Nipple Waterers VS Pail of water.

[RedDrgn]

That is a really great idea! I only have chicks right now so I have a question: is a full size bucket (5 gal) too tall for full grown chickens to drink from? How does that work? I really like that idea as I don't want them drinking much from the yard muck.

I only use a one gallon bucket for the open water offering I put outside the door of the run for when they come pounding out like a pack of wildebeest. For chicks, I'd just use a dog bowl or any container that suits their height. Just be careful that you don't use anything they may be able to fall into and drown (e.g. is too deep for them to stand in with their head above water).

 

[KenOmatic]

One question: Do anyone else's nipple watering systems get the ground all drippy and wet just from being used? Mine isn't leaking at all (I have watched it for many minutes on end and have never seen it drip, but when the chickens are all using it GOOD HEAVENS do they get the inside of my coop all wet! Right now I have 11 chicks brooding in the coop with deep litter and I had to put down a lid to a rubbermaid bin under their waterer and put shavings on top of that just to sop up some of the water they were making a mess of while drinking. Every day I've had to completely change the shavings on top of the rubbermaid lid (better than getting the actual ground cover shavings wet!). I know this is only problematic while they're receiving water inside the coop since they cannot go outside yet, but is there something I'm missing in using this system in the coop? How do I keep the ground dry?

My chickens seemed to have had a learning curve with the nipples. For the first week it seemed that for every 3 drops they drank, 6 drops hit the ground. They have been using it for three weeks now and they are using a lot less water. It does stay a little moist under them though.
Maybe add some more nipples in other locations so it all won't be in one spot and give it time to evaporate.

 

[PsychoChickens]

Chickens are naturally attracted (as with many different animals) to the "glint" off water.
So that explains, why they run to those puddles, ie nipple waters do no give off that alluring glint.


Many homeapathic healers as of late claim many illnesses are caused by ones body PH being off.
As stated Vinegar is acidic and baking Soda is alkaline.
So I think maybe the acidic vinegar is killing bacteria and maybe resetting body PH to a more natural level.
Plants lose vigor when their PH is off and will kill and or cause many plant illnesses, why would animals not be the same and or similar? Just some thoughts, Enjoy.

 

[galanie]

I think this is the reason that taking ACV myself very often actually makes me sick. My body chemistry doesn't need any more acid. I'm thinking it only works if you are too alkaline.

Beekissed: Exactly. You should see what my doctors do when I mention the word "vitamins." You'd have thought I said "vampires" and they pulled out garlic. One actually even waved her hand in dismissal. Med schools and such sure have them brainwashed.

 

[Beekissed]

Yes..and drug companies give big, big perks for them to write for their drug. I've seen it personally and have even had the benefit from it in our office....wonderful lunches(one of the things I got personally and also samples, pens, sticky note pads, umbrellas, candy, canvas bags, jackets, etc) big game hunts(all expenses paid, even the exotic animal mounts), trips to ski lodges for the whole family...you name it, the drug companies pay for it and doctors partake.

Do you think they would get any perks for advising people to use homeopathic means to better their health? Nope. Repeat business is the money maker and when people are healthy they do not come back as often. You don't rack up that many student loans to go through med school just so you can brown bag your lunch and make peanuts at work.

 

[galanie]

Yes..and drug companies give big, big perks for them to write for their drug.  I've seen it personally and have even had the benefit from it in our office....wonderful lunches(one of the things I got personally and also samples, pens, sticky note pads, umbrellas, candy, canvas bags, jackets, etc) big game hunts(all expenses paid, even the exotic animal mounts), trips to ski lodges for the whole family...you name it, the drug companies pay for it and doctors partake. 

Do you think they would get any perks for advising people to use homeopathic means to better their health?  Nope.  Repeat business is the money maker and when people are healthy they do not come back as often.  You don't rack up that many student loans to go through med school just so you can brown bag your lunch and make peanuts at work. 

 

That's just freaking sad, but I used to work at a hospital, dated an RN, and I know you're telling the truth. Sad. The only doctor I know of in this area that seems to be really, absolutely, looking out for the real health of patients is an Osteopath and lately I've even heard about her recommending BS.

