Nipple Waters on Coolers?

[Mutt Farm]

Hi again, more advice needed. I started an extreme desert heat thread and would appreciate any suggestions. I want to build a nipple watering system on a cooler, like the round construction coolers. Can anyone who has done this tell me which nipples will work and can someone tell me how many nipples per chicken? I have 15 girls. Sorry if this info is already out there, I searched and searched...

 

[pdirt]

If you're in the extreme desert, I would suggest fewer birds per nipple than the norm. For vertical nipples, I've seen recommendations of anywhere from 5 to 30 chickens per nipple. For horizontal nipples, the suggestion is 6-8. Try on the low end, so for 15 hens, you would want about 3 nipples... Or you could add a fourth for good measure.

You can't easily hook up watering nipples direct to the cooler. You could look into the Brite Tap system. Or you could hook up a pvc line to the cooler and install nipples in the pvc.

 

[Mutt Farm]

I'm 50 miles w of Palm Springs, so it's HOT! 95-108 isn't unusual. They have deep shade, good ventilation It's hard being stuck here to ice their water. Just looked up Brite Tap. Good stuff! 2 coolers with 2 nipples ea, regular waterer just in case? Enough?

 

[jmayday]

 

[Mutt Farm]

That's a clever setup! Easy to fill from the outside. Thanks for the idea!

 

[DoubletakeFarm]

This is mine (before I put it out in the barn). Liked it so much I have two now. I have 62 chickens and they all share the two waterers.

Advantages: water stays incredibly clean inside the cooler. No poo, straw or dirt can get in it. Water doesn't get algae in it. It holds a lot of water so I don't refill very often. In the winter the cooler keeps the water from freezing until 5 below or so.

Disadvantages: The chickens do make a mess with the water underneath it. They peck at the nipples and make it drip. The nipple attachment gets algae in it so it needs cleaned out once in a while and it's a pain to clean. I have to put a heat lamp over the nipples to keep them from freezing in the winter.

I've had chickens for 15 years now and this is the cleanest my water has ever been.

Here's the link: http://www.chickenwaterer.com/BriteTap-Chicken-Poultry-Waterer-p/bt100.htm I am not affiliated with Britetap, just a very happy customer!