I'm really excited to share with you a new way that we're providing water to our chicks this spring. We received these wonderful Side Mounted Nipples from Solway Feeders, now located in the US! They completely solve the problem of keeping our chick's water clean while in the brooder box!
This is what our old vacuum type waterer looked like only an hour after cleaning and refilling it with fresh water. It's clogged with bedding and not very healthy looking. We have chicks at different ages in our brooder so I can't raise it up too high or the little ones can't reach. With all the scratching and fluffing our chicks do with the wood chip bedding, the water is constantly needing to be cleaned out. I'm forever running my fingers around the rim to scoop out soggy wood chips. And if you don't get every last one, they clog the drain in the sink where I refill.
But this new nipple system has changed all that.
Each nipple has a metal release that allows water to flow when the chick moves it with it's beak. The small cup directly below captures any extra water and holds a small pocket of water where the chick can drink from.
It took us minutes to assemble and here's how.
What you'll need: Solway Side Mounted Nipples
A sturdy plastic pail
pail lid
Drill
3/8" drill bit
tape measure
pen or marker
I started by measuring around the outside of the pail. Our pail was approximately 26 1/2 inches and I wanted the nipples spaced at even intervals so I divided by 5 nipples and made a mark every 5 1/4 inches.
The nipples should be placed at eye level to the smallest chick. So for our babies, that was about 1 1/2 inches from the bottom. I made an X where these two measurements met. The bucket can be hung or set on blocks as the chicks grow.
Then we simply drilled our five holes, twisted in the nipples and filled it with water.
The nipples have a unique thread so there's no need for sealant, and there's no need to bottom out the nipples, simply tighten till it's good and snug. The nipples can be used in a PVC pipe system or in any container from 2 to 55 gallons. One nipple will service 6 to 8 birds.
I can't believe how nice this is working for our chicks. Chicks are naturally curious, and they decided to investigate this new contraption in their brooder home. Within 5 minutes they had figured out the system and were happily drinking from the nipples.
GIVEAWAY PART!!!
The really cool part is that thanks to Solway, one of you will also receive a set of Side Mounted Nipples to use in your own brooder! Just leave a comment below with your name, email and why you love raising chicks and I'll select a winner on Tuesday, April 15th, 2014!
Here's a short video I made of our chicks right after we placed the bucket in the brooder.
I was not paid to write this article. I only write reviews for products that I believe in and this is seriously a cool product!
Antonia Wilson antoniawilson1313@yahoo.com I love raising chicks! They are fun to watch and amazing how quick they grow up. I love eggs! A pet that can provide you with nourishment as well as enrichment :) who doesn't love raising chicks?!
Raising chicks just seems to be part of spring just as Woodcock, Spring Peepers and Dandelions are. Of course the other reason is to have hens to replace the elderly layers.
We love raising chicks...it is life for us. Each spring, the farm breathes new life. I found a supplier of fertile lavender eggs! So excited for my incubator to start up. Would love to have these at the house currently, hate the yucky water dishes.
This is perfect timing! We're raising our second batch of layers and I'm tired of cleaning out the water dishes (and knowing that there could be harmful pathogens in there). I've just been doing some research on various nipple waterers when I saw this post on fb. Thank you! (amy at alittlefarm.com)
Helen Probasco - Helen_pro@msn.com Our new chicks are arriving in May!! So excited!! More fresh eggs, good little friends and someone to talk to while work in the garden :-)
franciell@yahoo.com We love raising chickens because it's quality family time spent together when tending to our 9 girls. Our 6 year old son has enjoyed seeing these girls grow!
This would be awesome to win, because I actually have chicks hatching this weekend! This would be great instead of the jar waterer I have now! lindz8504@yahoo.com
I love to hear them peeping. I get so excited every time I go to the incubator and hear that there is more hatching. For me its like x-mas. frostbitfan24@yahoo.com
Ann Nichols, annybuton1965@yahoo.com. I enjoy the peaceful feeling I get watching chickens peck around the yard. The eggs are a great bonus. After several years with no flock I have decided it is time for a new flock!
