Watering nipples question - Do I need a supplemental water source?

[remadl700]

I am switching the FR's over to the nipple waters. My question in the subject line is, do I need to provide additional water sources for a few days or will they just figure it out? There will be four nipples for 50 birds and supplied with 50 gallons of water and 50 gallons of free choice food. The large amounts are do to the fact that I travel and need to make sure they have a least 3 days supply of food and water at all times. YES YES YES ..I have someone check on them but try and keep the work for the babysitter to an absolute minimum.

 

[gryeyes]

Four nipples for FIFTY birds? That's woefully inadequate.

 

[remadl700]

It says that it can handle 8-10 birds per nipple. These are all 9 weeks old. In speaking with the local farm supply store they stated that this would be adequate if accessible 24/7.

I can get some more though.

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

The recomendations of all manufacturers are approximately like this-

Day 1 to 10 for all chickens - 30 per nipple
Meat chickens to 7 weeks - 15 per nipple
Roaster chickens and meat type breeder replacement stock - 12 per nipple
Meat type breeders - 10 per nipple
Egg type breeders and commercial floor layers - 12 per nipple

And the possibility of nipples failing and not providing enough water is qlmost an impossibility. The contrary is what is true. They almost always fail by leaking.

As I have said many times to those who do not listen- providing more nipples than are necessary is counerproductive and to be avoided.

 

[midd2005]

even operating under a 12 egg layers to a nipple rule, you're still a nipple short.

i agree that you don't need tons and tons of them, but i'd probably get 2 more. maybe more if the chickens spend time in hot sun.

i had one jam shut on me after a week or so use. perhaps it was just defective. it's been 3 months since then and haven't had a problem since then.

 

[remadl700]

Quote:
Thanks for the response on this.

I hooked them up and to a 50 gal water supply source and found that they were not getting the hang of it. SOOO...

I built a float style automatic fill station from a square 5 gal bucket that is supplied by a garden hose. The bucket fills with approximately 4 inches of water. Approximately .5 inch above that are 6 3x3 in holes for them to get water out of. Between the two systems I am assured they are getting a water supply while I am gone. Its similar to what I have seen on BYC.

Again thank you.

 

[marquisella]

I started using the nipple system with buckets this summer and within 2 hours, the chickens were drinking from them.

I also have a pen with young chickens and a hen with even younger chicks. I was providing the hen's chicks with a separate water font, until I noticed one day the chicks drinking out of the nipple bucket! It only takes one chicken to figure it out & the others to copy.

I found that a 5 gallon bucket will last over a week in a pen with 25 full grown birds in it. Even with the high temperatures in the 80's. (Marans)

Sue