Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[MIchickenlady]

Not sure why that posted before I typed my reply...
We like the heated horizontal nipple waterer from Premier1. It was worth the cost. I actually wouldn't mind having one more. We currently have 3 pens (older hens, broilers and new little pullets). The older hens will be butchered when the littles start laying and the broilers will be gone in a few weeks so I think we'll manage ok with only the one.

And the nipples do not freeze in the winter? Do they leak at all? I tried making a bucket waterer and installed 4 nipples but they leaked so bad no matter wha tI did I gave up on them...plus I dont see why they wouldnt freeze-do you put a stock tank deicer in the water or??
Thanks!!

 

[MIchickenlady]

I dinked around the first year or two....been using this ever since, very happy with it.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-heated-waterer-with-horizontal-nipples.67256/

Ok, that looks really great-it dosnt drip/leak? I like the idea to use an aquarium heater-and will my 5 y.o. hens figure out where to get the water easily? Theyve only known an open trough system

 

[aart]

Ok, that looks really great-it dosnt drip/leak? I like the idea to use an aquarium heater-and will my 5 y.o. hens figure out where to get the water easily? Theyve only known an open trough system

There are some drips when they drink.
You have to be very careful putting the HN's in so the threads make a seal.
The hole needs to be clean and smooth.
It can take some time for them to figure out the HN's.

This article tells how I did it, and has a great pic of how the threads work best.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/small-bottle-horizontal-nipple-waterer-for-wire-crates-by-aart.72704/

 

[1muttsfan]

If you use a fish tank heater make sure that it is fully submersible, or if not that you do not submerse it completely.

I did not like the heated dog dish, too messy and water on wattles as Mary said.

 

[Sally PB]

I did not like the heated dog dish, too messy and water on wattles as Mary said.

My late rooster, Darl, got frostbite on his wattles and comb. None of my ladies did.

 

[aart]

If you use a fish tank heater make sure that it is fully submersible

Definitely, and keep it covered....and don't get a cheap one, first one I used failed fast.

My late rooster, Darl, got frostbite on his wattles and comb. None of my ladies did.

Have had more than a few cases of FB on wattles, girls and boys both, mostly mild.
They lovelovelove to nosh on the snow banks, which nips their wattles.

 

[Dreamzchaser]

Hi, have to come after laughing so hard. Hub made a small house inside the run for Pitbull and his chihuahuas, with a freaking 200 bucks automatic door but for the last 2 nights, the coop has been full house,lol Pitbull is behaving and staying away from big mama's. I guess they know winter is coming and it's better in the big house

 

[CedarLane]

And the nipples do not freeze in the winter? Do they leak at all? I tried making a bucket waterer and installed 4 nipples but they leaked so bad no matter whatI did I gave up on them...plus I dont see why they wouldnt freeze-do you put a stock tank deicer in the water or??
Thanks!!

I don't know how to do a link to the website. The heated waterer from the Premier1supplies.com may drip occasionally when the chickens drink, but not enough to cause a problem. Horizontal nipples work much better at not dripping than the vertical nipples do (the vertical nipples will freeze). The heater is incorporated right into the waterer. No need to add another heater. One nice thing about this waterer is that it has a cord that can be removed when not needed in Spring, Summer, and Fall.

https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/heated-poultry-waterer?cat_id=227

One of the primary reason we like to use the nipple waterers is because of how messy the other waterers are--so hard to keep the water clean!

Our young broilers were just moved to a hoop tractor and learned to drink out of the nipple waterers right away. I was surprised at how quickly they picked it up with very little training.

 

[CedarLane]

I don't know how to do a link to the website. The heated waterer from the Premier1supplies.com may drip occasionally when the chickens drink, but not enough to cause a problem. Horizontal nipples work much better at not dripping than the vertical nipples do (the vertical nipples will freeze). The heater is incorporated right into the waterer. No need to add another heater. One nice thing about this waterer is that it has a cord that can be removed when not needed in Spring, Summer, and Fall.

https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/heated-poultry-waterer?cat_id=227

One of the primary reason we like to use the nipple waterers is because of how messy the other waterers are--so hard to keep the water clean!

Our young broilers were just moved to a hoop tractor and learned to drink out of the nipple waterers right away. I was surprised at how quickly they picked it up with very little training.

Hmm....Looks like it did the link all by itself. I've tried copying and pasting before but it never worked. Glad it did this time even if I didn't know it would.

 

[troyer]

SDome stones that I'm working on to get smooth and shiny. Here are a couple before and after rinsing pictures.
Before rinsing after being in the tumbler for a couple days.

After rinsing prewash..