My wife and I are just gettig started raising chickens and we have 5 grown hens that are laying and 2 roosters, We just purchased 18 new chicks and really enjoy them. We are trying to somewhat self sufficent. Ron Heine rheine@ruraltel.net
My favorite thing about raising chickens is that each one is unique. Over the past couple years my family and I have had over 100 chickens and no two were the same. While they're adorable as chicks they also make me laugh out loud as they awkwardly grow into pullets and then they emerge with their own likes, dislikes, distinct sounds and behaviors. Red Ed, the rooster we have now is the kindest "Daddy" to the chicks I've ever seen- showing them how to drink and holding still while they climb on top of him! We've lost a few of our hens to neighborhood roaming dogs and I will always remember one or two characteristics of each of them- how one was a bad mother at first but then turned into a wonderful one, how one Delaware hen actually seemed to enjoy cuddling. Just like my children, each chicken we raise is an individual and I immensely enjoy having the privilege of caring for them and watching them grow up! anewrue@yahoo.com
I've just got started getting into raising chicks. The mess is unreal but these side waters have got to be a god send. I truly have enjoyed watching them grow into real chickens. Awesome at the way thay react to things in there world.
We always had chicks when I was a child at home every spring 100 chicks on the porch. I will never forget the excitement coming home from school. I helped my mom clean the messy water. Now that I have children of my own they just sit and watch the chicks for hours, and of course want to hold them, a wet chick is not fun, the bucket nipples would be better for my chicks and my children.
This is great! My husband will be finished with my new chicken coop this week,i love everything about raising chickens and really love the fresh eggs,since all our funds went into lumber for the coop,i could really use these,thank you and my fingers are crossed.
I hatch eggs from late January to early November. It is so addicting. It's not so much the hatching, but the chicks themselves. It's a "mother's" pride. You give them love and they return it back to you. I currently have 65 of various ages, with another hatch due in a couple of weeks.
Loved your video, chicks are so curious and fun to watch. Thank you for the opportunity to win these nipple waterers. At 70 years young cleaning the water containers is getting very old!
For the love of chickens! That is why I raise chicks! I have always raised them in a cage in my house until one of my buffs turned broody and I thought hmmmm... why not let HER raise them instead of me? She took to them (all 8 of them) immediately. She is a wonderful mother but she lets them play in their water! Yuck! What a mess! So I think these nipples would be a terrific solution to a never ending chore. Pam aebag4@hotmail.com
We enjoy the way baby chicks bring the promise of spring to our place. I have raised chicks on and off for many years and think the sweet little fluff balls are the cutest babies of all on our place. Now I am sharing this experience with my grandchildren as well. Each one gets to pick a chick and watch it grow. We have even taken chicks to my daughter-in-law's school to teach the "city kids" about farm life. We will start our second round of chicks in about 2 weeks, while the first batch will move out to the chicken tractor this week. Peeps to all! Sheila Liesen , halby@bmi.net
Honestly, it's been 25+ years since I have raised any chickens. And, I miss it! I mostly raised them for hatching eggs as I sold the baby chicks. I would get a kick out of helping the 4-H kids pick them out and answering their questions. And, being the concerned person I am, I would take phone calls at midnight from very distraught chick handlers who were panicked over some problem with their babies or their grown chickens, for that matter.
I ended up writing books for these "chicken handlers," as I call them. I have been so upset when I have seen these handlers asking questions at the feed store, only to see the workers there laughing and making fun of these greenbacks, mostly from the city.
So, my enjoyment came from learning on my own and then helping other chicken handlers. Only one who has been in their shoes, would know the concern they have when problems pop up. And, they will....no matter how long you have been raising them. Helping others was my passion...and I still miss that, too.
eileen123@hotmail.com --- Was exposed to farming and animals rather young and was finally able to go rural and start enjoying the lifestyle. I am now adding chickens for bug control, entertainment, fertilizer and compostable material and the nipples would sure make it easier to keep the coop clean and dry, esp., in those cold winters.
OMG I LOVE THIS!!!! I hate that my chicks all poop in their water and it's so gross even when I hang the gallon water jug they find a way to get the tray all gross!!!
Why do we love raising chicks? Thats hard to answer. We have been raising chickens for years. Its a way of life for us. There is nothing better than fresh eggs first thing in the morning. We love having a never ending supply of eggs.(dawntuu@hotmail.com) We also enjoy teaching kids how to incubate, raise and care for them. It is esp. rewarding when we teach those who have never been exposed to farm animals.
Bonnie Brooks bonniebelle442004@yahoo.com I love all my chickens personalities. I have several that love to be loved, a couple of very bossy ones, a really comical one and then a few quiet ones. I love knowing that when I feed my family eggs, I know what those chickens were being fed.
baby chicks are addicting, I feel like at times I need to be going to a baby chick self help group but I'm sure we would just talk about chicks and I would want MORE.
I would love to win these waterers. I have eggs incubating as I type and will hatch in about 2 weeks. I have a broody Bantam sitting on eggs too and she is a great mother to all the eggs I can fit under her!
all my memories of growing up always included tending to chicks.i am now 82 ,but still enjoy watching my chickens and ducks scramble around the yard .it is really relaxing to sit and have them come running to me to get some treats .as an dye in the wool bird man it would sure make my life easier to keep them well hydrated.
