Chicken Waterer

Having tested this chicken waterer for a week now, I thought I would share. This is the most awesome chicken waterer EVER! No poop in the water, no wet bedding, and it gives the chicks/chickens something to do. I bought mine from D & B Supply but other livestock supply places may carry it, too. If not here are a few I found on ebay:

http://popular.ebay.com/business-industrial-k-z/poultry-waterer/poultry-waterer-nipple.htm

You can attach these to any plastic container or make a water system with PVC pipe using them. They come in threaded (which is what I have) or push in style. Mine has the clear rubber O ring for a better water tight seal.

Sarah ~:>

Full time Mom to Peter 9/29/2010 and Joshua 11/27/2011. Two peas in a pod with the love of my life Dan 7/4/2009.

Actually, at the moment I have a pop bottle with a chicken nipple attached to the cap on it. I had a lady give my some industrial strength velco to attach the bottle to the side of the brooder. When the chicks get older I would like to try a food grade bucket, of some kind, with these attached. I have this idea of using shelf holders to hold the bucket on the wall of the coop.

Sarah ~:>

Full time Mom to Peter 9/29/2010 and Joshua 11/27/2011. Two peas in a pod with the love of my life Dan 7/4/2009.

I'm using those for my chicks, too (I have 4 seven-weekers and 26 1- to 4-weekers), and they're totally awesome. I put 4 each into the bottom of two 4-gallon buckets. One is hanging near the brooding lamp for the tiny ones and the 7-weekers are in a cage with the bucket sitting on top and the nipples poking through the holes of the cage. When I finish my coop, I'm going to run a PVC pipe system with them. It will be hooked up to a 5-gallon bucket up high with a hose. I don't have a spigot I can dedicate to it, so the bucket will work best. I'm excited about it.

LORI, Wife to Shane & Mom to:
Benjamin(13), Elizabeth(12), Thomas(10), Olivia(8), Joshua(3), and Rebekah(1)

~*~Parenting consists of long days and short years.~*~

Well I'm always excited with new ideas so I went ahead and bought a pack of 10 from ebay so that even if some break in the process of installing, or some wear out from prolonged use, we'll have more than we need. I think I read you need one nipple for every 3 chickens so I should only need 4-5 under a 5gal bucket.

Mama to John (6), Jeanine (4), and William (2)
Please visit my shop, Whirly Girl, for all your hand knit items!

Those are so nice. We used those for our meat birds last year. So much less mess! Not sure why we aren't using them with the laying hens... I wonder if they would have trouble figuring it out now?

Erin, happy wife of Jason (7/21/07) and mama to Abram (3/09) and Adrie (6/11).

Very interesting. We've never had a problem with them knocking over their waterers or making messes with them except when we had too many roosters. When they'd fight they'd knock it over occasionally. But i might look at them anyhow. I've been wanting to put a second waterer in the run and saw the nice blue buckets with the nipples in the catalogs this year.

Jess

Wife to my Rick (5/04), homeschooling mama to Kara (11) and Aidan (7), and our preemie Anna 12/31/12. Raising our kids to know and love the Lord.

Bumping this because our chicks are coming in a couple weeks and I'm wondering - can I use the nipples right from the start, or should I give them water in a dish for a few days and then transition?

Jessica, did you get the information you needed? You should have 1 nipple for every 2-3 chicks. I have 24 chicks and 8 nipples and it seems to be enough for them.

LORI, Wife to Shane & Mom to:
Benjamin(13), Elizabeth(12), Thomas(10), Olivia(8), Joshua(3), and Rebekah(1)

~*~Parenting consists of long days and short years.~*~

I wouldn't. Of course, you could always hold each one of them up individually to the nipples and wait for them to peck at it. Chances are, though, they would discover it as they are exploring their new environment.

My guess is that, if you are getting them from a breeder/retailer, they will have already been exposed to water, so they should be fine.

Edited by chicka.chicka - 27 Apr 2012 at 8:47pm

LORI, Wife to Shane & Mom to:
Benjamin(13), Elizabeth(12), Thomas(10), Olivia(8), Joshua(3), and Rebekah(1)

~*~Parenting consists of long days and short years.~*~

After our troubles this week i'd make absolutely sure that each chick knows where to find water and has gotten a good drink before you offer any food or let them explore their new home. Then if you get anyone who will not drink or isn't drinking well i'd be dipping that chick every half hour or so to try your best to get them going.

