amazon is the only place I know, to get them.

How many can fit on a 2-3 gallon bucket (I don’t want to lift anything heavier than that)

You could space them about every 4 - 5 inches on a small bucket. I space mine 8 inches apart, on a 14 gallon drum. You can use a 5 gallon bucket and refill the water using gallon containers. I rinse my waterers out 2 - 3 times a year, they don't get dirty inside.

How many for 16 chickens?

1 nipple for every 3 - 4 chickens is good. They don't stand around and drink from them all day, they get plenty of water from them. Some people think chickens don't get enough water from them. I've never lost a chicken to dehydration, even when I lived in NC. I've used HN's exclusively, for the last 4 years.

At what age can they start using them? (I have 3, 5 week olds, 7, 15 week olds, and the other 6 are full grown hens)

I start my chicks on HN's at 2 - 3 weeks. When I start chicks, I leave the chick water in the brooder for a week, with the nipple waterer. After a week most of them are using both waterers. I take the chick waterer out and check on them through the day, to make sure I see all of them using the nipples.

Below is my article, on making a heated Horizontal nipple waterer and some of the waterers I've made. If you make one, use an 11/32 drill bit to make the hole, for the nipple to screw into.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ock-tank-deicer-and-horizontal-nipples.74609/

Brooder waterer


The tray is to catch drips, as they use the nipples.
The nipples don't drip on their own. I did this so the bedding stayed dry.


14 Gallon

 

[Lemon-Drop]

I'm not sure how it will stress them. I've never seen my chickens stressed using them.

Yes, they're used to dipping their beak into something, but once they catch on, it's not a problem. I even had a rabbit using the chickens HN's.

Take their other waterer away and put the nipple waterer in the same location. Tap the metal rod so they see water coming out. Once one gets to pecking at it, the others will start to follow, some slower than others. I've only retrained older birds a couple times, but it didn't take very long to get them to use the nipples. Maybe a couple hours.

I'm not sure why they would need to dip their comb in water. That's a new one on me.

Amazon is the only place I know, to get them.

You could space them about every 4 - 5 inches on a small bucket. I space mine 8 inches apart, on a 14 gallon drum. You can use a 5 gallon bucket and refill the water using gallon containers. I rinse my waterers out 2 - 3 times a year, they don't get dirty inside.

1 nipple for every 3 - 4 chickens is good. They don't stand around and drink from them all day, they get plenty of water from them. Some people think chickens don't get enough water from them. I've never lost a chicken to dehydration, even when I lived in NC. I've used HN's exclusively, for the last 4 years.

I start my chicks on HN's at 2 - 3 weeks. When I start chicks, I leave the chick water in the brooder for a week, with the nipple waterer. After a week most of them are using both waterers. I take the chick waterer out and check on them through the day, to make sure I see all of them using the nipples.

Below is my article, on making a heated Horizontal nipple waterer and some of the waterers I've made. If you make one, use an 11/32 drill bit to make the hole, for the nipple to screw into.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ock-tank-deicer-and-horizontal-nipples.74609/

Brooder waterer
View attachment 2724965

The tray is to catch drips, as they use the nipples.
The nipples don't drip on their own. I did this so the bedding stayed dry.
View attachment 2724967

14 Gallon
View attachment 2724973

Wow! Thanks for answering my questions!

 

[K0k0shka]

I used them for a while but gave up when my chickens had their first summer. I know that theoretically they're not supposed to get dehydrated from nipple waterers in the summer, but my birds looked pretty miserable. I have large, extra fluffy English Orpingtons that don't do well with heat, and they were panting and spending a lot of time pecking at the nipples trying to get water. I gave them an open dish with water and wow, it was like they'd never had water before! I agree about the comb/wattle thing on hot days. Just from looking at how mine drink when it's hot - they dunk their whole heads in the water, wattles and comb and everything! And occasionally they do the dunk, lift and shake, like a wild bird taking a water bath in a puddle. It must help cool them down. So, because they're already having a hard time with the heat, and because I can't get them to step in water, I prefer to give them an open container with water to drink from, so they can cool off better in the heat. I have my waterer high up on bricks so the chickens don't step in it or dirty it, and the water stays clean.

 

[3KillerBs]

I love the horizontal nipples.

I make them with Rent-A-Coop nipples that I bought from Amazon and various sizes of container that I brought home from work (grocery store deli). I have 3 nipples on a quart or half-gallon container up to 5 nipples on a 3-gallon container.

The key thing is to hand-tighten the nipples onto the container instead of using the drill attachment so that you don't crack the container.

For training I wedged mealworms or sunflower seeds into the nipples so that the chickens would peck at them and discover that it was wet there.

After several days of this I took the open waterer out at night and put it back later and later until I saw at least some of the chickens using the nipples. Once one or two get the idea they'll teach the rest of the flock.

Since I live in a hot climate I err on the side of plenty and currently have 1 nipples on 3 waterers for 9 chickens.

The chicks in the brooder have a training waterer but haven't really started to use it yet.

 

[3KillerBs]

P.S. Don't try to hang a horizontal nipple waterer. It works better if it can't swing when they trigger the nipples.

P.P.S. Make sure to put a small air hole in the waterer just under the rim to break the vaccuum or the water won't flow out when the nipple is pressed.

 

[neo71665]

All I use and I wouldn't swap to any other style of waterer.

 

[Krugerrand]

I had stumbled upon an old post about using a laser pointer to teach them to get the water. That ended up working great for me when they were in the brooder. I suspect it could work in the coo/run, so long as they can see and chase the laser dot. I'm set on getting my chickens used the horizontal nipples as a planned clean heated water source in the winter.

 

[Krugerrand]

Found it: (my laser happened to have a blue dot, but it worked just as well)

Get a $2.00 laser pointer from the dollar store or gas station check out line. The hens chase the red dot around. I used one for about 2 minutes shining it on the nipple of my waterer and they were pecking at it in no time.

 

[neo71665]

If you want a heated bucket the smallest one I found was for at least 5 gallons. I know ya said you don't want to pick up anything bigger but I only move my actual waterers once a month to clean them. I check and add a gallon or two of water to them daily.

I also catch rain water in a barrel off the coops roof so my water source is next to it. I just run a hose over to the waterers.

 

[springvalley123]

I'll never try them again. A few years ago I tried them. put the bucket on a concrete block the right height. Worked fine for a while, then one of the nipples failed. It leaked, I gather that the spring in it failed. Fortunately I had another water source otherwise the bucket would have drained through that leak leaving the birds without water. I live in the desert.