Nipple watering

[MeepBeep]

That's the thing, mine weren't doing the "raise and swallow" business at all when they were messing with it. That's what led me to believe they weren't getting anything unless I tapped it for them.

Will try again tomorrow withholding other water for a bit!

I didn't catch how may you have, but if you switch to nipples overnight and then measure tomorrow at mid-day or in the evening it should be evident if they are drinking or not...

My day 3ish day old chicks, 18 total were polishing off nearly a quart a day hard to not notice... Now they polish off a lot more... My adult birds polish off about 10 gallons a day, beyond obvious

 

[saraem]

I just have 4, so they don't drink a ton, but probably enough that it would be noticeable. I may try to mark it tonight and then check again in the morning.

 

[ChickNanny13]

I'm in-between chicks/chickens right now & been reading

So much GREAT INFO on this site! I'm sold on Water Nipple concept but confused about the drill bit size, some say 3/8 others 11/32 with teflon tape. Have seen buckets, milk jugs, juice & soda used, does the thickness of the plastic make a difference besides durability?

Thank you in advance!

 

[MeepBeep]

I'm in-between chicks/chickens right now & been reading

So much GREAT INFO on this site!  I'm sold on Water Nipple concept but confused about the drill bit size, some say 3/8 others 11/32 with teflon tape.  Have seen buckets, milk jugs, juice & soda used, does the thickness of the plastic make a difference besides durability?  

Thank you in advance!

The vertical nipples are actually metric M10-1.0 thread this is nearly identical to 1/8" NPT, the proper drill for it would be 9.1mm or 11/32" but most people don't have those sizes so they round to 3/8... I recommend tapping the holes... These vertical nipples have a rubber washer and if the hole is tapped and the nipple is screwed in all the way the rubber washer should seal just fine...

The horizontal nipples do not use a standard thread, the pitch of the thread is similar to M10-1.0 or 1/8" NPT, but the taper is entirely different... In general you can use the same sized drills as vertical nipples, although if you are going into real thin plastic like a pop bottle I would recommend you start with a smaller drill like a 5/16" and force it in... Due to the extreme taper of these horizontal nipples as long as the hole isn't too big and you don't over tighten they should self seal just fine... Fro thin plastic you don't need to tap, but I highly recommend you tap thicker plastics if you want a proper fit and leak free seal...

Taps are cheap on Ebay, and if you are only tapping into plastic you don't even need a proper tap handle (although it's nice) you can turn the tap with an adjustable wrench, open ended wrench or even pliers in in this application... And because 1/8"NPT and M10-1.0 are so close either will work in this application, the plastic will compensate for the very minor difference...

 

[ChickNanny13]

The vertical nipples are actually metric M10-1.0 thread this is nearly identical to 1/8" NPT, the proper drill for it would be 9.1mm or 11/32" but most people don't have those sizes so they round to 3/8... I recommend tapping the holes... These vertical nipples have a rubber washer and if the hole is tapped and the nipple is screwed in all the way the rubber washer should seal just fine...

The horizontal nipples do not use a standard thread, the pitch of the thread is similar to M10-1.0 or 1/8" NPT, but the taper is entirely different... In general you can use the same sized drills as vertical nipples, although if you are going into real thin plastic like a pop bottle I would recommend you start with a smaller drill like a 5/16" and force it in... Due to the extreme taper of these horizontal nipples as long as the hole isn't too big and you don't over tighten they should self seal just fine... Fro thin plastic you don't need to tap, but I highly recommend you tap thicker plastics if you want a proper fit and leak free seal...

Taps are cheap on Ebay, and if you are only tapping into plastic you don't even need a proper tap handle (although it's nice) you can turn the tap with an adjustable wrench, open ended wrench or even pliers in in this application... And because 1/8"NPT and M10-1.0 are so close either will work in this application, the plastic will compensate for the very minor difference...

Thank you , appreciate your help.

 

[pdirt]

Tested one of the horizontal nipples out on a maple syrup jug (thick plastic) in the brooder so the girls could get the hang of it. So far there are still a couple hold outs but I'm hoping to remove the other waterer in the next couple days. LOVE how easy and mess-free it is!

Question for making their grown-up system. How many nipples would be ideal for 4 chickens? I am thinking I'll just do one for each since our summers are hot, unless you think that's overkill.

I always think it's a good idea to have at least two nipples, even if you only need one. Just in case one nipple should malfunction. I've never heard (so far) of a horizontal nipple failing, but have heard multiple stories of vertical nipples failing.

