The Grand Experiment

[Mosey2003]

Can I re-iterate the question about what they're eating the other six days of the week? I think what was meant is that you said you'll feed them for 45 minutes on Sunday, which makes it sound like they may have a different schedule on other days.

Following with interest

 

[rjohns39]

I measure how much they can eat in 45 minutes on Sunday Morning. Then I feed them that amount every day, morning and evening. About 4 or 5 weeks in, I'll give them a non-gmo cracked corn or wheat for a lunch time snack. My last set of birds were leaner than I like, so I'd like to add a little extra fat to these.

 

[rjohns39]

While they are in the brooder, I make sure they have a constant supply of food, so I'll top them off two or three times a day.

 

[Mosey2003]

And what age do you remove from the brooder/start restricting feed?

 

[rjohns39]

At 3 weeks they move onto pasture in a tractor. I move them at sunrise every morning and at that point is when I restrict their feed. As we approach day 30ish they'll get moved twice a day.

 

[rjohns39]

While in the brooder I'll also give them a few meal worms twice a day to get them running around and exercising.

 

[Hawgfan]

I get the supply piping and regulator part.
I like the little trays too.
Does trigger pin go up and down like a Vertical Nipple?
How does it seal, like a VN or an HN....or something different?
Do they leak?
How does it attach to pipe?
Actually wants to hold one in my hand, then take it apart to see how it all works

Commercial poultry drinkers don't use a standard PVC pipe. The pipe is manufactured to accept the nipple. This is usually a twist lock design that can vary from one brand to another. The seal to the pipe is an o-ring. The seal inside the nipple is a weighted elastomer disc. Gravity and water pressure seal the water off, to a point. This is why line pressure systems require a regulator, and purely gravity fed systems don't. If there is a commercial poultry presence in your area, all these components are available at your local poultry supply. This is all second nature to people in my area, but may be totally foreign to others. Val and Ziggity are two major players, if you want to look at their stuff. The main difference in a commercial nipple and the hobby type most people here would know, is the way it connects to the pipe. Those readily available at TSC for example, will have some means of mounting to a standard pipe, bucket, etc. Attached is a document that might be of interest.

 

[Hope Hughes]

only had 4 meat birds and they free ranged and ate with the other chickens... they lived for quite a long time that way.. then we ate them lol we want to start meat birds instead of buying so im following for information! Cant wait for more photos!!

 

[aart]

Commercial poultry drinkers don't use a standard PVC pipe. The pipe is manufactured to accept the nipple. This is usually a twist lock design that can vary from one brand to another. The seal to the pipe is an o-ring. The seal inside the nipple is a weighted elastomer disc. Gravity and water pressure seal the water off, to a point. This is why line pressure systems require a regulator, and purely gravity fed systems don't. If there is a commercial poultry presence in your area, all these components are available at your local poultry supply. This is all second nature to people in my area, but may be totally foreign to others. Val and Ziggity are two major players, if you want to look at their stuff. The main difference in a commercial nipple and the hobby type most people here would know, is the way it connects to the pipe. Those readily available at TSC for example, will have some means of mounting to a standard pipe, bucket, etc. Attached is a document that might be of interest.

Love the cross sections there, exactly what I wanted to see!
Didn't think of the pressure helping keep the seal, makes sense.
Thanks!

 

[rjohns39]

10/4/2018 Feed consumption was about 3oz per group. Today they'll get introduced to meal worms.