Winter water nipples

[FernwoodHollow]

Folks who have chickens in cold climates like mine I'm curious if you deal with any frostbite issues because of water nipples. I'm thinking of switching my cup style waterers to nipple waterers but my chickens are pretty dainty about their water drinking and they're good about not getting a bunch of water on their wattles and their beards before they go to bed in the cold weather. I worry that the nipple drinkers because they have to push the nipple in with their beak and it dribbles water out does it get their wattles and beards and chins wet and has that affected your frostbite issues? I've been able to avoid frostbite all winter with many negative and Sub-Zero subfreezing days but it is annoying having to dump half the water out every time I go out there to clean out the cups. I'd rather stick with having to clean out the cups than deal with frostbite but curious about other cold weather chicken keepers and their experience with water nipples.

An easy solution may be just deal with cleaning out the cups or trough style waterers in the winter and then switch them over to the nipple waterers in the summer.

 

[GoosesGeeses]

I live where it can get to -15f in winter, and i had to stop using these water nipples because it was freezing to their wattles. Yeah, they got a lot of frostbite.

 

[FernwoodHollow]

I live where it can get to -15f in winter, and i had to stop using these water nipples because it was freezing to their wattles. Yeah, they got a lot of frostbite.

That's what I was thinking would be a problem, they seem to understand with my trough style and cup drinkers they just use their beaks to scoop and their chins and beards and wattles don't get all wet. Maybe I'll just do the nipple waterers in the summer plus I feel like it would be hard to keep those nipple waterers from freezing, even with one of the heat belts around it very close to the nipples, with the little metal pin I feel like it would be hard to keep it melted anyways. Thank you so much for letting me know and confirming my suspicions! Maybe I'll try the nipples over the summer and switch them back out to the trough or cup style in the winters!

 

[Nonafel]

I use a pvc pipe with nipples attached, the pipe itself screws onto my tank so it can be removed easily for repairs and other issues such as extra cold weather. You can't seee the connection in the image provided sorry. It's a 3/4 in. MNPT x FHT PVC Swivel on a standard hose spigot from the tank.

Most of my issues with the nipples is just the mess my chickens make with them. Haven't really had frostbite concerns yet.

With the abiltiy to close the sides the insides stay plenty warm to keep freezing from occuring with a pvc pipe heating cable. I strap it on under the pipe itself and works great. 10 degrees F or up I haven't had problems.

Now if it was colder, constantly I'd use the same setup but disconnect the pipe in the cold season. Then use a bucket with nipples and a bucket heater of some kind. From what I've heard those work great when it's really really cold.

 

[FernwoodHollow]

I use a pvc pipe with nipples attached, the pipe itself screws onto my tank so it can be removed easily for repairs and other issues such as extra cold weather. You can't seee the connection in the image provided sorry. It's a 3/4 in. MNPT x FHT PVC Swivel on a standard hose spigot from the tank.

Most of my issues with the nipples is just the mess my chickens make with them. Haven't really had frostbite concerns yet.

With the abiltiy to close the sides the insides stay plenty warm to keep freezing from occuring with a pvc pipe heating cable. I strap it on under the pipe itself and works great. 10 degrees F or up I haven't had problems.

Now if it was colder, constantly I'd use the same setup but disconnect the pipe in the cold season. Then use a bucket with nipples and a bucket heater of some kind. From what I've heard those work great when it's really really cold.

Yeah its regularly below 0 here in the winter like every day from thanksgiving straight through to easter its well below freezing or zero. I just don't want the chickens getting water all over their wattles and beards and then it freezing solid overnight to them. Going to try out my nipple water system this summer and then see how I feel about it when it gets cold again I think... that is granted if summer ever happens with the way the weather is right now I'm not sure Winter's ever going to end

 

[debid]

I use the vertical style and their faces don't get wet. The water runs down their beak and they drink while they press the nipple, they don't really hammer on it anymore after the juvenile stage. I have to use a bucket deicer and install the nipples on the bucket bottom to keep things liquid. I use a different kind of vertical nipple in warm weather that installs in the side of the bucket but that little bit of neck that those have freezes too easily to use them in winter.

 

[FernwoodHollow]

I use the vertical style and their faces don't get wet. The water runs down their beak and they drink while they press the nipple, they don't really hammer on it anymore after the juvenile stage. I have to use a bucket deicer and install the nipples on the bucket bottom to keep things liquid. I use a different kind of vertical nipple in warm weather that installs in the side of the bucket but that little bit of neck that those have freezes too easily to use them in winter.

Thank you!

Based on everyone's responses I'm going to stick with what I have atleast until we're above freezing again if that ever happens adding them in the cold sounds like it adds problems I dont currently have, so will stick with going out to freshen the dust out of the trough style in the winter thats the only issue with the current set up so on the hole not bad haha