Jess

Wife to my Rick (5/04), homeschooling mama to Kara (11) and Aidan (7), and our preemie Anna 12/31/12. Raising our kids to know and love the Lord.

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Gotchickens Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'inductee Member Rating(1) Perennial Pinner 2 years 79 days Joined: 06 Mar 2011 Location: Idaho Points: 400	Post Options Post Reply Quote Gotchickens Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Chicken Waterer Posted: 05 Apr 2012 at 4:29pm
	Having tested this chicken waterer for a week now, I thought I would share. This is the most awesome chicken waterer EVER! No poop in the water, no wet bedding, and it gives the chicks/chickens something to do. I bought mine from D & B Supply but other livestock supply places may carry it, too. If not here are a few I found on ebay: http://popular.ebay.com/business-industrial-k-z/poultry-waterer/poultry-waterer-nipple.htm You can attach these to any plastic container or make a water system with PVC pipe using them. They come in threaded (which is what I have) or push in style. Mine has the clear rubber O ring for a better water tight seal.
	Sarah ~:> Full time Mom to Peter 9/29/2010 and Joshua 11/27/2011. Two peas in a pod with the love of my life Dan 7/4/2009.

sunnymom Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'inspector Member Rating(21) Perennial Pinner 4 years 361 days Joined: 28 May 2008 Location: Connecticut Points: 15680	Post Options Post Reply Quote sunnymom Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Apr 2012 at 4:31pm
	awesome! i have a pack of these stashed away for when we finally move and have our own birds. Did you do a pipe watering system or a hanging jug?
	Mama to E (9.2008), K (11.2010), O (11.2012) love is always the appropriate reaction.

Gotchickens Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'inductee Member Rating(1) Perennial Pinner 2 years 79 days Joined: 06 Mar 2011 Location: Idaho Points: 400	Post Options Post Reply Quote Gotchickens Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Apr 2012 at 4:57pm
	Actually, at the moment I have a pop bottle with a chicken nipple attached to the cap on it. I had a lady give my some industrial strength velco to attach the bottle to the side of the brooder. When the chicks get older I would like to try a food grade bucket, of some kind, with these attached. I have this idea of using shelf holders to hold the bucket on the wall of the coop.
	Sarah ~:> Full time Mom to Peter 9/29/2010 and Joshua 11/27/2011. Two peas in a pod with the love of my life Dan 7/4/2009.

sunsmiles Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'incredible Member Rating(22) Perennial Pinner 4 years 22 days Joined: 03 May 2009 Location: US Points: 6367	Post Options Post Reply Quote sunsmiles Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Apr 2012 at 5:25pm
	Nice! I think that is what we are planning on doing with a food grade bucket and PVC pipe once the girls move out to the coop.
	Meghan "In a gentle way, you can shake the world." -Mahatma Gandhi

chicka.chicka Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'incredible Member Rating(17) Perennial Pinner 3 years 316 days Joined: 12 Jul 2009 Location: Utah Points: 4896	Post Options Post Reply Quote chicka.chicka Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Apr 2012 at 6:03pm
	I'm using those for my chicks, too (I have 4 seven-weekers and 26 1- to 4-weekers), and they're totally awesome. I put 4 each into the bottom of two 4-gallon buckets. One is hanging near the brooding lamp for the tiny ones and the 7-weekers are in a cage with the bucket sitting on top and the nipples poking through the holes of the cage. When I finish my coop, I'm going to run a PVC pipe system with them. It will be hooked up to a 5-gallon bucket up high with a hose. I don't have a spigot I can dedicate to it, so the bucket will work best. I'm excited about it.
	LORI, Wife to Shane & Mom to: Benjamin(13), Elizabeth(12), Thomas(10), Olivia(8), Joshua(3), and Rebekah(1) ~~Parenting consists of long days and short years.~~

stegmanjessica Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'invaluable Member Rating(39) P'insane Perennial Pinner 4 years 39 days Joined: 16 Apr 2009 Location: In the Rain Points: 15891	Post Options Post Reply Quote stegmanjessica Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Apr 2012 at 6:09pm
	Do any of you 'experts' have pictures or links to tutorials? I would love to be able to do something like that for less mess (how in the world do the chickens know how to work it?!), I'm interested in using a bucket and putting some nipples in the bottom of it. How many would I need for 12 full grown chickens? Thanks in advance! This is perfect, I really didn't want to buy a full size waterer for them to knock over all the time.
	Mama to John (6), Jeanine (4), and William (2) Please visit my shop, Whirly Girl, for all your hand knit items!

