This is a 1-gallon nipple waterer for backyard chickens that comes ready to fill, hang, and use. It's made of certified food-grade, black HDPE plastic, so it's both safe for your chickens and easy on the eye when hanging in your chicken coop or run.
WHY USE A NIPPLE WATERER?
Like most backyard chicken keepers, we started out with a standard galvanized gravity waterer, the kind with an open dish at the base. Problem is, as dirt and poop get kicked up into the saucer, things can get pretty filthy, pretty quickly.
On the advice of a customer, we switched to an enclosed nipple waterer, and we haven't looked back. Instead of refreshing our chickens' water every day, we do it about once a week.
The water that goes in is the water that comes out, right into your chickens' mouths. So it lasts longer, which saves you on trips to change it out. Poop-free water means less waste and less work.
WHAT YOU GET:
This is NOT a kit. Your chicken waterer arrives fully assembled and ready to use. Here's what's included:
» Food-grade plastic pail. The buckets we use are made from certified food-grade black HDPE plastic with strong metal handles for hanging. (See Questions below for why they're black.)
» Durable stainless-steel nipples. These push-in style nipples have a stainless-steel mechanism within a hard-plastic outer casing. They're fitted into the bucket with a silicone grommet for a tight, long-lasting seal. The 1-gallon bucket has two nipples pre-installed. Each nipple is adequate for around 10-15 chickens, so your birds can keep themselves well hydrated.
» Recloseable lid. The easy-to-remove lid protects the water from being soiled while hanging in your coop or chicken yard.
» Changing base. Because the nipples extend from the bottom of the bucket, you need a base to set it on when changing the water. We include a wood block with your waterer for this purpose. You could also use a brick, cinder block, flower pot, or anything that elevates the bucket an inch or more off the ground.
» Two pairs of hooks. Hang your waterer anywhere! The included ceiling hooks (see photos above) let you attach it beneath a structure, screwing directly into the wood. The included wall-mount hooks attach to the face of a wall and come with four 3/4" screws for attaching.
» Instruction sheet. Not that it's tough to figure out, but we include basic instructions and tips so that you can be sure you've got it right.
ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR NIPPLE WATERERS:
HOW DO THE POULTRY NIPPLES WORK?
Poultry nipples are a simple device used extensively in commercial poultry operations. When a chicken pecks at the metal pin from any direction, this opens the flow of water enough for a few drop to trickle out, right into its mouth. There's less waste and no evaporation, which means more water for your flock.
WILL MY CHICKENS LEARN TO DRINK FROM THE NIPPLES?
Most chickens figure it out on their own within minutes. Chickens will peck at anything, and the red pastic casing especially draws their attention. Once they notice that water flows from the nipples, they're trained. I haven't heard of a single failure to learn yet.
WHICH SIZE WATERER IS RIGHT FOR MY FLOCK?
The 1-gallon size is intended for four chickens or less, particularly if they're housed in a small coop or mobile tractor like The Garden Ark. We also offer a 3.5-gallon size which is good for four to twenty chickens in medium-size to large coops like The Garden Coop design (see our other listings).
Obviously, the more chickens you have drinking from one container, the more frequently you'll have to refill it. And if you're in a hotter, drier climate, factor that in as well.
CAN I MAKE MY OWN NIPPLE WATERER?
Yes! It's not difficult to make a nipple waterer, and there are several tutorials online. The trick is gathering the right bucket, lid, nipples, drill bits, hooks, and so on to put together what you want. You might also want to buy a spare bucket in case you make a mistake on the drilling. Add up the costs for materials and shipping on mail order items to see if it's worth it for you.
Or buy one of our ready-to-use waterers. We've streamlined the process by buying the right parts in bulk and assembling it all for you!
If you decide to go the DIY route, we also sell the poultry nipples separately so you can make your own (see our other listings).
WHERE SHOULD I HANG MY WATERER?
You can hang it from above or from a post or wall. You'll want to keep it out of full sun. Partial sun is fine, but keep an eye on the temperature of the water from time to time. A bungee cord, chain, or rope is useful for adjusting the height as needed. You can also choose to set your waterer on a base instead.
Though they can work in any coop or run, the 1-gallon waterer is designed to hang from the wall between the henhouse and run on coops built using The Garden Ark plans for the best clearance. (The 3.5-gallon waterer hangs perfectly beneath the henhouse on coops built using The Garden Coop chicken coop plans.)
HOW HIGH SHOULD I HANG MY WATERER?
Hang it so that the nipples are just above your chickens' heads. If you can't get it quite that high, a little lower will be fine. Chickens have to raise their necks to swallow. One of the nice things about this kind of waterer is that you can position the water above their heads, so it trickles right into their mouths when they drink.
DO I HAVE TO HANG MY WATERER, OR CAN I SET IT ON SOMETHING?
You do not have to hang your waterer. You can devise a raised platform to set your 1-gallon waterer on.
HOW HEAVY WILL MY WATERER BE WHEN FULL?
Our 1-gallon water weighs under a pound empty. So full it will weigh about 9 pounds.
By the way, the hooks we include are more than strong enough to carry the weight when properly secured to a suitable support surface. The ceiling hooks are rated to hold up to 50 pounds each (100 lbs. for the pair). The wall-mount hooks are rated to hold 100 pounds each (200 lbs. for the pair).
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE BLACK BUCKETS FOR MAKING THE WATERERS?
The buckets we use are made of food-grade HDPE (High Density Polyethylene). This is a versatile plastic with a variety of applications, and it's one of the few plastics that can be fully recycled.
Normally, HDPE has only fair UV resistance and will become brittle with extensive outdoor use. But with the black pigment added, the UV resistance of the material is greatly enhanced. The black color also inhibits algae growth on the inside of the bucket, looks nicer (less noticeable) inside your coop, and serves as a good reminder to keep your waterer in the shade, where it belongs.
CAUTION: If you're going the DIY route, be aware that some black HDPE plastic is not food grade. Check with your particular supplier to be absolutely sure before you buy.
WHAT ARE THE DIMENSIONS OF THE WATERER?
The 1-gallon waterer measures 12" from the top of the fully extended handle to the bottom of the nipples. The bucket, with closed lid, measures 7.5" from top to bottom and has a diameter of 8".
HOW DO I KEEP THE WATER FROM FREEZING DURING COLD SNAPS?
This is an issue with any type of unheated waterer, unfortunately. It's most easily solved by using a submersible birdbath heater, though this solution may work better with our deeper 3.5 gallon waterer, as the heater needs to stay below the water line to function. If you want to go the "unplugged" route, our best advice is to: 1) Fill your waterer with warm water. 2) Bring the waterer inside your home on freezing nights and back out in the morning. 3) Have multiple waterers so that you can alternate should one freeze.
DO I HAVE TO HOOK THE WATERER UP TO A HOSE OR A PRESSURE REGULATOR?
There are nipple watering systems that work like that, but this one is gravity fed. So there are no hoses to hook up, and no water pressure changes to deal with. Just rinse out and refill the bucket when it's near empty.
DO YOU SELL THE NIPPLES, BUCKETS, AND HOOKS SEPARATELY?
We only sell the poultry nipples separately (in packs of 5). See our other listings for details.
Other questions? Please just ask!
