Water nipple question

[babyrnlc]

I am going to make a bucket waterer with 4 nipples for our flock of 10. My questions is do you leave the lid off or on the top of the bucket. I would like to leave it on because I dont want bugs in there or rain (I am sure our city rain is not the best). But I read if you used milk jugs you had to leave it open. IS it the same for buckets?

If I have to leave it open, could I loosely cover it.

Thank you

 

[Tenmore]

On...... keep it clean and fresh and not a trap for a chicken.....not real sure how they work waiting for mine close it if water wont flow because it cant " breath " a little pin hole in the top would fix that

 

[Arielle]

Yes, cover on.
BUT . . .
Need some air to leak in so water can drip out when hen pushes on it. If lid has a really good seal, you may want to poke a hole in it. Drive a nail thru lid or drill a hole in lid.

GL

 

[BellevueOmlet]

They do not need the vacume seal that some waterers need but I would leave it on or you will get a bunch of junk in the bucket and have to clean out your whole system. Like everyone else said, just make a very small hole in the lid so that it does not create the vacume and will release water. A tiny whole is fine.

 

[babyrnlc]

Thank you!

 

[BoltonChicken]

I simply put the top on loosely. So far not a problem with trash or air lock.

 

[LovinMyNewChicks]

I made a waterer like this out of a five-gallon bucket, and I drilled a hole just big enough for a water hose to fit in the top. This way I can fill it without taking the lid off (but can still take the bucket out and the lid off for a thorough cleaning when needed). So far, very little of anything falls through that hole into the water. The water is staying very clean. At first I was a little worried about the chickens jumping on top of the bucket, but as they've grown and I've raised it higher and higher, they don't get up there anymore. Plus it kind of swings a little if they try, and they don't like that. Since it's been so hot lately, I have had to lift the lid everyday to put a 2-liter bottle of ice in to keep the water cool. So I haven't been actually sealing the lid back on each time (so that it's not so hard to get off). But it's still completely covering the opening.

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

If you have a choice get a 5 gallon bucket with a wire handle. You will find them easier to keep from swinging by having two drops angled away from the seperated connection points and they are more durable as well.

Four nipples is way to many for 10 hens and no more than three nipples in the space available can be utilized by full size birds anyway. There is not enough room for them around the nipples and they would prefer to not have their body under the bucket otherwise.

Four nipples would be good for 125 chicks to ten days old and they can utilize them well since they are not afraid ofbeing under something. The ratio is one nipple for every 15 layers.

 

[5Leepy!]

I wouldn't suggest a very large hole in the top, you don't want Mosquitos laying eggs in the water if you can help it. I drilled two very small holes in the top of mine and always close it completely. I also put frozen milk jugs in to keep the water cool in this heat. I also suggest positioning it so it's not in the sun. Keeps it cooler as well.

 

[BWKatz]

My son was able to find me a lid with a pour spout and scrwe off lid for the spout . It's great for daily filling. Definitely keep some kind of lid on or ur chicks will fly to roost on the edges. What a mess! The ice bottles are a good idea too.