Nipple waters

[PamDuarte]

I am going to be putting in a nipple watering system and was wondering if the chickens actually get enough water in the hot summer months in Las Vegas? Its only June and the temps are 112 and up, my chickens are not doing very well. Doing there waters everyday is exhausting, that's why I choose to do the nipple set up. I have around 40 adult chickens and 12 babies that are 3 to 4 months old.
Pam

 

[azygous]

Yes. They manage to get all the water they need. Part of the installation should take into consideration the physical fact that chickens need to tilt their heads back to swallow. The nipples need to be situated at a height to achieve this, so placement near the head height of the chickens is ideal.

Your unasked next question is how long does it take for chickens to learn the nipple system of drinking. Remove their old watering system and you will see they pick it up in minutes.

 

[tripletfeb]

I personally would not switch my chickens over to nipples in the summer. I use a horizontal nipple water bucket and love it! But it took a few days for my chickens to pick it up. A few days of learning could be bad if the chickens aren't picking up the nipple system fast enough. Better to try in the spring or fall

 

[kerbotx]

The thing with poultry nipples - some birds get it, some birds don't - a bird that gets it, knows how to work the valve to get a nice, long drink. The ones that don't get it, or at least not as well, tend to stab at it, like they're trying to kill it! But I feel even they still get enough to drink.

But I wouldn't take away their old system during a hot summer. Go ahead & install the nipple system, and really work with the birds - especially the young ones - to help them figure it out. I've heard a rubber band works, where you leave the valve dripping a little, so they really get to see the water coming out of it. Once 1 or 2 birds figure it out, the others will learn by watching them. (Mine learned from the baby chicks, once they were integrated into the main flock.)

Keep in mind there are different nipple systems - vertical, horizontal, and cups with levers - if one doesn't work for you, consider trying again with a different style. And then find the right sized plastic bottle - coke bottle, juice bottle, mini water bottle, whatever fits inside your fountain - and fill it with water & freeze it. Plop in a fresh frozen bottle every morning, for cooler water for your birds.

 

[3KillerBs]

I trained my flock to horizontal nipples last summer.

What I did was to wedge mealworms into the nipples for a week so that they'd learn that it was wet there when they took the mealworm.

Then I took the open waterer out at night and didn't put it back until an hour or so after dawn, slowly increasing the time it was out until I was CERTAIN that I'd seen several members of the flock drinking from it.

Once a couple birds learn the others will pick it up by imitation.

@aart recommends marking the level in the waterer to see how much is being used.

 

[aart]

HN's are my choice, they work the best and are easily heated in my climate.


I've had all age birds either pick it right up within an hour...and others that take weeks to really figure it out.

Here's my thoughts on 'nipple training'.

First, it's good to know how much water your flock consumes 'normally', I top off water every morning and have marks on the waterers so I know about how much they drink.

Found they drank just as much from the nipples as they did from the open waterer.

-Do not train to nipples during extreme temps when dehydration is more of a risk.

-Show them how with your finger(tho that might just train them to wait for your finger),
and/or manually grab them and push their head/beak onto the trigger(easier with chicks than adults).

-No other water source, best to 'train' during mild weather when dehydration is less of an immediate health risk. I do provide an open waterer late in day to make sure they don't go to roost dehydrated, especially young chicks.

It can take days or weeks to get them fully switched over, just takes observation, consistency, and patience.

 

[Devorah]

Yes. They manage to get all the water they need. Part of the installation should take into consideration the physical fact that chickens need to tilt their heads back to swallow. The nipples need to be situated at a height to achieve this, so placement near the head height of the chickens is ideal.

Your unasked next question is how long does it take for chickens to learn the nipple system of drinking. Remove their old watering system and you will see they pick it up in minutes.

Interesting … I’m trying to decide between the traditional “tower” waterer and the nipple system. I’m a total newbie. What are your thoughts about each?

 

[azygous]

There are two styles of nipples, you know? One is vertical and easier for chickens to learn and operate since gravity helps. The other is horizontal nipples and they are spring loaded, and chickens have a bit of a longer learning curve.

I am currently trying to transition my chickens from vertical nipples to horizontal. I've purposely let their regular water go empty to force them to get thirsty enough to learn the new nipples. They are slowly catching on.

If you don't mind changing the water every day, the tower and basin waterers are fine. But I really love having only to fill the five gallon water tanks with the nipples every three weeks, and the water remains as pure and clean as the day I filled them.

Chickens are very slovenly drinkers. They "back wash" with every drink they take from a regular water source. Sometimes they poop in the water. By the end of the day, the water literally stinks. Nipple waterers avoid that.

 

[3KillerBs]

Interesting … I’m trying to decide between the traditional “tower” waterer and the nipple system. I’m a total newbie. What are your thoughts about each?

I like the horizontal nipples because they are so much cleaner.

Training took some time and intention, but at this point the new birds learn by imitation.