Water change with nipple system

[Hubert Cumberdale]

Seems to be taking me a while to find a definitive answer to this question. I'm wondering how often people change the water when using a bucket and nipple system?

 

[Arla]

Whenever it gets dirty or slimy refill.

 

[Hubert Cumberdale]

Whenever it gets dirty or slimy refill.

Ok, cheers. In your experience, how long does that tend to be?

 

[nminusyplusm]

I've changed mine once in the last year but it was completely clean and didn't need it.

 

[gocgo]

Seems to be taking me a while to find a definitive answer to this question. I'm wondering how often people change the water when using a bucket and nipple system?

Depends on the weather and the amount of sunlight that hits the bucket. More sunlight = more algae growth. About once every 5-7 days in the summer with some sunlight. The bucket that hangs inside the coop is more like every 2-3 weeks and even less frequent in the winter...maybe a month then.

 

[featherhead007]

Avatar rooster: "my daddy changes my water nipple feeder every month, and I bite him and scratch at him the whole time he's in MY coop!" But, I love the warm baths he gives me!

 

[Hubert Cumberdale]

Amazing! Thank you

 

[room onthebroom]

Its gonna depend on how big your bucket is, how many birds you have, if its their only source of water, sunlight, etc... We have a large food grade bucket with 4 nipples & 11 birds that drink out of it only during lockdown hours (nights & early mornings.) I like to have it swapped out once a week to keep it from getting slimy, but its usually more like every 2wks.

(*note; We could fill it up fuller & change it less frequently, but I don't want to risk the slime factor.)

 

[nminusyplusm]

I used a black bucket to prevent algae and it's also protected from direct sunlight.

 

[Hubert Cumberdale]

Its gonna depend on how big your bucket is, how many birds you have, if its their only source of water, sunlight, etc... We have a large food grade bucket with 4 nipples & 11 birds that drink out of it only during lockdown hours (nights & early mornings.) I like to have it swapped out once a week to keep it from getting slimy, but its usually more like every 2wks.

(*note; We could fill it up fuller & change it less frequently, but I don't want to risk the slime factor.)

Cool.Thanks! We've had a really wet winter in the UK and the unsheltered area of the run gets very wet and muddy. Their water feeder gets muddy pretty quickly, no we're forever changing it. Not so bad when it's dry though.