stegmanjessica Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'invaluable Member Rating(39) P'insane Perennial Pinner 4 years 39 days Joined: 16 Apr 2009 Location: In the Rain Points: 15891	Post Options Post Reply Quote stegmanjessica Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Apr 2012 at 6:32pm
	Well I'm always excited with new ideas so I went ahead and bought a pack of 10 from ebay so that even if some break in the process of installing, or some wear out from prolonged use, we'll have more than we need. I think I read you need one nipple for every 3 chickens so I should only need 4-5 under a 5gal bucket.
	Mama to John (6), Jeanine (4), and William (2) Please visit my shop, Whirly Girl, for all your hand knit items!

Gotchickens Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'inductee Member Rating(1) Perennial Pinner 2 years 79 days Joined: 06 Mar 2011 Location: Idaho Points: 400	Post Options Post Reply Quote Gotchickens Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Apr 2012 at 7:32pm
	Yeah, I read 3 chickens for every nipple too so you should have more than enough. LOL! Chickens are attracted to it by the red color and pecking is what makes the water come out of it. Since chickens peck at everything they pick it up fast, pecking equals water. Here is a Youtube video on how to make one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfv_A00rTgk&feature=related
	Sarah ~:> Full time Mom to Peter 9/29/2010 and Joshua 11/27/2011. Two peas in a pod with the love of my life Dan 7/4/2009.

erinchelsea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'infamous Member Rating(21) P'insane Perennial Pinner 5 years 49 days Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Location: Central Iowa Points: 28596	Post Options Post Reply Quote erinchelsea Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Apr 2012 at 8:39pm
	Those are so nice. We used those for our meat birds last year. So much less mess! Not sure why we aren't using them with the laying hens... I wonder if they would have trouble figuring it out now?
	Erin, happy wife of Jason (7/21/07) and mama to Abram (3/09) and Adrie (6/11).

stegmanjessica Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'invaluable Member Rating(39) P'insane Perennial Pinner 4 years 39 days Joined: 16 Apr 2009 Location: In the Rain Points: 15891	Post Options Post Reply Quote stegmanjessica Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Apr 2012 at 9:22pm
	All I know is that as soon as I get mine in the mail I'll be switching the chickies over to them. That way they're already used to them before they go out to the coop, not quite such a big shock all at once. I will just use a soda water bottle too I think.
	Mama to John (6), Jeanine (4), and William (2) Please visit my shop, Whirly Girl, for all your hand knit items!

jessmomto2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'integral Member Rating(1) Perennial Pinner 5 years 132 days Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Location: Keuka Lake Points: 11416	Post Options Post Reply Quote jessmomto2 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 06 Apr 2012 at 11:40am
	Very interesting. We've never had a problem with them knocking over their waterers or making messes with them except when we had too many roosters. When they'd fight they'd knock it over occasionally. But i might look at them anyhow. I've been wanting to put a second waterer in the run and saw the nice blue buckets with the nipples in the catalogs this year.
	Jess Wife to my Rick (5/04), homeschooling mama to Kara (11) and Aidan (7), and our preemie Anna 12/31/12. Raising our kids to know and love the Lord.

stegmanjessica Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'invaluable Member Rating(39) P'insane Perennial Pinner 4 years 39 days Joined: 16 Apr 2009 Location: In the Rain Points: 15891	Post Options Post Reply Quote stegmanjessica Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 12 Apr 2012 at 3:14am
	Bumping this up because I should get my waterer nipples tomorrow. I have 15 chicks in the brooder right now. How many waterers can I get away with? My girls don't seem to drink very much compared with how much they eat! They are very social eaters and sometimes every hole in the feeder trough is occupied, but when it comes to water there's never more than 2-3 at the same time. Should I have just one water nipple in the brooder or should I do 2 to play it safe? Thanks! I can't wait for less maintenance! I think just today between 9am and 8pm I dumped out the contents of the water trough at least 6 times because there was so much bedding and poop in there every time I looked! Ugh...chickens are disgusting
	Mama to John (6), Jeanine (4), and William (2) Please visit my shop, Whirly Girl, for all your hand knit items!

