Need information on the chicken water nipples.

[crazzzymike13]

I am thinking about ordering some of those nipples. I have a few questions about them. Do they leak water on their own? Can I use them on day old baby chicks? Do I have to screw them to the bottom of the bucket or can I screw them on the bottom side of the bucket? Are they worth getting? What is good or bad about them? Any advice on them would be great. Thank you!

Mike

 

[huntedheads]

Do they leak water on their own? : So far no?
Can I use them on day old baby chicks? :??
Do I have to screw them to the bottom of the bucket or can I screw them on the bottom side of the bucket? : The seat works by gravity so no not on the side.
Are they worth getting?
what is good or bad about them? :always have clean water, no more feed, feathers, poop in the water
Mine are only two days old but so far so good?

 

[SportChick]

I love them. I bought mine pre-put-together but the nipple were installed on the bottom. I have a 5 gallon bucket and they definitely don't leak. The chickens have to be taught how to use them (by you or the other chickens). Mine used them for a year but now seem to have forgotten how it works, so I am back to filling up a dog bowl every day which is totally gross by the end of the day.

 

[Markallen]

I just installed mine today, simple design, seems like they should work well, they were recommended to me by folks that have used them and like them for the reasons that huntheads stated. I put mine in 2'' pvc attached to the coop wall and connected to a 40 gallon water barrel and no leaks so far.

 

[galanie]

I love them. I have them in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket but the chickens prefer to drink out of an open container. Even better, a mud puddle or cesspool. No, I don't have a cesspool but if I did I'm sure they'd love it. They don't leak on their own but the area under the nipples can get wet, not because of leakage but because of thirsty/greedy ones.

 

[Bullitt]

Here is a YouTube video on how to make cheap feeders and waterers.

 

[AllenInTampa]

I am new to the chicken world, and recently installed a nipple drinking system.

A few things I learned:

You need a 11/32" drill bit to install them. It is kind of a hard size to find on its own, but they are in almost every drill index. You may have to borrow the bit from someone if you don't have that size.

When you screw the nipple into your drilled hole, you need to use teflon tape. Every one of mine leaked w/o it. I had to take them all apart, teflon tape them and reinstall. Problem resolved.

If you put them in PVC, make sure you drill your holes in a perfect line, and MAKE SURE they hang down as perpendicular as you can get them. I had one that was at a bit of an angle and it tended to drip quite a bit

You'll have to train them to drink out of them. I left my bucket in the run for a few days after installing mine. I would sit outside with a stick and hit the waterers to make them drip. It took about 4 afternoons for them to figure it out. Now I have no more crap/dirt filled buckets.

 

[saltnprepper]

I have tried all sorts. I had the nipples but they did drip and I had them in the coop. The birds also brushed against them and got wet. I went to a cup waterer and love it!. No more dirty water and no more drips.

 

[mohillbilly]

how do they work in the winter? do they freeze up?

 

[saltnprepper]

how do they work in the winter? do they freeze up?

I have had both the nipples and the cup in freezing weather now. If the water freezes they freeze, both nipples and cup. I have a nipple waterer in the run, they never drink from it they do drink from the cup in the coop. They go into the coop for a drink ignoring the nipple in the run. I just purchased a cup waterer for the run today because I wanted to make sure they didn't dehydrate in the days and had water available at all times. I will use cup waterers from now on.