Nipple vs. cup waterers and auto fill

[MargoF]

Need help with winterizing this system! Aquarium heater is keeping the bucket filled with water from freezing, but the pvc pipe and the cup waterers them selves are freezing. We have them wrapped with silver pipe insultation tape.

 

[clayh]

I hooked my cups up to my well so they are self maintained . once I got them regulated never had a problem.

 

[Hbohm74]

I'm currently using vertical nipple waterers for my 3 week old chicks in the coop. The waterers don't leak on their own but when the chicks drink from them they are splashing water all around into their sand bedding! Has anyone else had the problem with the vertical nipple waterers making a wet mess?

I did take a plastic plate and cover it in hardware cloth and place it beneath the waterers, but the sand around it still seems to get wet. My setup is a small bucket suspended from one of the coop rafters with 4 nipple waterers. I have 5 baby chicks.

 

[Egg Farmers]

Sharon, we've been using the nipple watering method with an auto-fill system successfully for about six months. However, our weather has turned cold in the Pacific Northwest and we now turn off the water, disconnect the hose and use a heat lamp to keep the nipples from freezing. Still we only have a few weeks during the winter months when it gets this cold, so the system is working 100% the rest of the year.

I



If you're interested in the auto-fill system we use here is a link with detail information: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1140405/fully-automatic-hen-hydrator

The float-valve mentioned in this link is very simple, inexpensive and works like the system in most residential toilets. When the water level in the bucket drops, the plastic float drops and opens the water valve. When the desired water level is reached the water valve closes.

 

[theback40]

hi Hbohm,

yes, my chicks were about 3 weeks when i introduced the vertical nipples. the chicks played w it as if it were a toy...

clean water, yes,, but WET bedding!!!

looking for another alternative. i think i've decided on the cup waterers and/or the 'bucket-in-a-bucket' technique (cut holes in the sides of a larger bucket, n have a smaller container inside of it that gravity feeds the water through holes at the bottom of it into the bigger bucket. it's not dirt-free like the nipples, but a great compromise if you decide against any nipples)

hope this helps. have you tried anything else?

 

[theback40]

hi TerryPy,
Quote: would love to know more abt this! i need to do everything i can to keep my girls cool in the AZ heat!!
i want to modify a rubbermaid 2gal thermos w a cup waterer ILO spout...

 

[Hbohm74]

@theback40 So after I was having the problem with the vertical nipple waterers, I ended up using a heavy ceramic pet water bowl for the chicks, and changed out the water each day. Luckily it didn't get too dirty because the litter I used was sand. (Side note: I don't think I will use sand again with baby chicks. I believe they had trouble distinguishing it from their food and their crops sometimes felt quite hard and full. With that said, I love it for the 3 month old chickens.) It wasn't what I wanted to do, ideally, but it worked and the chicks didn't seem interested in perching on it.

Once the chickens started going in and out of the coop to the run, my husband constructed a waterer out of the cup waterers. I was so excited and thought it would be great! But, they leaked... the yellow stopper was not stopping the water. I'm not sure if I bought bad quality ones from Amazon or what. So, we went back to the original vertical nipple waterer setup. The water still gets splashed around when they drink from it, but since it is outside I'm not worried about it. In the run, I don't have to worry about moisture build up like I did when the waterer was being spilled in the coop.

I'm also planning to use frozen water bottles in the water bucket this summer! For now I'm just replacing the water with cool water in the late mornings.

 

[camkim]

The cups fills just enough for them to drink. They bump the yellow tongue and water comes out and they drink it. it never fills up.

 

[camkim]

The cups fills just enough for them to drink. They bump the yellow tongue and water comes out and they drink it. it never fills up.

 

[debid]

hi Hbohm,

yes, my chicks were about 3 weeks when i introduced the vertical nipples. the chicks played w it as if it were a toy...

clean water, yes,, but WET bedding!!!

looking for another alternative. i think i've decided on the cup waterers and/or the 'bucket-in-a-bucket' technique (cut holes in the sides of a larger bucket, n have a smaller container inside of it that gravity feeds the water through holes at the bottom of it into the bigger bucket. it's not dirt-free like the nipples, but a great compromise if you decide against any nipples)

hope this helps. have you tried anything else?

IME, the "water party" is quite brief and then it's old news and they just drink from the nipple when thirsty. If you're having ongoing issues with moisture underneath, I'd suspect a leak where the nipple meets container.