Official BYC Poll: Which waterer is better: Nipples or cups?

Which waterer is best for less mess?


  • Total voters
    307
Pics
I got my shipment of vertical nipples over the weekend. I put one into a 1/2 gal bottle, hung it over the brooder with a cord so just the nipple went through the mesh and the girls took to it *immediately*! Unfortunately, it made too much of a mess in the brooder, but it gives me confidence that it'll work fine in the run. No more poopy water, no more flakes clogging up the waterer.

Hearing that some folks' birds may not get enough hydration with this method (and others' birds do perfectly well) I do plan on having a "backup" on really hot days and monitoring their preference. I really hope to try out the horizontal nipples come winter, but if I buy ANY more cups, nipples, etc. I think my wife is going to put the breaks on my participation in our chicken hobby. (I tend to over-engineer everything, but that's 1/2 the fun!)

(Sorry for the blurry pics, they were running around acting all excited!)

IMG_1435.JPG
IMG_1438.JPG
 
I have all 3, but the best would be the horizontal nipple for cold climate. The cup work best. However, it requires more cleaning. I wish some companies would combine horizontal nipple with cup, but the cup little smaller and shallower.
 
I'm a brand new chicken person and just got my first set of pullets and one cockeral a few days ago. I went with the horizontal nipple waterer and wasn't too sure how well they would take to it as they had standard waterers before. The four pullets are about 16 weeks old [got the birds from a member here] and the little cockeral is only about 8 weeks old.

I didn't do anything except depress the nipple a few times to get some water dripping and the four pullets quickly discovered it and are doing fine. I had to drop the height a fair bit so to be sure that the cockeral would reach it as well. The first day and night I didn't see him drink but he seemed to be fine and yesterday he still seemed bright and chipper so I assumed he was getting water and then while sitting by the coop I saw him drinking from it just fine.

They figured it out pretty much on their own and I didn't need to but jam or anything on the nipple. Sure seems like a clean way to go and I'm glad I made the purchase.

51DFtmZfgjL._SX679_.jpg
 
I moved the girls into their new home over the weekend and they're loving all the space!
I hung the 1/2 gal. jug (with the vert. nipple on the bottom) inside the coop and they're all drinking well from it. Trouble is it's creating a huge mess underneath - I'm using a thick layer of pine flake, but they're absolutely soaked! I may try the cups again someday, but my plan is to only use the nipples with the outdoor run and use a traditional waterer inside the coop as that doesn't create so much of a mess.

Those that are using horizontal nipples, do they make a mess under where they're drinking? (I've seen some folks put gutters underneath, but that makes me think they'll just poop in them.)
 
I've only had my birds for 5 days now so my opinion is preliminary and not well versed. I'm not having any trouble with 'sloppage' on the horizontal nipples. About the only time excess water falls to the ground is when three or four of them try to drink at the same time which is pretty entertaining. When they all peck at it the dribble flow is pretty steady and some drops hit the ground but not much at all. I'm seeing more moisture from their droppings than I am water from the device.
 
I moved the girls into their new home over the weekend and they're loving all the space!
I hung the 1/2 gal. jug (with the vert. nipple on the bottom) inside the coop and they're all drinking well from it. Trouble is it's creating a huge mess underneath - I'm using a thick layer of pine flake, but they're absolutely soaked! I may try the cups again someday, but my plan is to only use the nipples with the outdoor run and use a traditional waterer inside the coop as that doesn't create so much of a mess.

Those that are using horizontal nipples, do they make a mess under where they're drinking? (I've seen some folks put gutters underneath, but that makes me think they'll just poop in them.)
HN's can drip when they are drinking, some birds are 'messier' than others.

Neat trick for the dripping VN's put a dish full of stones or marbles underneath to catch the drips, something sturdy enough not to tip when they walk on it...that of course will need washing daily
 
Last edited:

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom