Nipple Waterers...?

[TheYLWFlock]

Hellooo! Hope you are all having a wonderful day! I have some nipple waterer questions concerning my little chicks!

So first of all, is anybody else COMPLETELY ANNOYED with the mess the chicks make not only around the fount, but also IN it? I sure am! Twice a day cleaning of the waterer doesn’t cut it and it becomes a hassle to do it much more. Plus then cleaning the area around it when it spills or gets knocked over or bumped or whatever! I’ve put up with this for only two weeks but it is very annoying!

So I had read about nipple waterers a awhile ago, but thought, “Aww c'mon, they can’t make much of a mess, plus it’s confusing to install the nipple. I won’t bother!” How silly I was.

Anyway, on Saturday I’m going out to get some nipples and was wondering how many to get. I have heard things from 1 nipple per 3 birds to 1 per 6 birds! I was thinking 2 for 7 birds, would this work?

Do you recommend push-in or screw-in? I was thinking push-in, but if screw-in works better...?

Also, can I just attach them to the bottom of a milk jug? Should I do one milk jug per waterer or both on one jug?


Thanks in advance!

 

[TheYLWFlock]

Also what height for the nipple is generally recommended?

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

Some good questions, ill answer what i can, but I've opted for the cups instead of nipples because of the easy start, so hopefully someone more experienced will also offer their ideas.
And yes! The regular waterer is terrible. We moved ours on top of a pie pan flipped upside down and that helped a ton. We deep littered up the the pan so they dont step up, so it's a smooth transition but the chips are farther from the water...they still poop in it though. For how many nipples, just think how many chicks you see at the waterer at once, and how much you want them to have immediate satisfaction. We have two coop waterers and two run waterers for ten birds. They seem quite happy with that but they can drink together out of the cups. (Usually no more than two at once). Also we run the hose for them on occasion and they really like that, everyone comes in for freshly rinsed dirt water!
This one's not for me...my best guess, push is easier, screw works better. But again, never had either so take that with a bag of salt.
We did two connections per "jug" because its easier to fill and clean just one. Same amount of water gets used technically, but the one jug gets cleaned twice as often.
For height, make something temporary for while they are growing... Don't want them to have to crouch under later.
Ryan.

 

[TheYLWFlock]

Thank you!
It is such a pest to clean out their water all the time! I just wanted something easier! Usually 2-3 chicks at the waterer at once, so probably best to go with 3...
Your theory about push vs screw makes sense... we’re just going to see what they have in supply at our farm store.
Yeah we were thinking of raising it to be at the height they are, but we’re not sure of where it should be relative to their height. I’ve heard that having the bottom of the nipple at eye level is a good idea...

Thank you for all of help @SavKel&RynKel !

Just wondering, what is a cup waterer?

 

[imnukensc]

Screw in - horizontal. Took my chicks about 10 seconds to figure them out at 2 weeks old. You want them about shoulder/head height so you'll need to be able to raise the waterer as the chicks grow.

 

[gocgo]

Definitely go with the nipple waterers, but be aware of some things. First, if the bucket or whatever you plan to use hangs in the sun, algae will form. It will have to be cleaned regularly and if the nipples get algae in them, they will not seal properly and will leak. Second, if the bucket (or whatever you use) is clear, more sunlight can get to the water and the quicker algae will form. A dark container works, but you won't be able to see the water level as easily. Screw in nipples seem to work better and seal better. Lastly, in the winter, I thought I could just put a little heater inside the waterer and all would be good...not so fast. The water stayed thawed inside the container, but the nipples froze and didn't work. So, in the winter, I've had to use a heated waterer with the trough that gets dirty and is a pain to clean.

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

Just wondering, what is a cup waterer?

Its like a nipple with a catcher. So on day one i pushed it until the cup was full, and the birds drank until it was empty. And when they tried to get the last drop, they pushed the nipple and more came out. "Light-bulb!".
Our second batch learned from the first so i havent had to do any extra training. Just left their baby waterer out until i verified they all learned.

Ryn.

 

[TheYLWFlock]

Cool thanks everyone!

I’ll hopefully go with screw in, but if they don’t have them I’ll probably have to go with push in. Right now they are in a room in the basement with artificial light so I don’t think algae would be a problem. We put ACV into their water right now, is it ok to do that with nipples too? Well have to see how it goes in winter... ours are pretty mild and it would be in an insulated coop so hopefully that could prevent freezing... if not, back to messy clean ups for us!

The cup waterer is pretty cool too! There really are so many more watering options than the old fashioned way!

Thanks again!

 

[aligarysmom]

Good question about the acv if you keep it slight you won’t have a problem, but if you get the ph too low it can corrode the waterer. Usually not a problem for the concentration for birds

 

[TheYLWFlock]

Ok, thanks! We only add about a capful, not really all that much... just wanted to make sure it would be ok!