Water nipples coming loose

[Sandy-Acton]

I have used vertical water nipples for a year or so, and recently set up another waterer in a second coop. I am not sure how, but a week after the set up, a nipple was missing, which of course, drained the barrel. I never found the nipple. Fixed that issue and it has been okay for the last five days. This morning everthing was fine, then this afternoon, I found two nipples out of three were almost completely unscrewed. Maybe it is the angle, which is about 15 degrees off from vertical. Could a chicken be unscrewing it? I will most likely put a camera in the coop. I need to see what is happening. God knows what these chickens do when I am not watching.

 

[Debbie292d]

We've used nipples for about nine years and found that some will last forever, and some need replacing in around a year or so. Never have we had any missing a nipple though, or come unscrewed. I think I'd try a different batch from a different vendor and see if that changes things for you.

 

[kattabelly]

God knows what these chickens do when I am not watching.

Sorry but I laughed at this. Chicken keeping summed up in one sentence!

How secure did the nipples seem when you set up the waterer? (Wondering if you could've accidentally used a drill bit that was slightly too big, or different nipples than you'd used before which required a different sized bit, or if they might have not been screwed in quite far enough or have some kind of manufacturing fault that caused them to be loose and come out easily, or you used a different kind of container for the waterer that was made from a thinner material than you've used before.)

Are the other waterers you haven't had issues with set up exactly the same, with the nipple at the same angle and the waterer itself positioned the same way? Some chickens will do a fairly aggressive peck or bite and grab to drink from vertical nipples, so possibly the nipples being at an angle has made it easier for them to get unscrewed over time if one or more of your birds drinks like this. I'm not sure but possibly the waterer being placed in a way that meant the nipple was always grabbed from a particular could contribute to this.

I tend to put a tiny bit of silicone sealant around the very end of the threads at the point where they'll be in contact with the waterer when fitted. (Easiest to paint the silicone on with something like a toothpick before you start to screw the nipples into place.) It helps prevent leaks if the surface the nipple will sit against isn't totally flat or rigid, or edges of the the hole they're fitted in are slightly uneven, but it would probably work a bit like an adhesive too unless the chickens are really going at it.

 

[Sandy-Acton]

We've used nipples for about nine years and found that some will last forever, and some need replacing in around a year or so. Never have we had any missing a nipple though, or come unscrewed. I think I'd try a different batch from a different vendor and see if that changes things for you.

Good advice. I ordered new ones yesterday. Will see if it makes a difference. Thank you.

 

[Debbie292d]

Good advice. I ordered new ones yesterday. Will see if it makes a difference. Thank you.

If it doesn't, I think you have some very talented chickens there, or else a raccoon is sneaking in there just to play with the nipples, knowing it causes havoc.

 

[The Yardbird Life]

Clearly you have a reincarnated plumber in your coop.

Teflon thread tape will solve the issue. Now, if your chicken has thumbs like mine, all bets are off. No plumbing system is safe.

 

[Sandy-Acton]

Good advice. I ordered new ones yesterday. Will see if it makes a difference. Thank you.

If it doesn't, I think you have some very talented chickens there, or else a raccoon is sneaking in there just to play with the nipples, knowing it causes havoc.

Clearly you have a reincarnated plumber in your coop.

Teflon thread tape will solve the issue. Now, if your chicken has thumbs like mine, all bets are off. No plumbing system is safe.

 

[Sandy-Acton]

Sorry but I laughed at this. Chicken keeping summed up in one sentence!

How secure did the nipples seem when you set up the waterer? (Wondering if you could've accidentally used a drill bit that was slightly too big, or different nipples than you'd used before which required a different sized bit, or if they might have not been screwed in quite far enough or have some kind of manufacturing fault that caused them to be loose and come out easily, or you used a different kind of container for the waterer that was made from a thinner material than you've used before.)

Are the other waterers you haven't had issues with set up exactly the same, with the nipple at the same angle and the waterer itself positioned the same way? Some chickens will do a fairly aggressive peck or bite and grab to drink from vertical nipples, so possibly the nipples being at an angle has made it easier for them to get unscrewed over time if one or more of your birds drinks like this. I'm not sure but possibly the waterer being placed in a way that meant the nipple was always grabbed from a particular could contribute to this.

I tend to put a tiny bit of silicone sealant around the very end of the threads at the point where they'll be in contact with the waterer when fitted. (Easiest to paint the silicone on with something like a toothpick before you start to screw the nipples into place.) It helps prevent leaks if the surface the nipple will sit against isn't totally flat or rigid, or edges of the the hole they're fitted in are slightly uneven, but it would probably work a bit like an adhesive too unless the chickens are really going at it.

Thank you. I purchased the PVC and nipple set, and purchased more nipples separately, different vendor. Figured these are all standard sizes. I will try silicone. I have new nipples coming, if that does work, maybe encase that section with hardware cloth so they can't get to the hex side of the nipple. Thanks for responding. We love to share our experiences. Makes us better Chickeneers.

 

[Sandy-Acton]