Nipple waterers in a bucket

[ajlynco]

I've been reading another thread concerning nipple drinkers, installed in a bucket, leaking. As I'm planning to employ the bucket/nipple system in my coop I was wondering if anyone was having a similar leakage problem?

 

[colebarnhart]

If you use the correct size drill bit and make a perfect hole, you shouldn't get any leaks. I myself wasn't able to do that, so I had to get some blue/white epoxy putty (or mighty putty) at wal-mart and smush around the tops of the nipples. It works good, I highly recommend it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

mine didn't leak around the hole but one of them got drips from the nipple itself that didn't shut off/seal well.
It didn't leak a lot but I put a pan under it and that helped.

 

[Chickpeep]

I have been using the nipple waterer in a 5 gal bucket. Does not leak at all. It was Hell getting the nipples in since I used the push in type not the threaded type. Put in the grommet, them push the nipple through the grommet. So tight using the prescribed drill bit that you couldn't get water past them without actually breaking one of them.

 

[OneTenthAcreAndAChicken]

It's probably easier to use a bucket than to use the pvc - just because the hole is easier to resize if you don't have exactly the right size drill bit. If you haven't bought your stuff yet - I'd strongly recommend you get a few extra grommets. They're cheap and if you tear one ( which I did ) they're useless.

I made the main outside waterer with pvc:

I also made a little hanging jug for the inside. For that one - I drilled a hole in the lid of a juice jug and popped the grommet/nipple in. That one does not leak at all, but the outside one does - just barely enough to see a damp spot - not a puddle or anything.

Good luck - they sure make life easier.

 

[RedDrgn]

That may have been me!

It's not the bucket/nipple joint, though. We're pretty sure it's the dratted nipples themselves, because all four of them do it if the water level is too high in the bucket. We're planning to replace the nipples.

 

[ajlynco]

I really like the set-up that colebarnhart utilizes (on an earlier post). I'm already going with a PVC feeder and I think this waterer will compliment my coop nicely. I've 12 day-olds coming 10/14 and theyre gonna have to winter in a 4X8 coop w/4X8 run attached, so floor space is at a premium. Any critiques or comments from BYC'rs?

 

[beach9037]

We use 5 gallon buckets with push thru nipples and have not had leakage issues. We prefer the buckets because in the freezing winter, we can drop a bird-bath or stock water heater in the bucket and be assured the birds always have water. Found some of the bird bath heaters on sale in late spring for $14 each and bought enough to use in all buckets this winter. Last winter we only had 4 and used heat lamps over large crocks for the other coops - really don't want to deal with that again.

The heaters come on when the temp gets to upper 30 or low 40's and stay on until temps rise above those levels. And I just bought Oxine-AH to add to the water to minimize germs in all waterers going forward.

 

[ajlynco]

BEACH9037- Did any of the nipples freeze up in the winter? Where are you located, I'm in Reno, NV. I think I've got a way to keep the nipples from freezing but I"m always open to new ideas. Also, how many nipples do you have in each bucket? I'm going to have 12 hens and I'm putting 3, maybe 4 nipples in a single bucket...whatdayathink?

 

[wyododge]

The nipples will freeze up, but when the chickens tickle them the warm water thaws them almost immediately. We are at -30 in the winter here. We actually have a 130 gal spray tank in a insulated box I built. The spray tank has a stock tank heater and a submersible pump. The hose from the pump runs up to the ceiling and through the wall to the bucket in the coop. The hose self drains. We got broken 2" insulation sheets from the lumber yard for 5 bucks each to built the box the spray tank is in. The pump is on a 'light' switch. Flip it on and fill the bucket. Every month or so we fill the tank.

We have 26 birds, 2 bucket with 5 nipples each. In the winter we go to 1 bucket.