horseymama Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'insightful Joined: 01 Mar 2009 Points: 2700	Post Options Post Reply Quote horseymama Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 27 Apr 2012 at 8:35pm
	Bumping this because our chicks are coming in a couple weeks and I'm wondering - can I use the nipples right from the start, or should I give them water in a dish for a few days and then transition?

chicka.chicka Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'incredible Member Rating(17) Perennial Pinner 3 years 316 days Joined: 12 Jul 2009 Location: Utah Points: 4896	Post Options Post Reply Quote chicka.chicka Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 27 Apr 2012 at 8:39pm
	You can definitely use the nipples right from the start. Since the nipples are red, the chicks are naturally drawn to it and will peck it, which makes water come out. It takes them literally one second to figure out how to use them.
	LORI, Wife to Shane & Mom to: Benjamin(13), Elizabeth(12), Thomas(10), Olivia(8), Joshua(3), and Rebekah(1) ~~Parenting consists of long days and short years.~~

chicka.chicka Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'incredible Member Rating(17) Perennial Pinner 3 years 316 days Joined: 12 Jul 2009 Location: Utah Points: 4896	Post Options Post Reply Quote chicka.chicka Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 27 Apr 2012 at 8:41pm
	Jessica, did you get the information you needed? You should have 1 nipple for every 2-3 chicks. I have 24 chicks and 8 nipples and it seems to be enough for them.
	LORI, Wife to Shane & Mom to: Benjamin(13), Elizabeth(12), Thomas(10), Olivia(8), Joshua(3), and Rebekah(1) ~~Parenting consists of long days and short years.~~

horseymama Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'insightful Joined: 01 Mar 2009 Points: 2700	Post Options Post Reply Quote horseymama Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 27 Apr 2012 at 8:43pm
	Thanks Lori. So do I have to worry about "dipping" their beaks when they come like I would with a traditional waterer?

chicka.chicka Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'incredible Member Rating(17) Perennial Pinner 3 years 316 days Joined: 12 Jul 2009 Location: Utah Points: 4896	Post Options Post Reply Quote chicka.chicka Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 27 Apr 2012 at 8:46pm
	I wouldn't. Of course, you could always hold each one of them up individually to the nipples and wait for them to peck at it. Chances are, though, they would discover it as they are exploring their new environment. My guess is that, if you are getting them from a breeder/retailer, they will have already been exposed to water, so they should be fine. Edited by chicka.chicka - 27 Apr 2012 at 8:47pm
	LORI, Wife to Shane & Mom to: Benjamin(13), Elizabeth(12), Thomas(10), Olivia(8), Joshua(3), and Rebekah(1) ~~Parenting consists of long days and short years.~~

stegmanjessica Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'invaluable Member Rating(39) P'insane Perennial Pinner 4 years 39 days Joined: 16 Apr 2009 Location: In the Rain Points: 15891	Post Options Post Reply Quote stegmanjessica Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 27 Apr 2012 at 9:13pm
	I did get the info, thanks Lori! Erin, my girls figured it Out instantly. If they're day-olds though, I would hold them up to it and touch their beaks to it and wait for a drop, just to be safe and know that they can find their water.
	Mama to John (6), Jeanine (4), and William (2) Please visit my shop, Whirly Girl, for all your hand knit items!

jessmomto2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List P'integral Member Rating(1) Perennial Pinner 5 years 132 days Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Location: Keuka Lake Points: 11416	Post Options Post Reply Quote jessmomto2 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 28 Apr 2012 at 9:31am
	After our troubles this week i'd make absolutely sure that each chick knows where to find water and has gotten a good drink before you offer any food or let them explore their new home. Then if you get anyone who will not drink or isn't drinking well i'd be dipping that chick every half hour or so to try your best to get them going.
	Jess Wife to my Rick (5/04), homeschooling mama to Kara (11) and Aidan (7), and our preemie Anna 12/31/12. Raising our kids to know and love the Lord.