Nipple Fail

[CreveChris]

I've been waiting a few days for my Columbus Aqua nipples for my almost-3 week old chicks--just checked and they'll arrive tomorrow.

Meanwhile my water bottle with a China-made nipple fell apart sometime during the night and flooded the drip saucer placed under the stand (Chicken Chick tomato cage diy design) and expandable pellets were piled high trying to absorb all the water.

I changed out the entire brooder (potty pads with 3 inches of pine shavings) and did not find the metal ball and pins comprising the missing nipple mechanism (!) so checked each chick's crops.

The crops seem fine, chicks seem fine, but it never occurred to me the China nipples could fall completely apart! I'm mad as a wet hen and going to make my waterer the moment the new horizontal nipples arrive.

I haven't lost any chicks and am so careful with every part of care and biosecurity only to have tiny metal pieces fall apart inside the brooder. I'm lucky the pieces fell into the wet expanded pine pellets (I guess) and weren't swallowed by my babies.

Please feel free to suggest any tips for keeping chicks safe in the brooder. I plan to keep my 1/2 quart electrolyte and probiotic nipple drinker available separately.

 

[aart]

Meanwhile my water bottle with a China-made nipple fell apart sometime during the night

Please post pics of failed nipple.

 

[CreveChris]

Please post pics of failed nipple.

Here it is before failing (this is the other one that came in the set of 2). Just imagine all of the metal parts completely missing. I threw away the faulty cap when I cleaned up the brooder.

 

[aart]

Vertical Nipples are notorious for leaking.
Doesn't take much to hold the gravity valve open.
The metal parts just fell out?

 

[CreveChris]

Vertical Nipples are notorious for leaking.
Doesn't take much to hold the gravity valve open.
The metal parts just fell out?

I suspect they were pecked out--? My Creves are only 3 weeks old tomorrow but they do pull at the metal nipple toggle as they drink--they have a serious thing about shiny objects. The cap plastic is flimsy. Just happy for a better solution.

 

[aart]

I suspect they were pecked out--? My Creves are only 3 weeks old tomorrow but they do pull at the metal nipple toggle as they drink--they have a serious thing about shiny objects. The cap plastic is flimsy. Just happy for a better solution.

Could have been a manufacturing defect, or cap wasn't screwed on tightly.
If I had it in my hands I could figure it out, but your better off with HN's anyway.

 

[CreveChris]

Could have been a manufacturing defect, or cap wasn't screwed on tightly.
If I had it in my hands I could figure it out, but your better off with HN's anyway.

You're right. I'm better off. Live and learn! That's why I'm here.