We have been raising chickens for 5 years, and absolutely love it. Our daughter is involved in 4-H and I have been the poultry leader for our 4-H club. There is so much to learn and teach. We love breeding and raising our own chicks,each of the chickens have their own personality and it is so fun to hang out with them and spoil them. I love your invention for the waterer. Keeping shavings out of the water has been the greatest challenge. Thanks for finding a great solution to make our lives easier and keeping our chicks healthier.
Awesome blog, we started raising chickens because we thought it would be fun and good for the kids, boy were we wrong...it has been great! The chickens have so much personality and the kids have really taken responsibility to a new level. This year they joined the local 4-H and started their own farm web site ( jnrfarms.us ). We have the old vacuum type waterer and have been talking about getting a nipple waterer since they are cleaner. So I am entering for my kids, Joshua and Rachel, if they win you can email Josh at josh@jnrfarms.us.
I'm listening to my hens scratch through the leaves outside the screenporch as I type this. I enjoy raising chicks because they are so entertaining to have around, and then they turn into beautiful birds that provide me with organic eggs. What's not to love? :) q.piper@yahoo.com
Like them looks like it would teach them at a young age to use the nipples rather than conventional watering.I would try to pick some up but TSC doesn't even carry regular watering nipples.
Love my Ladies! I have little ones now that could really use the watering nipples. Love chatting with my Ladies. Love sitting and watching all the comical things they come up with. Beverly Rosa BevyCrockr@comcast.net
I love raising chicks because they are adorable and entertaining. I got my first chicks when my oldest left for college so we like to joke that was my response to empty nest syndrome! Love to win these,
Hahahaha. I LITERALLY learned about these nipples from Backyard Chickens forum yesterday. 4/15/14. And now I've missed the deadline for this giveaway, which I discovered 4/16/14. Ah well. I'm ordering some today!!
64 comments:
I'd like to use these side nipples for a diy waterer!!
They are so cute!
Antonia Wilson antoniawilson1313@yahoo.com I love raising chicks! They are fun to watch and amazing how quick they grow up. I love eggs! A pet that can provide you with nourishment as well as enrichment :) who doesn't love raising chicks?!
I could really use some side mounted nipples !!! REALLY !!!!!!!!
It's wonderful! Thumbs up!
Raising chicks just seems to be part of spring just as Woodcock, Spring Peepers and Dandelions are. Of course the other reason is to have hens to replace the elderly layers.
I've been wanting chickens. I have looked at these nipples as a way to keep the chickens watered and the water clean. Getting chickens soon!!!
I can't imagion living without chickens anymore. We just hatched out 72 over the weekend, this would be a wonderful way to keep the water clean!!!!
My 10-year-old is in charge of watering the chickens, and hates the galvanized waterers. He would love this.
We love raising chicks...it is life for us. Each spring, the farm breathes new life. I found a supplier of fertile lavender eggs! So excited for my incubator to start up. Would love to have these at the house currently, hate the yucky water dishes.
This is perfect timing! We're raising our second batch of layers and I'm tired of cleaning out the water dishes (and knowing that there could be harmful pathogens in there). I've just been doing some research on various nipple waterers when I saw this post on fb. Thank you! (amy at alittlefarm.com)
Well, that's a cool little thing.
Helen Probasco - Helen_pro@msn.com
Our new chicks are arriving in May!! So excited!! More fresh eggs, good little friends and someone to talk to while work in the garden :-)
franciell@yahoo.com
We love raising chickens because it's quality family time spent together when tending to our 9 girls. Our 6 year old son has enjoyed seeing these girls grow!
This would be awesome to win, because I actually have chicks hatching this weekend! This would be great instead of the jar waterer I have now!
lindz8504@yahoo.com
That is the coolest thing to water your chickens.
Would love the nipple waterers .I have 7 (hopefully) Delaware chicks hatching April 7. millierose6512aol.com ---pattyk
Love raising chicks because 1) they make everyone who sees them smile and 2) my husband just melts into the sweetest softie when he plays with them!
I love raising chicks because they are so cute and fun to watch. And they grow up to lay eggs that are really good to eat.
Elle - elleberra at gmail dot com
I love to hear them peeping. I get so excited every time I go to the incubator and hear that there is more hatching. For me its like x-mas.
frostbitfan24@yahoo.com
Ann Nichols, annybuton1965@yahoo.com. I enjoy the peaceful feeling I get watching chickens peck around the yard. The eggs are a great bonus. After several years with no flock I have decided it is time for a new flock!
