Watering Nipples - How High?

[quietlyscheming]

So I've finally got the auto watering system installed. Here's what it looks like so far.


My main concern is that my PVC line (Picture Below) is too low. The bedding will be 5 1/2 inches deep which puts the nipples roughly 11-12 inches from the bedding. Is that high enough? If it's not I may have to move it out from under the nesting boxes and move it up.

I prefer to keep it under the nesting boxes to keep them from roosting on the PVC or pooping on the PVC.


Here's the outside PVC line (Picture Below). Again, is it high enough or too high? This one is easier to adjust the height. It's currently 12 inches from the ground.


Here's my water supply bucket (Picture Below) and the water hoses feeding the PVC lines. I plan on eventually running a water hose line with a toilet float valve. I'll have to fill it manually for now.

As always, productive criticism and suggestions are welcome. Thanks for looking!

 

[smokinjay]

I just use a bucket with a string. Mine are 5 weeks old and have to raise it a little each week, but love the system. [

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[fireguy56]

Hi, Cool set up. Just a suggestion. First of all, don't know your chickens breeds, so hard to say how high the nipples should be. Take into consideration a large breed like Buff Orp or RIR or Welsummer...they would need to be higher. Smaller breed like Campines or Silkies need a lower set up. With them being inside and shavings bringing the girls closer as you add more, they seem a bit low. I went higher to accomodate my bigger girls and then provided "booster chairs' for the smaller ones. Also, a chicken can stretch its neck pretty far. Another suggestion would be just adding a relatively inexpensive pressure regulator to you incoming supply and ya can do away with the bucket. Just concerned about water becoming stagnent or slimy. Just a thought. Here is a pic of my nipple set up. Good luck,
Erik

 

[wyododge]

I found that you get less splatter if they have to reach up so their beaks are nearly vertical when they drink. The bottom of my bucket is about 18" off the barrel lid I have under it. If you can make the height adjustable it would be best, IMO, but 12" will not pose a problem, there may just be a bit more 'splatter'. Nice looking set up though!!

 

[debid]

Unless you have tiny bantams, that's much too low. I'm at 21" with a mixed LF flock that is nearly full-grown. I opted for a hanging bucket so I could raise it as the chicks grew and because it's easier to heat in winter.

 

[wava1vaughn]

Hi from Ga. Great water system. the chickens have to be able to reach the nipples the idea of platforms under some of the nipples is great idea. there are a lot of us that don't have a water supply to their coops. So the bucket is a good Idea. I have 15 gal tanks on my coops only have to fill them once a week.

My system has cups but I'm toying with the idea of adding some nipples to try them. So

for your system.

 

[quietlyscheming]

Quote:
Hey, love your setup! Thanks for the constructive critique. I'll probably end up tweaking the inside setup to make it higher. I'm thinking of bringing it up and to the side of the nesting box instead of underneath. I'll have to shorten the water hose but that's no big deal. My concern with the PVC being exposed is that they'll roost on it and poop on the PVC water line. Is that an issue for you fireguy56?

I thought about using a pressure regulator but I didn't really find any at price I was willing to pay (under $50) when I can just get a $10 toilet float valve at Walmart. Plus they have to drop the water pressure down to like 5psi right?

Quote:
I'd like to minimize the amount of splash and splatter so I think I'll raise it a minimum of 18". It was a nice idea having the water under the nesting boxes but it just didn't work out I guess. That's what I get for planning.

Quote:
I did consider hanging buckets inside and on the porch but decided I didn't want to be filling that many buckets constantly plus I was trying to conserve space. One of these days I'll have a larger setup. This is what the wife would let me get away with for now.

Quote:
Yup, I'm totally stealing the platform idea cause no way my chicks will be able to reach that high.

Wow, your setup is very cool! How many chickens do have that you fill up so often and so much? Just trying to get an idea of what to expect.

 

[wyododge]

Actually I was wrong, my bucket is near 24". Sorry about that. If you made a little pitch roof (half a gable) and attached the PVC supply pipe to the bottom, or under it completely, the hens would not be able to land on anything. A couple of screws on top to hold it to the wall, with your flexible hose supplying the water and it would be very easy to adjust the height up and down on the wall as they grow it will also hold the water supply off the wall a ways so any 'splatter' would be less inclined to hit the wall.

A 12" wide piece of OSB as long as your PVC, set at 45* would provide protection to the PVC and the birds wont even try to land on it. And if they try, they wont touch the PVC under neath it either.

 

[fireguy56]

Quote:
Hey, love your setup! Thanks for the constructive critique. I'll probably end up tweaking the inside setup to make it higher. I'm thinking of bringing it up and to the side of the nesting box instead of underneath. I'll have to shorten the water hose but that's no big deal. My concern with the PVC being exposed is that they'll roost on it and poop on the PVC water line. Is that an issue for you fireguy56?

I thought about using a pressure regulator but I didn't really find any at price I was willing to pay (under $50) when I can just get a $10 toilet float valve at Walmart. Plus they have to drop the water pressure down to like 5psi right?

Quote:
I'd like to minimize the amount of splash and splatter so I think I'll raise it a minimum of 18". It was a nice idea having the water under the nesting boxes but it just didn't work out I guess. That's what I get for planning.

Quote:
I did consider hanging buckets inside and on the porch but decided I didn't want to be filling that many buckets constantly plus I was trying to conserve space. One of these days I'll have a larger setup. This is what the wife would let me get away with for now.

Quote:
Yup, I'm totally stealing the platform idea cause no way my chicks will be able to reach that high.

Wow, your setup is very cool! How many chickens do have that you fill up so often and so much? Just trying to get an idea of what to expect.

quietlyscheming,

Have 28 large breeds in main coop and run, mixed flock. Building seperate new coop for bantams as we speak. See post "new coop...wife thinks i'm crazy" Yes the platforms will work for smaller breeds so you can move it up to a more comfy height for big girls. Just plastic soft drink flats.

Totally understand about not having water line at coop. Would have gone the bucket route myself, then I decided I wanted water at two other areas of my property, so went ahead and did the trenching and ran water and power.

Good luck to all. Erik

 

[mychoock]

This is all really interesting to me, as we have been procrastinating installing our nipple system for several months. We need to figure out the best way, and one of our main concerns is how to keep the water from freezing in the winter. Our old style waterers freeze around the base on cold days, and I think a PVC with nipples in it would do the same. So I guess we will put the nipples directly on the bottom of a bucket (on the theory that three or four gallons won't freeze as fast as a pipe).
Does anyone have ideas about this?