Not getting enough water from nipple waterer?

[RoyalChick]

Hmmmmmm I have mine set up vertical & they are getting plenty of water ......... bottom line is *I think* as long as they are getting enough clean water it really doesn’t matter which method you use .

Agree - whatever works!
Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that vertical nipples are not any good as I have never used them and I know they work for lots of people. I was just saying that the instruction to have them high up I believe comes from the use of vertical nipples. Most instructions on horizontal nipples are not to put them too high.

 

[Tashua]

Agree - whatever works!
Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that vertical nipples are not any good as I have never used them and I know they work for lots of people. I was just saying that the instruction to have them high up I believe comes from the use of vertical nipples. Most instructions on horizontal nipples are not to put them too high.

It’s all good

 

[Lilyput]

Hi All!

I use a 2 gallon Farm Innovators nipple waterer for my 6 girls which they seem to use without issue. My concern is when I go to fill it up using a watering can, the girls always run over and take gulps of water out of the can (see photo!). This makes it seem like they are very thirsty and aren't getting enough water from their nipple waterer. I'd say they are going through a gallon of water every 3-4 days right now. Am I overreacting? Could they just be doing this out of excitement?

Thanks for your insights!

I don't care for nipple waterers unless you have a large flock and don't have a choice. I have fifteen hens and one rooster. I use a gallon waterer nearest the coop which is in a covered run and outside in uncovered run a large (probably 2-3 gallon) pan. They use the pan for "bathing" also in warm weather. My gallon waterer usually lasts two days, outside fills with rainwater and changes by me maybe once a week. In freezing weather I just turn the gallon waterer upside down overnight and fill with fresh warm water the next day. I usually add about a tablespoon of cider vinegar to each water station with every new addition of fresh water. Chickens run to water in the morning when I let them out of their coop and drink heaps of water seeming to really enjoy it. I rarely have hard freezes in Raleigh, NC. Maybe slight freeze overnight. I just think that I wouldn't like to get a drop of water at a time when I was thirsty! When it rains and puddles are collected, the chickens always prefer them over any water I might pour!

 

[dables1]

wash bowl and water stay clean!

Or just continue using the nipple waterer and your water stays clean instead of having to wash the bowl hourly. Brilliant idea.

 

[chriswininger]

We've had the same issues with nipple waters. We've had two, one like the one you show which is heated and one with nipples on the bottom. We started them on it young and they use it occasionally but seemingly never enough.

We've tried removing other water sources but always get worried that they are not getting enough water and wind up restoring a dish of some sort for them to use.

It is unfortunate because the frequency with which you have to clean the dishes and the fact that we haven't found a good heated one means that we can't leave them alone for more than one night.

Not a big issue for 2020 and 2021 as we are not traveling for obvious reasons, but something I'd like to figure out for the future.

Thanks for sharing this, sorry I don't have an answer, but glad to hear we're not the only ones with this concern. I was wondering if we were crazy.

 

[Sally PB]

Someone said they use the nipples horizontally. I have to admit, I never thought of that. The nipples and cups have the same thread size. I'm going to swap it and see if they use it.

They are the same. I did find that the cup style had a tiny, clear silicone gasket that I had to transfer to the regular horizontal nipple. I didn't at first, and they leaked.

 

[kubotafoot]

First of all....I would hope all comments were positive. We can't get the inflection of the posts and sometimes take them in ways they weren't intended.
Six girls and two gallons of water every three to four days is NOT a lot for them to be drinking. I have both nipple and open water available. Both are used. When I clean the "normal" waterer, even if it still had water in it, I find myself saying something like here you go.....nice fresh,clean water. Some of the hens hustle over and drink a lot but I do know water deprivation is worse than cold or excessive heat.
I would have a small waterer along with the nipples and see how fast that goes.

 

[EveLa]

This makes a lot of sense - thank you! Now I'm wondering about the 3 that haven't started laying and if it could be water related. They just turned 7 months, but assumed they hadn't begun laying because they hit maturity during the shorter days of the year. I figure they won't start laying until Spring, but do find it strange that half of the flock lays and the other half doesn't (they were all purchased together in late May/early June).

what type of chickens do you have ??

 

[EveLa]

First of all....I would hope all comments were positive. We can't get the inflection of the posts and sometimes take them in ways they weren't intended.
Six girls and two gallons of water every three to four days is NOT a lot for them to be drinking. I have both nipple and open water available. Both are used. When I clean the "normal" waterer, even if it still had water in it, I find myself saying something like here you go.....nice fresh,clean water. Some of the hens hustle over and drink a lot but I do know water deprivation is worse than cold or excessive heat.
I would have a small waterer along with the nipples and see how fast that goes.

I have a 5 gallon waterer from tsc, I have to clean it every few days but I also have a makeshift watering hole and they drink from that, they drink from puddles in the yard, ditches lol

 

[lisavhaar]

We use a combination of nipple waterers and open water dishes. Our chickens also go crazy whenever we put a new dish of open water in the pen, even though they regularly drink from the nipples. I think it is easier for them to drink from open dishes so they like it better and anything new is viewed as a treat, even if it's plain old water. In winter, we use the heated nipple waterers 24/7 and put out open dishes out during the day when it's above freezing. When both options are there, some chickens will still choose the nipples, so I guess they must be okay with them.