Not getting enough water from nipple waterer?

[linguini]

Yes - I've been checking it often now that we're below freezing to make sure everything is working as it should. Water comes out as soon as I touch the nipple, and I see the girls drinking throughout the day. Thanks for the reply!

We use a nipple waterer and a heating base to keep the water from freezing overnight. We have 8 hens (6 months old). They consume about 4 gallons every week. Chickens are curious animals, when I give them a bowl of water, they all come and try it out! But they are happy with their nipple waterer.

 

[Sally PB]

so they like it better and anything new is viewed as a treat, even if it's plain old water.

I got a heated dog bowl for my chickens for Christmas (ok, for me too). My brave girl came up to the bowl, tipped her head, looked at it. Peck peck. Look look. Peck peck. She looked inside... oooo, shiny! Peck peck... HEY, everybody! Come look! It's water!

 

[Fontaine]

We ordered the large pvc pipe with our coop. It fits horizontally with 6 vertical nipples. It was cumbersome to slide into place and that was without water. It occurred to me afterward that I wouldn’t be to excited to empty and wash it frequently. I suppose I could add ice cubes in the summer heat but wouldn’t be as cool as adding an ice block to pan of water. I never used it. Was I missing something about cleaning the thing? I would literally have to pull it out to empty it being careful not to knock off the nipples. I do like my water bowls set around but do have a problem with a few birds that love standing in it! Fortunately the hose is not too far away.

 

[rosemarythyme]

We ordered the large pvc pipe with our coop. It fits horizontally with 6 vertical nipples. It was cumbersome to slide into place and that was without water. It occurred to me afterward that I wouldn’t be to excited to empty and wash it frequently.

Oh, I never thought about how difficult a set up like that would be to clean. They look cool though. Best you can probably do is blast it out every once in a while if there's a drain that opens at the end?

 

[aart]

It occurred to me afterward that I wouldn’t be to excited to empty and wash it frequently.

One of the reasons I didn't go with a pipe system.

 

[Sissymomoften]

Yes, but that means you'd have to wash out the bowl and replace the water every 5 minutes, in my case. Mine kick dirt, shavings, and straw into their waterer all the time.

Yes, but that means you'd have to wash out the bowl and replace the water every 5 minutes, in my case. Mine kick dirt, shavings, and straw into their waterer all the time.

Yes, but that means you'd have to wash out the bowl and replace the water every 5 minutes, in my case. Mine kick dirt, shavings, and straw into their waterer all the time.

Pepper89 response is ridiculous! I and 9/10 people who have chickens have the same set up. It is much healthier for the chickens to have clean water! Not poop water in a bowl! I would have to literally live in the coop with my 21 chicks if I put their water in a bowl to keep it washed and clean! That’s crazy! Sounds like your doing everything right! You always have that one who likes to ruin a legit question. Comments like pepper89 make people with new chicks not want to ask good question from fear of getting a smart a#% responses like that!

 

[Gypse]

Was I missing something about cleaning the thing? I would literally have to pull it out to empty it being careful not to knock off the nipples.

If you had screw on end caps you could leave the whole thing in place & just unscrew the caps & hose out the tube. There'd be a lot of water everywhere but it'd be clean.

 

[chickiechickiebawkbawk]

Mine do the same thing soI gave them 5 options. I am in Vermont and have a heated nipple waterer like yours, as well as the round galvanized 5 gallon with the heated base, AND a heated dog water bowl. If it's not freezing out they love the big round black rubber feed bowl, if you put ping pong balls in and place it in the sun it won't freeze as easily.
Since I need to keep condensation down I go out at 2:30am (in January) when their light comes on and put the enclosed nipple waterer in the coop, and the dog bowl in the other coop that has less of a condensation problem. The door opens for them at sunrise (7:30am) and they all run over to drink from the big galvanized one.
Anytime I pour water into anything they run over to drink, so I pour slowly for them. They are bored so running water is exciting! Some of my breeds do this more than others, the hybrid egg machines Red Sex Link/Golden Comets, whom also produce the biggest eggs! More water, bigger eggs?! The pure bred birds love gulps of fresh water too.
I am going to compare it to me being thirsty in the high school gym and running over to the white porcelain fountain and only a disappointing trickle of luke warm pond water comes out. As opposed to talking gulps out of a large glass full of fresh filtered cold water. I would patiently struggle to get a satisfying drink from the gym water fountain if I was thirsty enough.

 

[Anniefromarkansas]

Woah - what an aggressive response! I thought nipple waterers were recommended for keeping the water clean. This was also the best reviewed heated drinker I could find. They don't need to "suck" on the nipple... just peck.

Anniefromarkansas,
I'm confused, are water nipples better than cups? I chose water cups that refill automatically once empty by my girls drinking,, wanted them to have sufficient water supply always,, is this right or wrong assumption?
Only con on cups is they do get dirty and also freeze !
And to the muddy run situation,,we have chicken tractors and when not able to move them in wet weather, we use straw for bedding and also spread alfalfa hay on top, then shovel out when we can safely move them and compst bedding...yes its multi stepping, but we try to preserve our ground and future sits to move them to..

 

[Chickenclaude]

I use the nipples w a 5 gal hanging bucket but switch to a heated waterer when freezing temps arrive. The dribblers sometimes freeze open and drain 5 gal into the run. Not ideal. My 6 girls go thru a 2 gal waterer In 6 days. They always greet me when I refill the jug. But the water kinda flows into the reservoir...maybe the running water is the attraction? Just make sure water is always available.