Nipple watering

[RJSorensen]

I just switched my little Banty chicks over to horizontal nipples today. I half filled the five gallon bucket and then we dumped in all the ice from our ice maker, vola, we were in business. First one or two and then it was a mad rush to peck at the shinny object in the center of the red thing.



I am using two buckets so as everyone can find a free nipple to hang onto. Many of them pecked the water we generated on the side of the bucket as well. I am most pleased with the transition and am really proud of my little troupers.

RJ

 

[Southern Dad]

I just switched my little Banty chicks over to horizontal nipples today. I half filled the five gallon bucket and then we dumped in all the ice from our ice maker, vola, we were in business. First one or two and then it was a mad rush to peck at the shinny object in the center of the red thing.



I am using two buckets so as everyone can find a free nipple to hang onto. Many of them pecked the water we generated on the side of the bucket as well. I am most pleased with the transition and am really proud of my little troupers.

RJ

Look at all those cute little chickens!

 

[TXRooster]

Here's the auto rabbit waterer I made recently.. I'll be posting my chicken, except instead of using tubing I'll use 1in PVC

 

[Farmer Niz]

I like the water nipples. I installed them using 3/4" pipe and fittings. About 3 minutes after install my chicks were curious and went at them, they pecked above the nipple for a bit then figured out tapping the nipple rewards them with a drip of water.

My 5 chicks are:
Sussex Speckled
Plymouth Barred Rock
Barneveldar
Brabanter Cream
Polish Gold Laced

 

[WVDoug]

I like the water nipples. I installed them using 3/4" pipe and fittings. About 3 minutes after install my chicks were curious and went at them, they pecked above the nipple for a bit then figured out tapping the nipple rewards them with a drip of water.

My 5 chicks are:
Sussex Speckled
Plymouth Barred Rock
Barneveldar
Brabanter Cream
Polish Gold Laced

Adorable, but PLEASE be careful with those heat lamps and highly flammable shavings.

 

[sumterflfreed]

I have a question about waterers I have the nipples and it's on a 3/4" PVC hooked to the water hose. Even with the hose almost off the pressure is really high and when you tap the nipples they spray everywhere if I did a gravity feed would it help any?

 

[RJSorensen]

Yes gravity works best I believe. Make sure you have a vent hole at the top of the system and you should be good to go.

Best to you and your birds,

RJ

 

[sumterflfreed]

Thank you rj I will make that tomorrow's project.

 

[RJSorensen]

LOL! You are more than welcome. Water is a funny thing. It can be pressurized, but not compressed. If you were to take the edge of your hand into a bucket of water, it would displace the water and you would not feel anything, other than your hand being wet. This is what I sometimes call soft water. Now if one were to do a belly flop from a diving board, your speed of decent is greater than the water can displace, thus you get that sharp sting on your tummy. This is hard water to me. If you have any pressure on the supply line, the line will reach equal pressure with the source and lie in wait as 'hard water.' A vented gravity setup is 'soft water,' it only has the force of the established head pressure, it can not be greater than this and as it is vented, it can not squirt, nor hold the stored pressure of being connected to a hose with a tap on, regardless of how much it is on.

Water will not compress, put enough force/pressure upon it and it will always burst the vessel. Always. So a closed system that could automate your setup could be had with a float valve from a kit or toilet. That way you could, if you wished have some automation in your desired water system. I know of some whom do this, I do not. I like to 'see' the birds and check the water on a regular basis, this helps keep me from being complacent in my chores. A word on vent holes, 1/16 of an inch is enough, I also have some that are a quarter inch. I like them small, in order to keep the dust out of the bucket as much as possible. There is no real magic hole size, just big enough so as to not get plugged up or somehow stopped up. Any thing larger than this is fine. Water under pressure will cut metal, as hard water, the same water in my glass during break time, quenches my thirst, as soft water.

If I have made a mess of the above, I'm sorry. It is easy and fun to mix and match the two types of water, to meet whatever need you have at hand.

Good luck with the project,

RJ

 

[sumterflfreed]

So basically if I read the above correctly to be automated it would have to have a reservoir that filled up as needed and gravity fed to the nipple system? And won't work properly just hooking the nipples on the PVC to a water hose?