My name is Melody Gravitt and my email is gravittfamilyof5@aol.com. I love raising chickens because they are a joy. They provide fun, meat, and eggs.
My wife and I are just gettig started raising chickens and we have 5 grown hens that are laying and 2 roosters, We just purchased 18 new chicks and really enjoy them. We are trying to somewhat self sufficent. Ron Heine rheine@ruraltel.net
I love raising chickens as pets and for show. I like all the different varities. donald.holbrook@windstream.net
Chicks are so sweet and cute.
starzine2003 pinterest
My favorite thing about raising chickens is that each one is unique. Over the past couple years my family and I have had over 100 chickens and no two were the same. While they're adorable as chicks they also make me laugh out loud as they awkwardly grow into pullets and then they emerge with their own likes, dislikes, distinct sounds and behaviors. Red Ed, the rooster we have now is the kindest "Daddy" to the chicks I've ever seen- showing them how to drink and holding still while they climb on top of him! We've lost a few of our hens to neighborhood roaming dogs and I will always remember one or two characteristics of each of them- how one was a bad mother at first but then turned into a wonderful one, how one Delaware hen actually seemed to enjoy cuddling. Just like my children, each chicken we raise is an individual and I immensely enjoy having the privilege of caring for them and watching them grow up!
anewrue@yahoo.com
I've just got started getting into raising chicks. The mess is unreal but these side waters have got to be a god send. I truly have enjoyed watching them grow into real chickens. Awesome at the way thay react to things in there world.
I raise chicks for the entertainment value - then you get eggs!
We always had chicks when I was a child at home every spring 100 chicks on the porch. I will never forget the excitement coming home from school. I helped my mom clean the messy water. Now that I have children of my own they just sit and watch the chicks for hours, and of course want to hold them, a wet chick is not fun, the bucket nipples would be better for my chicks and my children.
This is great! My husband will be finished with my new chicken coop this week,i love everything about raising chickens and really love the fresh eggs,since all our funds went into lumber for the coop,i could really use these,thank you and my fingers are crossed.
I hatch eggs from late January to early November. It is so addicting. It's not so much the hatching, but the chicks themselves. It's a "mother's" pride. You give them love and they return it back to you. I currently have 65 of various ages, with another hatch due in a couple of weeks.
Penny McCann
iloveflorida@hotmail.com
Loved your video, chicks are so curious and fun to watch. Thank you for the opportunity to win these nipple waterers. At 70 years young cleaning the water containers is getting very old!
I have the incubator full and should hatch in 5 days. I really could use the nipples.
Ron Willett
ronwillett@netzero.com
For the love of chickens! That is why I raise chicks! I have always raised them in a cage in my house until one of my buffs turned broody and I thought hmmmm... why not let HER raise them instead of me? She took to them (all 8 of them) immediately. She is a wonderful mother but she lets them play in their water! Yuck! What a mess! So I think these nipples would be a terrific solution to a never ending chore. Pam aebag4@hotmail.com
We enjoy the way baby chicks bring the promise of spring to our place. I have raised chicks on and off for many years and think the sweet little fluff balls are the cutest babies of all on our place. Now I am sharing this experience with my grandchildren as well. Each one gets to pick a chick and watch it grow. We have even taken chicks to my daughter-in-law's school to teach the "city kids" about farm life. We will start our second round of chicks in about 2 weeks, while the first batch will move out to the chicken tractor this week. Peeps to all! Sheila Liesen , halby@bmi.net
My Best friend & I are preparing to raise domestic quail, now that our town has finally changed the poultry ordinance. Fun!
Coz chicks turn into chickens which gives my family eggs
Honestly, it's been 25+ years since I have raised any chickens. And, I miss it! I mostly raised them for hatching eggs as I sold the baby chicks. I would get a kick out of helping the 4-H kids pick them out and answering their questions. And, being the concerned person I am, I would take phone calls at midnight from very distraught chick handlers who were panicked over some problem with their babies or their grown chickens, for that matter.
I ended up writing books for these "chicken handlers," as I call them. I have been so upset when I have seen these handlers asking questions at the feed store, only to see the workers there laughing and making fun of these greenbacks, mostly from the city.
So, my enjoyment came from learning on my own and then helping other chicken handlers. Only one who has been in their shoes, would know the concern they have when problems pop up. And, they will....no matter how long you have been raising them. Helping others was my passion...and I still miss that, too.
eileen123@hotmail.com --- Was exposed to farming and animals rather young and was finally able to go rural and start enjoying the lifestyle. I am now adding chickens for bug control, entertainment, fertilizer and compostable material and the nipples would sure make it easier to keep the coop clean and dry, esp., in those cold winters.
