Horizontal nipples

[Rapptors]

I can't seem to find an unequivocal yes or no to placing the nipples horizontally. As this is for meat chickens I don't want to set up PVC, I would rather just stick them in a bucket to hang in their tractor.

Since the tractor is rather low, I would like to insert the nipples around the bottom perimeter of the bucket rather than directly in the bottom of the bucket.

So what is the consensus of the group before I drill the heck out of a bucket?

Thanks,
Ali


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Edited to add - For the buckets, I got the food grade 3 gallon buckets for free from my local grocery store's bakery. They get their fillings in them. I hate it when I read people are buying buckets at the hardware store because most can find them for free locally and hardware buckets are not food grade.

 

[allieloveschickens]

It seems like it would work, but I don't know for sure. Hopefully someone else will chime in soon!

 

[debid]

No, don't do it!

The nipples release water by moving the metal part to the side. There is no spring involved. If you install them horizontally, then gravity will move the metal to the side and (drip-drip-drip) you'll have however many gallons of water on the floor.

 

[Rapptors]

What about if it is at a downward slope? Holding it sideways now I can see how pure horizontal wouldn't work.... Know what? I have a couple extra buckets... I will just do it and report back how it works.

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Quote:
Good luck!

Another way, if you can figure out how to do it with these lovely water-filled buckets, is the drill a bucket-sized hole in the roof of the tractor...put the bucket in about halfway, until the bottom is reasonably high, then seal the edges. You'll need to support the bucket somehow if you do that, though. That part is up to you to figure out.

 

[jmagill]

They won't work properly. unless they are at a 90 degree angle and needs to be at or above head height.

 

[colebarnhart]

Click the link below for the answer you seek to your watering problems. Maybe.....

http://www.tractorsupply.com/pet-ca...e-rig-house-trade-water-bottle-32-oz--2179554

The above posts are correct, the poultry nipples are great, but have to be pointed down to the ground, because they are based on gravity. The reason you aren't seeing pics of them posted how you would like to try them is because others have probably tried and failed. The water comes down the small metal nob into the chickens mouth, if it were sideways it would run out before it went into thier mouth and then it wouldn't plug back up, and as someone posted above, all your water would run out.

 

[Rapptors]

Hmmm.... we put them in at an angle on the side of the bucket. Granted, at an angle the hole become more oblong than round. This caused some seepage. It was thought maybe a hair smaller bit than recommended? I glopped some hot glue from my craft gun around the nipple and that fixed the seepage. It is holding dry and the little chicks are doing fine with using it. The plungers close right back up. They seem to be getting water out of it? They're funny, they'll go in circles around the bucket at each nipple.

Pictures to follow!

Ali

 

[NanaLantana]

Nope, sorry - they work properly when hanging down.

 

[constantine337]

They work best hanging straight down. (wish it worked out the other way, then it would be easier to handle my water bucket)