They still can't figure the darned thing out. They understand that water comes out of it but don't get that they need to peck hard enough to push it in to get water. They have been biting the nipple, biting the red plastic, pecking it (but not hard enough) and sipping the water I'm releasing by hitting it with my finger for the last hour.

I had previously thought they got it but they didn't understand how to operate it, and we took some time off while I transitioned them to FF since I couldn't deal with them boycotting 2 things at once.

Advice?

I'm guessing they finally figured it out? It can take them longer to figure it out than you might think! I found that day-old chicks learned more quickly from the vertical nipples at first. After a week or two, I switched them to the horizontal ones and they learned quite quickly.

There seems to be two camps on how to transition to nipples. Camp #1 is to remove ALL other water sources and let their thirst drive their learning to find water. Camp #2 is to have both a nipple waterer and regular waterer and after several months, they have all usually learned to use the nipples.

I went with Camp #1 because I didn't want to maintain two waterers for months. I started with vertical nipples...it took the adults about 2.5 hours for the first one to figure it out and within 24 hours all of them were drinking (I set up a video camera and watched the footage at high speed to figure out the timing). For chicks, the first was within 10 minutes and all were drinking within a few hours.

I agree with others, the horizontal nipples are THE way to go...at least in my case. I like them better because: 1) they're easier to install, 2) they don't get my chickens wet, 3) they don't freeze when I use a stock tank de-icer in winter, 4) the bucket can be set just about anywhere, up on a cinder block, instead of needing to be hung, 5) no evidence of failure or leakage.

I haven't had a problem with cleaning them. I clean them perhaps once a year, using a toothbrush.

 

[pdirt]

I'm in-between chicks/chickens right now & been reading

So much GREAT INFO on this site! I'm sold on Water Nipple concept but confused about the drill bit size, some say 3/8 others 11/32 with teflon tape. Have seen buckets, milk jugs, juice & soda used, does the thickness of the plastic make a difference besides durability?

Thank you in advance!

In my experience, the vertical nipples require an exacting drill bit size. You should ask the company/person you ordered from for the recommended bit size for your vertical nipples, if that is what you have.

AFAIK, all the horizontal nipples are from the same manufacturer, but marketed under different names. I have only used the ones marketed by Solway, found on ebay. A fairly common 3/8" bit works wonderfully for horizontal nipples. You could also use a bit slightly smaller or larger than 3/8". If you are unsure if your bit size will work, practice on a scrap piece, such as a quart size yogurt container. Especially on thin plastic like a yogurt container, do NOT over tighten the nipple.

I have used yogurt containers for chick waterers, but a solid heavy duty food grade plastic bucket will last you a long time for adults, especially if you can keep it out of direct sun. Using thin/cheap plastic may last for several months or longer, but eventually it will fail and you will hope that won't be when you are out of town for several days. You can get free food grade plastic buckets at a local restaurant or the bakery/deli at a grocery store.

Some tips for successful installation I have learned, regardless of vertical or horizontal nipples:

* Align your drill bit as perpendicular (90-degress) to the surface of the bucket as possible. Start with a smaller bit size to make a starter hole...1/8" is a good size.
* Once your hole is drilled, carefully clean off all edges (inside and out of the bucket) to remove any loose/trailing plastic pieces.
* When screwing in your nipple into the bucket, take care to keep the nipple perpendicular to the bucket surface.
* You'll need to push the nipple with mild-moderate pressure into the hole as you screw it in.
* Hand tighten each nipple until firmly snug, do not tighten as tight as possible or you may lose your seal.
* Vertical nipples usually require tefton tape, horizontal nipples do not.
* Install horizontal nipples 1.5" up from the bucket bottom edge for general use, or 3" up if you live in an especially cold climate (-20F or colder in winter) and will use a heat device in the bottom of the bucket.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Thanks pdirt, a good thing about living in Hawaii = don't have to worry about freeze

 

[saraem]

I think mine have all got it now. I actually sort of accidentally forced them into it - was supposed to come home midday but couldn't, when I did tonight their water was completely clogged up with shavings but the syrup jug was much lighter. I know one of them gets it so I'm hoping any of the lagging ones will learn by watching.

 

[Mosey2003]

Is there a strong consensus either way for using heat tape around the outside of the bucket or for using an aquarium heater inside? Going to be making a 5 gallon two nipple waterer soon and want to make sure I'm good for the winter, we've been down to -15F before here... Granted, it will be inside the coop, but I don't like to take chances.