Some people let there chickens drink out of buckets, others use small rubber tubs, but some use the chicken water nipples. There are many ways to give water to chickens. So, In this article we will cover the good and the bad about using Chicken Water Nipples!
I'm not a expert, this is just my opinion.
First, you need to know what a water nipple is:
(Front: Right. Back: Left.)
(This is mine)
When the chicken pecks the center silver part, the seal, which is inside the water container moves inward so the water quickly drips out for the chicken to catch with its beak.
Also, as you can see in the picture, the water container is raised off the ground by a cement block, this is a good thing because your chickens do not want to bend WAY down to get a drink every time they need one.
Containers:
You can basically use any container for these nipples. As for me, I used a big 5 gallon white container with a little cap on top that could unscrew to fill it up. (see the pic.) It works great and my flock loves it! Another container the would work really well is a usual 5 gallon bucket.
Installing:
Installing is a pretty easy job, just make sure to follow directions. When you screw it on to the container you are using, make sure when your done the little "lip" is on the bottom.
Why the color red?
Red. Yes, red is a chickens favorite color.
Well, not really. A chicken is "attracted" to red. I'm not really sure why, but I think it gets their attention. 
When a chicken spots the color red, she is almost sure to go check it out using a few pecks with her handy beak.
The little "lip":
The little lip is used to catch the water when it drips from above. This way you don't need to waste water and the chicken can usually slurp the water that drips.
Pros:
1. Bright red and easy for the chicken to spot.
2. A chicken can easily learn how to use it.
3. When one chicken learns, the rest will follow. It saves a lot of time.
4. Keeps the water clean.
Cons:
I can't see any cons with mine.
Update: Well, I do have a con now. They freeze in winter! I'll need something else this winter, not nipples.
How many stars do I give them?
So far, these water nipples have been working great! Except for one thing, they freeze in winter sometimes. I have been using them sense my chickens have been about 7 weeks. Over all, I rate them 4 stars.
One other thing, make sure you always make the holes in the container where the nipples are going to screw in 1 to 3 inches above the bottom. This is because then you fill the container up all the way, half way, etc. what ever you want. This way you do not always need to fill to a certain level to reach the nipples.
I hope you enjoyed this article and learned a lot! And please start using these awesome water nipples! It will make you and your chickens life a lot easy! ....for water at least.
I'm not a expert, this is just my opinion.
First, you need to know what a water nipple is:
(Front: Right. Back: Left.)
(This is mine)
When the chicken pecks the center silver part, the seal, which is inside the water container moves inward so the water quickly drips out for the chicken to catch with its beak.
Also, as you can see in the picture, the water container is raised off the ground by a cement block, this is a good thing because your chickens do not want to bend WAY down to get a drink every time they need one.
Containers:
You can basically use any container for these nipples. As for me, I used a big 5 gallon white container with a little cap on top that could unscrew to fill it up. (see the pic.) It works great and my flock loves it! Another container the would work really well is a usual 5 gallon bucket.
Installing:
Installing is a pretty easy job, just make sure to follow directions. When you screw it on to the container you are using, make sure when your done the little "lip" is on the bottom.
Why the color red?
Red. Yes, red is a chickens favorite color.
Well, not really. A chicken is "attracted" to red. I'm not really sure why, but I think it gets their attention. When a chicken spots the color red, she is almost sure to go check it out using a few pecks with her handy beak.The little "lip":
The little lip is used to catch the water when it drips from above. This way you don't need to waste water and the chicken can usually slurp the water that drips.
Pros:
1. Bright red and easy for the chicken to spot.
2. A chicken can easily learn how to use it.
3. When one chicken learns, the rest will follow. It saves a lot of time.
4. Keeps the water clean.
Cons:
I can't see any cons with mine.
Update: Well, I do have a con now. They freeze in winter! I'll need something else this winter, not nipples.
How many stars do I give them?
So far, these water nipples have been working great! Except for one thing, they freeze in winter sometimes. I have been using them sense my chickens have been about 7 weeks. Over all, I rate them 4 stars.
One other thing, make sure you always make the holes in the container where the nipples are going to screw in 1 to 3 inches above the bottom. This is because then you fill the container up all the way, half way, etc. what ever you want. This way you do not always need to fill to a certain level to reach the nipples.
I hope you enjoyed this article and learned a lot! And please start using these awesome water nipples! It will make you and your chickens life a lot easy! ....for water at least.
