Caring for poultry, although not a very difficult task, but still requires responsibility. After all, not only feeding, but also drinking regimen is of particular importance in this matter. If the feed container is easy to make, then the water container requires certain rules to be followed. A nipple drinker is very convenient, which everyone can do with their own hands. Let's see how.
What problems should nipple drinkers for birds solve?
There are a number of problems that beginner farmers face. When creating drinkers, it should be remembered that poultry very often overturns water containers. Do not make large dishes. After all, the water in it quickly becomes unusable. Birds can jump into open drinkers. As a result, the drink will be spoiled by garbage and droppings. In addition, various bacteria and microbes enter the water in open containers. In addition, when using such dishes, a change of drink is required up to five times a day.
Besides this, in winter, water in open drinkers freezes very quickly. As a result, the bird loses water. You can solve all the above problems by installing nipple drinkers.
Nipple drinker system
You can make such a complex-looking design yourself. After all, all the necessary materials are sold in almost any hardware store. It is worth noting that nipple drinkers have long gained popularity among Russian farmers.
Such a system is very easy to manufacture and does not require much experience, and most importantly, material costs. At the same time, the design works and perfectly copes with the main function. And birds drink always fresh and clean.
What do you need to make?
To create drinkers of such a system you will need:
- Drill or screwdriver with a drill, the diameter of which should be 9 millimeters.
- Tube 1 meter long for nipple drinking. This piece should be about 22mm x 22mm square with internal grooves.
- Nipple 3600 and 1800.
- Meter tape measure.
- Cap for pipes.
- Adapter from round to square tube.
- Micro cup drinker.
- Drip catcher.
- Water tank and flexible hose.
Nipple 1800 is best used for making drinkers for adult birds. After all, it only works up and down. And for young birds, a 3600 nipple should be installed, as it works in any direction.
Preparing a pipe for drinkers
To begin with, using a marker on the pipe, mark the place where the hole for the nipple will be located. In this case, a certain distance between the holes should be observed - approximately 30centimeters.
Only three nipple drinkers can be placed on a meter pipe. Of course, you can do five, but it may not be very convenient for the birds. Holes should be made exactly on the side of the pipe where there are internal grooves. This will keep water from leaking in the future.
After that, you can start drilling holes. To do this, it is better to use a drill with a diameter of 9 millimeters. Nipples will be inserted into the resulting holes.
Nipples and plugs
After the holes are made, you can insert nipples into them. You can simply screw them in or wrap the thread with telephone tape. Of course, nipple drinkers are not ready yet. A cap should be put on one end of the pipe. This will keep the water from escaping.
Drinker tank
When the pipe is ready, you can start preparing the tank. It is better to take it from plastic and with a lid. To ensure that nipple drinkers for broilers are always filled with water, a hole for the hose should be made in the bottom of the tank. Then the thread should be inserted into the tank. And only after that wind the hose. It is he who allows you to connect the tank to the pipe. Those places that do not inspire confidence can be additionally wrapped with electrical tape. This will prevent water from leaking.
If nipples 1800 were installed, then microcup drinkers should be installed, and if 3600, then drip catchers.
Where is the best place to put the system?
That's all, the bird nipple drinkers are ready. Of course, such a design can be slightly modernized or increased in size. Water supply can be done not only from the tank, butand from a faucet. This system is even more convenient.
As you can see, the production of such a system does not take much time and does not require special skills. Installation of nipple drinkers is best done inside the chicken coop. This will keep the water from freezing in winter. If the poultry shed is not heated, an aquarium heater can be installed inside the tank.
A simpler version of nipple drinkers
This method of making a drinking system is much simpler than the previous one. To make this design, it is necessary to make a hole with a diameter of 9 millimeters in the cap of a plastic bottle. You need to insert a nipple here. In the bottle, you need to cut off the bottom and you can hang it in the chicken coop. On the neck, you can put on the same microcup drinker or drip catcher. Since the design is open, the water in it needs to be changed more often. You can use such nipple drinkers for pigs and for poultry. It is very comfortable. True, for pigs it is worth using a slightly different nipple.
Drinker from a barrel
In this case, a plastic barrel or bucket is required to make a drinker. To do this, several holes should be made in the bottom of the container and threads should be cut using a tap. After that, the tip of the nipple, which will be screwed into a barrel or bucket, should be wrapped with telephone tape. Only then can the parts be connected.
For reliability, it is better to wrap all joints with telephone tape. This will prevent water from flowing. The finished structure can be hung insidecoop and fill with water. If one such drinker is not enough, then you can install several. It is worth noting that such designs take up little space.
Drinker from the category "cheap and cheerful"
Materials for the manufacture of this design can be found on the farm of every farmer. You will need a large dish and bucket, as well as some rubber spacers. Of course, some tools will also be needed.
First, the bucket must be filled with water, and then covered with a large dish. For these purposes, the spacing of a round shape is perfect. Between the dish and the bucket, several spacers should be placed at the same distance. 4 pieces are enough. They are needed to provide access to water.
After that, you should turn the structure over so that the dish is under the bucket. Such nipple drinkers for broilers are very convenient. They can be placed in a chicken coop or outdoors. However, this design will not help to solve some issues. In addition, in winter, the water in such a drinker will quickly freeze.
Installation Tips
Nipple drinker, made by hand, will perfectly solve some problems. However, when installing it, you must take into account some rules. First of all, make sure that all connections are tight. To do this, you can use a sealant or a conventional sealant. Care must be taken to cut out all the holes for the nipples. Otherwise, burrs will remain. In addition, all chips must be removed from the pipes.
Drop eliminators can significantly save on water. This also applies when the drinkers are located too low. Otherwise, the birds will get very wet, which negatively affects their he alth. In addition, it is necessary to install structures at a certain angle. It depends on the age of the bird.
