Nipple Waterer

[mishb]

I just bought a nipple waterer at TSC. It is the hen hydrator if that matters. It seems to leak a lot. It's constantly wet under it. This is not going to work for me. Is it just that my chickens haven't figured out how to use it well enough so they're getting a lot on the floor? Or does this just leak constantly? Does anyone else have experience? I'm loving having something that hangs so they don't have nasty stuff in the water constantly and they found it and started drinking fast. I just don't know if this is the right solution.

 

[kitkat5505]

Is it leaking from the nipples or where they attach to the waterer? If it's where they attach you could probably fix it with some caulk. I made my own with a bucket and nipples and it never leaks.

 

[mishb]

I'm not positive. It's always wet underneath. I see water droplets on the nipples so I think that's where the leak is.

 

[rosemarythyme]

It's not unusual for the nipple itself to look moist (it seems to help attract the chickens) but it should not be leaking. Either the nipple itself is faulty (which can be replaced very cheaply) or the hole it fits into is not forming a good seal.

Can you return it? I don't have any experience with that exact item but if you just purchased it, I would expect it to function correctly.

 

[catinthecoop]

If it's new it ought to function correctly for sure.
However, I used that style nipple waterer, that I bought the nipples and made myself, for a while in my brooder. I noticed that there was some bit of 'learning curve' for the chickens during which it was wet underneath. I think it took them a week to a week and a half before it was normally dry underneath the bucket. If you've very recently purchased, you might try to see if the situation improves as the chickens become more expert users. If it's already been a month than I think the product might be faulty. I moved on to a horizontal nipple setup and no plans to go back. No leaks, no mess.

 

[hlhutchinson]

Yep horizontal nipples is the way to go. I don't know why they are not sold at local stores they only have the vertical ones. Got one from Amazon it's 2 gal (we only have 4 chickens) no leaked worked great.
then purchased some horazontal nipples (again on Amazon, could not find them locally) to make my own so that they had two wateres

 

[mishb]

Thanks everyone. I'll try a little longer and see if my chickens get the hang of it. I think maybe they're just causing a lot of water loss when they use it. I've had it less than a week.

 

[hereorthere]

View attachment 1112857 Yep horizontal nipples is the way to go. I don't know why they are not sold at local stores they only have the vertical ones. Got one from Amazon it's 2 gal (we only have 4 chickens) no leaked worked great.
then purchased some horazontal nipples (again on Amazon, could not find them locally) to make my own so that they had two wateres

X 2! Horizontal nipples are the way to go. Make sure you have no other water source available. But since you only have the vertical ones, I'd put an extra O-ring on them before threading thru your plastic bucket/bottle. They DO leak like crazy without it...but I only used them in brooder.

 

[Hawgfan]

The wet area underneath is most likely loss from normal use. This is assuming your new waterer doesn't have leaks. You should be able to see a droplet hanging from the nipple, but it should rarely, if ever fall off. Having grown up on a commercial broiler farm where vertical nipples are the only water source, wet floors are of great concern. Since your nipples are directly attached to a small reservoir, excess pressure isn't an issue. Your nipples are new and clean, so again, not your problem. Anything you add to your water (electrolyte, etc.) can leave internal residue in the nipples, that could lead to drips. The one thing you can do, is make sure the height is adjusted properly. Your chickens should have to look up to drink. If the nipples are beak level, or if the birds have to squat, your nipples are too low. There will always be some loss. If that doesn't fit your situation, another type may serve you better.

 

[blackdog043]

When you get tired of them leaking, here's what you need to make a horizontal nipple waterer. I like the lid I posted because it's easy to get off and on for filling.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Encore-Plastics-5-Gallon-Commercial-Food-Grade-Bucket/3694238

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Encore-Plastics-12-in-White-Plastic-Bucket-Lid/50094688

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=horizontal+water+nipples