 

[daze333]

Hi,
I have 18 coops/runs and want to make the daily watering chores easier. I have chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese. I will not use a nipple system for my waterfowl pens, but when I open my chicken pens for them to free range, then the waterfowl go in and muck up the chickens water bowls. And some waterfowl have even learned to poke their heads through the 2x4 wire in my breeding pens and do it too. I want clean water for my chickens, if they choose to drink it instead of the mucky puddles. Anyway, I am interested in making bucket style nipple watering systems, but I would like some info/formulas to go by.

• Is there a max of how long of pvc pipe you can use for one bucket?
• Do you put the nipples about every foot?
• Do you need to make the pvc pipe slightly down hill for gravity to work?
• Is it recommended to have a drain at the end to clean the pipe periodically?
• Do you glue the pipe pieces? Do they leak if you don't?
• Any other advice would be appreciated!

I am also using well water. Its good sweet water and I let it run until its cold then fill up the water keg. The keg is an Igloo cooler so the water stays cool all day (its getting in the 80s here in Houston already).
The system is about three weeks old and I did use PVC pipe and PVC glue but it is the same thing I would have used if I added on to my house water system. I have a drain on the far end and I have cleaned the cooler twice and flushed the pipes.
The whole system is in the shade so I don't think its getting too warm. This summer I plan on adding ice if necessary. I did go taste a sample (and spit it out like in wine tasting) and it tasted like water straight out of the well.
I do believe they are just "discriminant puddle birds" and drinking out of a bucket is more natural. What ever makes em happy. I'll still leave the bucket outside of the pen for their afternoon play time.

 

[Little Wing]

Hi,
I have 18 coops/runs and want to make the daily watering chores easier. I have chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese. I will not use a nipple system for my waterfowl pens, but when I open my chicken pens for them to free range, then the waterfowl go in and muck up the chickens water bowls. And some waterfowl have even learned to poke their heads through the 2x4 wire in my breeding pens and do it too. I want clean water for my chickens, if they choose to drink it instead of the mucky puddles. Anyway, I am interested in making bucket style nipple watering systems, but I would like some info/formulas to go by.

• Is there a max of how long of pvc pipe you can use for one bucket?
• Do you put the nipples about every foot?
• Do you need to make the pvc pipe slightly down hill for gravity to work?
• Is it recommended to have a drain at the end to clean the pipe periodically?
• Do you glue the pipe pieces? Do they leak if you don't?
• Any other advice would be appreciated!

• The pipe can be as long as you want. In the pic you can see the pipe go down, over and back up to the other side of the coop door (can't really see it but there is a door there). It has since been added onto and branched off to 4 more coops. I also added a vent mid-way in the system to bleed off trapped air.

• You want them far enough apart for two chickens to stand side by side and drink. Mine are 12' to 18" apart.

• You want the pipe level (the pipe can be unlevel but the nipple needs to hang straight up and down or it will leak.). As long as the pipe is below the water level in your supply tank, gravity will work.

• I have a drain at the end of mine. It's a must for flushing a large system. I have well water and get a lot of sediments.

• I glued mine. The system is not under pressure but why not glue it.

• I put paving stones or bricks under mine to keep from making puddles. It gives the excess water a place to sit and evaporate.
• The drill bit size is 11/32" for thick material like PVC pipe and 5/16" for thin materials like a bucket. I tap the PVC pipe, the tap is metric size 10X1.0 (this is for the red plastic nipples they sell on ebay that come from China.)

I also added a fill valve to keep the cooler full.


Hope this helps. Good luck!

 

[daze333]

Thank you for all of the good info! I am going to try to build one of these set-ups. What do I use to come out of the bucket? I see you used a hose spigot. Will that work on a round surface?

 

[Little Wing]

Had to go out and take a pic. I changed the hose bib to a 1/2" irrigation fitting (Had to order these from Dripworks.com) and 1/2" irrigation tubing (home depot) because I add ACV to their water and don't want it to react with the metal. The cooler has a flat surface where the connector hooks up. On a bucket you could come out of the bottom to get the flat surface.