OMG I LOVE THIS!!!! I hate that my chicks all poop in their water and it's so gross even when I hang the gallon water jug they find a way to get the tray all gross!!!
We have been raising ducks for awhile, and are just getting into chickens (incubating them right now). You had some great tips on brooding!
Why do we love raising chicks? Thats hard to answer. We have been raising chickens for years. Its a way of life for us. There is nothing better than fresh eggs first thing in the morning. We love having a never ending supply of eggs.(dawntuu@hotmail.com) We also enjoy teaching kids how to incubate, raise and care for them. It is esp. rewarding when we teach those who have never been exposed to farm animals.
Bonnie Brooks
bonniebelle442004@yahoo.com
I love all my chickens personalities. I have several that love to be loved, a couple of very bossy ones, a really comical one and then a few quiet ones. I love knowing that when I feed my family eggs, I know what those chickens were being fed.
baby chicks are addicting, I feel like at times I need to be going to a baby chick self help group
but I'm sure we would just talk about chicks and I would want MORE.
One of the most rewarding things on the farm is to watch baby chicks grow.. Almost as much fun as watching baby pigs!!! Don.. dandes61@sbcglobal.net
I would love to win these waterers. I have eggs incubating as I type and will hatch in about 2 weeks. I have a broody Bantam sitting on eggs too and she is a great mother to all the eggs I can fit under her!
I love rising chicks because they are so sweet and friendly and my son loves taking care of them.
all my memories of growing up always included tending to chicks.i am now 82 ,but still enjoy watching my chickens and ducks scramble around the yard .it is really relaxing to sit and have them come running to me to get some treats .as an dye in the wool bird man it would sure make my life easier to keep them well hydrated.
Great idea ,sure beats the gal water
john deerjoliver@aol.com
I like collecting the eggs and then hatching them in the incubator. I enjoy watching the chicks grow from little fluff balls.
Anne
ezgaitn@yahoo.com
We have been raising chickens for 5 years, and absolutely love it. Our daughter is involved in 4-H and I have been the poultry leader for our 4-H club. There is so much to learn and teach. We love breeding and raising our own chicks,each of the chickens have their own personality and it is so fun to hang out with them and spoil them. I love your invention for the waterer. Keeping shavings out of the water has been the greatest challenge. Thanks for finding a great solution to make our lives easier and keeping our chicks healthier.
I haven't started yet but I can't wait to get my chicks in! One step closer to self sufficient! Sarah s.pyeatt.davis@gmail.com
Awesome blog, we started raising chickens because we thought it would be fun and good for the kids, boy were we wrong...it has been great! The chickens have so much personality and the kids have really taken responsibility to a new level. This year they joined the local 4-H and started their own farm web site ( jnrfarms.us ). We have the old vacuum type waterer and have been talking about getting a nipple waterer since they are cleaner. So I am entering for my kids, Joshua and Rachel, if they win you can email Josh at josh@jnrfarms.us.
Thanks for the great site and give-away contest!
I'm listening to my hens scratch through the leaves outside the screenporch as I type this. I enjoy raising chicks because they are so entertaining to have around, and then they turn into beautiful birds that provide me with organic eggs. What's not to love? :)
q.piper@yahoo.com
Like them looks like it would teach them at a young age to use the nipples rather than conventional watering.I would try to pick some up but TSC doesn't even carry regular watering nipples.
Love my Ladies! I have little ones now that could really use the watering nipples. Love chatting with my Ladies. Love sitting and watching all the comical things they come up with.
Beverly Rosa BevyCrockr@comcast.net
It's so fun to see them grow up from little fuzz balls into lovely hens carmen99 at asimplehomestead.com
This is awesome. What a great setup for a dry coop.
I would so love these. They would make my life a lot easier.
vlauterbach1@hotmail.com
LindaW (linda_warner at juno dot com)
I love having fresh eggs, and that my kids learn about where food comes from.
I love raising chicks because they are adorable and entertaining. I got my first chicks when my oldest left for college so we like to joke that was my response to empty nest syndrome! Love to win these,
Kate. Mkbavelock at verizon.net
Would be a great addition to our honey farm. Our 80+ ladies would love it, I'm sure.
Hahahaha. I LITERALLY learned about these nipples from Backyard Chickens forum yesterday. 4/15/14. And now I've missed the deadline for this giveaway, which I discovered 4/16/14. Ah well. I'm ordering some today!!
Jennifer...your link took me to the European site...is there a us site ? would love to order some of these!
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