Nipple watering

[pawtraitart]

OK, so I hung a 5 gal waterer with 4 nipples a week ago for 18 6-wk-olds. I was filling a quart bowl once daily before, but noticed I am filling it twice daily since hanging the nipples and they empty it faster. The nipples are all working and checked twice daily. All of them know how to use it.

However, when I fill the bowl, they all run over for water and start gulping larger amounts than they seem to get from the nipples. I am worried they aren't getting enough from the nipples...?

This is normal. Chickens love to "gulp" water. Don't worry. The nipple drinker is healthier for them. You will confuse them by having both types of drinkers in there, though. It's best to pick one and let them form the habit you want them to have.

 

[roostereggs]

This is normal. Chickens love to "gulp" water. Don't worry. The nipple drinker is healthier for them. You will confuse them by having both types of drinkers in there, though. It's best to pick one and let them form the habit you want them to have. 

Thank You! That's All i Needed To Know.

 

[chad-o]

OK, so I hung a 5 gal waterer with 4 nipples a week ago for 18 6-wk-olds. I was filling a quart bowl once daily before, but noticed I am filling it twice daily since hanging the nipples and they empty it faster. The nipples are all working and checked twice daily. All of them know how to use it.

However, when I fill the bowl, they all run over for water and start gulping larger amounts than they seem to get from the nipples. I am worried they aren't getting enough from the nipples...?

That's just a chicken thing let it rain they run to the puddle like they are dying of thirst. Give them a slice of bread they eat like they are starving. Remove the other water source they will be fine.

 

[roostereggs]

That's just a chicken thing let it rain they run to the puddle like they are dying of thirst. Give them a slice of bread they eat like they are starving. Remove the other water source they will be fine.

So true! I always worry they are starving but I look around and see food, which confuses me because they know to come peck my hands for their 'treats' (fruits/veggies/worms)...and they DO act starving! Silly chickens.

I pulled the water bowl out. It was empty but I noticed it was very wet below the nipples, so I could tell they were using it a lot more today.

 

[pawtraitart]

So true! I always worry they are starving but I look around and see food, which confuses me because they know to come peck my hands for their 'treats' (fruits/veggies/worms)...and they DO act starving! Silly chickens.

I pulled the water bowl out. It was empty but I noticed it was very wet below the nipples, so I could tell they were using it a lot more today.

If you get a bucket with the horizontal nipples you won't have dripping issues. The bedding under the bucket will stay dry. Allboutchickens carries buckets of various sizes that use the horizontal nipple I use in my smaller drinkers.

 

[roostereggs]

If you get a bucket with the horizontal nipples you won't have dripping issues. The bedding under the bucket will stay dry. Allboutchickens carries buckets of various sizes that use the horizontal nipple I use in my smaller drinkers.

I don't think those will work well here. ? We get a lot of dust and dust storms and I am worried they will get plugged up more easily than something vertical.

We have been using auto waterers but are replacing them one at a time...because the parts that make them work don't seem to do well here and get jammed up with dirt. Even our double hose bibs get jammed and then water floods the coop.

When are you going to have larger ones? I am willing to give one a try, especially for the brooder.

 

[pawtraitart]

I don't think those will work well here. ? We get a lot of dust and dust storms and I am worried they will get plugged up more easily than something vertical.

We have been using auto waterers but are replacing them one at a time...because the parts that make them work don't seem to do well here and get jammed up with dirt. Even our double hose bibs get jammed and then water floods the coop.

When are you going to have larger ones? I am willing to give one a try, especially for the brooder.

The large brooder bottle with the mounting bracket will be available in a few weeks or you can make your own by getting the nipples separately from a distributor online. The horizontal nipples are gaining in popularity. There are a few people selling them, now, which is fantastic to see. I love them!!

Wow.....they are getting jammed with dirt? Hmmmm.....I wonder if the horizontal nipples would indeed work in your existing system. They are spring loaded unlike the vertical ones. Before we started making the brackets I was putting the bottles on bricks and they would sometimes get knocked over into the dirt. The dirt didn't hurt them. I pushed the pin and they still worked. ???

 

[aldarita]

I just switched my water system to horizontal water nipples. I have 7 hens, 9 pullets and 2 cockerels. I removed the other waterers and waited for them to get thirsty. I got a little stool and sat by the nipple water system and waited for some of them to come over, when they did, I show them how water runs out of the nipples. The pullets learned very soon but the hens and cockerels didn't show much interest so I thought they were not thirsty enough. I hung around there longer and one or two of the hens came to the nipples but only got one drop and left. It seems to me that they don't know how to drink from a drop of water even though I continuously showed them how the water comes out of the nipple.
I ended up just putting one of the old waterers back because the hens had gone without water for several hours, it is 80 F so I did not want to stress them any further. I plan to remove the waterer again tomorrow and watch what happens. The hens don't seem to want to learn to drink from the nipples. Does anybody have some tips to get them started? I know the best way is to remove the water completely but being hot I am afraid they will get dehydrated soon. I appreciate any comments.

 

[Mark1]

I have all 11 of my hens drinking from the water nipples, 2 1/2 '' pvc pipe horiz. with 4 nipples and hooked up to a 50 gallon drum. Other then the occasional cleaning, I only fill the barrel about 3 times a year.
Teaching the hens to use the nipples is fairly simple, pour water over the top of the nipples so it drips off of them, and the hens will start using them.
You do need to remove all the other water while your "training' them to drink from the nipples. I do keep a second water source in the pen but they seldom use it, preferring the nipples.

 

[pawtraitart]

I just switched my water system to horizontal water nipples. I have 7 hens, 9 pullets and 2 cockerels. I removed the other waterers and waited for them to get thirsty. I got a little stool and sat by the nipple water system and waited for some of them to come over, when they did, I show them how water runs out of the nipples. The pullets learned very soon but the hens and cockerels didn't show much interest so I thought they were not thirsty enough. I hung around there longer and one or two of the hens came to the nipples but only got one drop and left. It seems to me that they don't know how to drink from a drop of water even though I continuously showed them how the water comes out of the nipple.
I ended up just putting one of the old waterers back because the hens had gone without water for several hours, it is 80 F so I did not want to stress them any further. I plan to remove the waterer again tomorrow and watch what happens. The hens don't seem to want to learn to drink from the nipples. Does anybody have some tips to get them started? I know the best way is to remove the water completely but being hot I am afraid they will get dehydrated soon. I appreciate any comments.

What you are doing is fine if you're worried about the heat. Keep in mind, however, that a bird can be completely full but if you toss in treats they will eat like they are starving. The same thing goes for water. It will take longer for everyone to form the new habit if things keep getting switched around. Chickens are very much creatures of habit. I've never had a bird fail to learn how to use the nipples. They get all excited when I fill the containers even though they weren't empty. They love them, especially the birds who have used them from the day they hatched.