Chicken Nipples

[PingoBags]

Well, I'm no pro on the heat tape topic, but years ago i.lived in a mobile home, and it's the norm to plug your heat tape in when the nights get cold enough to freeze the water main, I always left mine plugged in ALL winter, not sayin they can't fail, as anything is prone to failure, but I think you just got unlucky.
This one is working good, I think I'm going to use a 6' on the 3.5 gallon waterer I have in the Cochin run

I probably did get unlucky. It was new out of the package as well. But they are also designed to come on when the temp of the pipes in a house gets cold enough, mine would have been on 24/7 since the ambient temp was always below freezing.

Mine lasted until about mid Feb, the coldest part of the year.
Not easily serviceable, it would be faster to make a new one from scratch.

 

[jthornton]

I made a new vertical nipple water bucket today.

Installed 3 vertical nipples in a new bucket.


Cut a piece of foam to fit the bucket and cut some slits for the nipples.


Cut the bottom from another bucket and drilled some matching holes for the nipples.


Switched from a floating stock tank heater to a Farm Innovations submersible 250 watt heater. I'm hoping putting the heat near the nipples will make a difference.


Added a cardboard box over the top just for fun... doubt is does much more than keep the bucket clean lol. Taking inspiration from @aart I added a roost guard over the bucket. I plan on moving it closer to the wall when this arctic weather passes.


JT

 

[aart]

I made a new vertical nipple water bucket today.

Nice!!

You gave up on the HN's?

 

[jthornton]

Nice!!

You gave up on the HN's?

The chickens only pecked at on once that I saw, I guess they are used to the vertical nipples. For the bucket in a bucket they could work a bit higher up, but that does not give the insulation needed. Looks like what you did with the bubble wrap and what others have done to insulate the bucket is needed for any nipple system (except for recirculating water systems). I've not give up on them, but I think they need a test with the heater on the bottom. I'd like to get an aquarium heater as well to test that. In the mean time until I get a proven system working in my environment the heated dog bowl will stay in the run.

JT

 

[Lelilamom]

Very interesting.... bird bath heaters? Do you use 5 gallon bucket waterers? What size bird bath heater do you recommend?

I use plastic food grade 5 gallon buckets with lids from Home Depot. I bought small bird bath heaters, I can't remember how big they were but I want to say they were 1500 watt. Don't quote me on that.

 

[jthornton]

Well it's 1°F this morning and the new vertical nipple bucket is a success!

JT

 

[aart]

I use plastic food grade 5 gallon buckets with lids from Home Depot.

HD buckets are 'food grade'?

 

[PingoBags]

HD buckets are 'food grade'?

I believe the white ones are, orange ones aren't.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

HD buckets are 'food grade'?

Any new HDPE bucket is food grade

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I believe the white ones are, orange ones aren't.

Why? It's the same material as the white