How to raise Backyard Chickens: Re: [CHICKENS-101] Nipples

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Re: [CHICKENS-101] Nipples

A high quality heater base does a good job keeping water from freezing in a 3 gallon water dish. A 5 gallon bucket wrapped with heat tapes will freeze at low temperatures, especially 0 / -40 below; temps we have been dealing with in Michigan. I have my water dishes up in 4 inch high rim, black rubber horse dishes, with 4x4 pieces cut to fit inside the horse dish, that help keep waters clean. In the winter if my bedding is too high I add pieces of 2x4 underneath the dishes. I change my chickens water every day. I tried the nipples, tried to make them work, and detest them. They drip and soil the bedding inside my barns. Chickens need dry bedding. Chickens have drank from their level and ground level since they first hatched as a dinosaur bird.

I'm happy that some people like them but they do not work well here. Their water should be changed anyway unless you have enough chickens who need 5 gallons of water at one time for a day.

Cathryn  rainbowsilkiesTM  in  Michigan

On Sunday, January 19, 2014 4:44 PM, Donna Carkin <dcarkin1@gmail.com> wrote:

I attended the Northeastern Poultry Congress yesterday Dr. Darre from UCONN gave a lecture on flock health. He highly recommends nipples as opposed to other sources of water.

1. notice how a chicken scoops up the water and then tilts their head to swallow. Chickens have a cleft pallet and do not have the 'suck' ability to suck up water.

2. Nipples are the perfect 'angle' for chickens as they have to tip their heads to drink from other sources, but the nipples naturally put the bird's heads in the natural drinking position.

3. Other sources of water can become contaminated with bacteria, dust, poop...etc

For heat purposes in winter, he recommends wrapping the water bucket in heat tape.

Donna, MA

On Sun, Jan 19, 2014 at 8:30 AM, Lori Hart <ljkhart@gmail.com> wrote:

I changed the subject so easier to follow. We use nipples but only outside in the summer with a 5 gallon bucket. We still keep water inside all year but with the nipples the girls have another place to get water without having to go inside. Yes it seems one always drips but there is water available where ever they are. Lori. Indiana
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