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

[Mckennas poultry]

Well the nipple would mimic water dripping off plants and leaves. So it's not like it's unnatural.

Depending on where the OP lives
What if it’s hot ? Are you just going to rely on those little metal nips ?
Think about it, they only release small droplets of water !

 

[Ohmyheart]

I live where it gets pretty hot. I know plenty of ppl who use them without issue. I like the cups myself but only because I found a system that I liked online. I've never used the nipples so I have no idea how they work personally.

 

[Kiki]

48"x48"x48"
is not going to be big enough for 6 grown birds, imo.

 

[bruceha2000]

Well the nipple would mimic water dripping off plants and leaves. So it's not like it's unnatural.

Right. I've seen my girls drinking rain drops on the underside of a pipe gate .... 10 feet from their waterer.

Cups are more likely to freeze than vertical or horizontal nipples. I've heard the horizontals are less likely to freeze than vertical. I have had problems with verticals failing (no idea why even after taking them apart). I bought 5 horizontals and am going to make a new water system this summer. I made the mistake of building the other one into the bottom of the nest box which means taking it apart when I have to replace a nipple. BTW I was using the saddle nipples that snap on a 3/4" PVC pipe.

For the summer I have an automatic waterer. I do have to clean that out sometimes. Only cleaned the 5 gallon insulated cooler that was connected to the nipple pipe (with a very small reptile waterfall pump circulating the water) once a year. Nothing gets in, including light so nothing grows either. A submersible aquarium heater kept the nipples from freezing even at -20°F since the pipe was encased in insulation in the "basement" of the 4' long nest box.

48"x48"x48"
is not going to be big enough for 6 grown birds, imo.

Not even close.

 

[ronott1]

Temperatures get over 100F here 20 or so days each summer. My flock does fine with vertical nipple water systems.

 

[Mckennas poultry]

I live where it gets pretty hot. I know plenty of ppl who use them without issue. I like the cups myself but only because I found a system that I liked online. I've never used the nipples so I have no idea how they work personally.

I don’t use nipples but I know even with the cups, on hot days the chickens and ducks are always panting, that would be extremely worrying to me if they were only getting water from little metal nips,
I’m not saying nipples are bad as You don’t need to clean them out every day, but I would advise to give them cups on the hot days

 

[bruceha2000]

The birds are panting because they are hot not because they are thirsty. They need some way to cool off since they can't remove their down coats. Some use fans, sometimes blowing over an ice block. Some us sprinklers or misters, some put ice in the drinking water. Shouldn't need to be mentioned that they need shade.

 

[ronott1]

The birds are panting because they are hot not because they are thirsty. They need some way to cool off since they can't remove their down coats. Some use fans, sometimes blowing over an ice block. Some us sprinklers or misters, some put ice in the drinking water. Shouldn't need to be mentioned that they need shade.

This is very true! I use shade and a misting system

 

[Mckennas poultry]

The birds are panting because they are hot not because they are thirsty. They need some way to cool off since they can't remove their down coats. Some use fans, sometimes blowing over an ice block. Some us sprinklers or misters, some put ice in the drinking water. Shouldn't need to be mentioned that they need shade.

Thanks, they have shade From the trees but on the next hot day when I notice them doing it again I will mist them with cold water

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The cups are my favorite because the ease of cleaning and more water available for chickens but they don't work in freezing weather. Neither do vertical nipples.
Horizontal nipples the best bet for freezing weather.