poultry nipple ...advantages?

[ONSTAD1]

I'm building a coop for 4 hens and getting to the point I need to start thinking about food and water. What exactly is a poultry nipple and it it better than your average gravity waterer? If so. should I start my chicks on it immediately or is it for older birds? Are they more or less messy? Questions, questions, questions...

Mo

 

[lokua]

They are small valves you can install in basically any pipe or bucket and you train the birds to drink from them. Since the water is in a closed system the birds cant get it dirty. The down side is some people have trouble getting their birds to drink from them if they aren't used to it. I know a few people that use them and they say they would never change back. I use the plain old plastic gravity waterer hung about back height off the ground and it stays decently clean. If you want ti use the nipples start of early and you will have less trouble getting the birds used to it.

 

[Hamstery]

We used the nipples with good luck with our older hens. I love it because the water is in an enclosed container so you never have to worry about it getting dirty......because essentially the dirty chicken water is the bane of my existence! hehe
We have 6 week old chicks right now and they have never used the nipples. I'm worried they won't know what to do with them. But my plan is to give it a try in a few weeks once they are tall enough to reach the bucket we have in the coop. Let us know how you make out if you decide on them!

 

[jrsckn]

Do they leak when the air seal is broken to refil the container?

 

[Hamstery]

Do they leak when the air seal is broken to refil the container?

No, not at all. We have a hole in the top of our bucket from the winter when we had a heater in the water. So it's not sealed tight, ever. No leaks.

 

[jrsckn]

Super!!! Sounds like the way to go.

 

[ladykbug]

We love love love using the nipples! We have a 5 gallon bucket, put 3 nipples in the bottom, fill it up, put the lid on, hang it in the run.
Chickens are so curious, I would 'ring' the nipples (they kinda ring when you tap them) and the chickens came over to check it out. after one started pecking at it and realized 'hey! this is fresh water' the others just HAD to do it too !! such copy cats !
we had 3 different ages & different breeds, and they all figured it out quickly with no problems

will never go back to other waterers !

 

[breakout]

If you spend enough time seaching about chicken watering solutions you'll find that most any method has it's advocates but I would say nipples have the largest numbers of fans including the poultry industry.

 

[breakout]

Do they leak when the air seal is broken to refil the container?

Nipples leak much less than other methods. BTW I've heard the stainless ones leak more than the part plastic ones.

 

[kcfuerst]

I have both nipples outside in the run and gravity inside the henhouse. I like the nipples, but sometimes, one gets stuck in the "on " position and I may not catch it until half the water has leaked out of the 11 gallon tank and the chicks are swimming in the puddle. I prefer the gravity fed waterer. Just wash it out every couple weeks and it's good to go.