A drinking bowl is a device from which pets and birds are given water. It refers to household items included in the list of those whose presence is mandatory. This is because pets and birds need constant access to water. Lack of sufficient amounts of it can negatively affect their physical condition and lead to disorders that reduce the level of useful productivity.
The list of types of drinking devices differs in the characteristics of the design, shape, materials of manufacture, methods of supplying liquid, and others. An important factor determining the configuration of the drinker is the type of animal using it.
When keeping poultry, such as chickens, nipple drinkers are often used. The agricultural market offers a wide range of drinking devices of this type. This does not exclude the possibility of their manufacture at home.
Features
Nipple drinkers for chickens consist of several main parts:
- water tank;
- connecting tubes;
- shut-off valves;
- nipples.
The presence of certain parts, as well as their number, is determined by the design features of a particular model of the drinker and the characteristics of the chicken population.
The hermetically sealed liquid storage tank is a special tank, the internal volume of which allows you to hold a sufficient amount of water without losing it by evaporation or splashing. It may be located outside the economic space in which chickens are kept. In this case, water from the tank flows to the point of issue through the tubes.
Tubes are made of metal, plastic, metal-plastic, polypropylene, rubber, silicone, polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The liquid, under the influence of gravity, flows from the tank to the point or points of discharge. For normal operation of this hydraulic system, the main water tank must be at a level above the nipples. The pressure force that presses on the nipple from the inside depends on the difference in the height of the location of these parts of the drinker.
Shut-off valves allow you to control the amount of fluid supplied. The pressure, the level of which exceeds the norm, contributes to overflow, increased flow and moistening of the adjacent space. The adjustment allows you to control the flow of water and eliminates the wetting factor of the surrounding area, contributing to the cleanliness of the conditions for keeping chickens.
The nipple is the main part of the design. This is a mechanism that works on the principle of a check valve that prevents water from flowing freely from the system. Nipples installed in chicken drinkers are a device consisting of a metal or plastic tube with a diameter of 4 to 8 mm. It has a bend of the edge of the outer edge inward along the entire diameter. This allows you to keep in it the main locking element – a metal rod. The size of its diameter and the special expansion of one of the sides have an optimal ratio with the diameter of the inner bend of the tube edge, which allows the ball not to fall out of the tube, abutting against the bend, thereby clogging the outer edge of the tube.
The opposite edge of the nipple device is adapted for its connection to the water supply system.
The connection can be made by means of a threaded or nipple connection.
Principle of operation
The nipple drinker for chickens works on the principle of a continuous metered supply of liquid. Water, which is in a special container, completely fills the system with open valves.
Under the influence of gravity, the liquid, being at the lowest point of the system, presses on the rod located inside the nipple. The thickening of the inner edge of the rod rests against the bend of the tube edge and creates a seal that prevents water from flowing out.
The chicken, wanting to drink water, presses with its beak on the edge of the rod protruding from the nipple tube. The seal is broken, causing water to leak out. Due to its properties, the liquid does not splash randomly, but flows down the rod, falling directly into the bird’s beak.
Production
Consider the process of self-manufacturing drinkers.
Choice of materials
The construction of a homemade nipple drinker for chickens can be extremely simple. However, in its manufacture it is worth considering the factors of environmental friendliness, hygiene and practicality.
It is not recommended to use materials whose properties suggest the subsequent appearance of rust, oxidation, silting. The list of non-recommended materials includes:
- metal parts (tubes, connections, etc.);
- technical materials (hoses, fittings, containers intended for use in combination with aggressive liquids).
It is recommended to use materials intended for domestic use that comply with the parameters of GOSTs that define the characteristics of food-grade materials.
Properly selected materials from which the drinker is made will not emit any substances that can have a negative effect on the body of the bird and egg production.
A suitable material is considered to be plastic for storing and transferring liquids consumed by people. As the main container, you can use a plastic canister or barrel, the volume of which will satisfy the needs of the existing number of animals. To create a drinking bowl piping system, polypropylene pipes are used, which are used for the installation of domestic water supply.
These materials are not subject to any types of corrosion, do not emit toxic substances, and are resistant to temperature changes.
To assemble a plastic drinker, you will need the following set of components:
- liquid storage container;
- transitional coupling from plastic to metal connection;
- polypropylene pipes with a diameter of at least 32 mm;
- PP corners, couplings, plugs;
- nipple mechanisms.
Choice of tools
For assembling drinking bowls from plastic materials You will need the following list of tools:
- soldering iron for PP pipes;
- drills of various diameters;
- drill;
- abrasive devices for grinding edges;
- scissors for PP pipes or a hacksaw;
- measuring instruments (tape measure or ruler);
- other related tools.
Assembly
Drill a hole in the bottom of the container. Insert the adapter into it with a thread inside the container. Secure the coupling in this position with a threaded tightening, using a sufficient amount of sealing materials and gaskets.
Connect a shut-off valve to the adapter. Lay a pipeline from the valve and further, the configuration of which should be optimal for certain conditions for keeping birds.
The working part of the pipeline is a straight pipe with drilled holes facing down, plugged at the end point. Holes must be made at equal distances. Their diameter must be sufficient to connect the threaded part of the nipple. Threads are cut in the holes, with the help of which the nipples are attached to the pipe. If the pipe diameter allows, the nipples can be fixed with nuts screwed onto their threaded part.
The number of holes and nipple devices is determined by the quantitative parameters of the bird population.
The more birds on the farm, the more drinking points need to be equipped.
Some nipple kits include special drop eliminators. These are devices attached to a pipe into which nipples are screwed. Their design provides for a tripod and a small bath attached to it. In the installed position, the tray serves to collect drops of liquid that did not fall into the bird’s beak.
Drip eliminators are used when keeping broiler chickens in specialized conditions. They are kept in small cages, which helps them gain weight faster. In this case, drop eliminators prevent liquid from entering the bottom of the cage.
What do you need to consider?
Assembling a drinker for chickens with your own hands makes it possible to implement various original ideas in this area. At the same time, it is important to take into account the factors of suitability of a home-made drinking device for operation. The height of the structure matters, as well as its position relative to the characteristics of the room or territory in which it is installed.
Installation of the product should be carried out taking into account the fact that fragments of plastic or metal chips, which are formed when drilling holes and tightening nuts, may remain in the water supply system.
How to teach?
Chickens, like other birds, are perfectly adapted to self-feeding. Their abilities allow them to sense the presence of water. In most cases, they find the nipples themselves and realize that this is the source of the liquid. If for some reason this does not happen, birds can be accustomed to a nipple drinker.
The nipples are adjusted in such a way that the water drips little by little. The drop interval should be as short as possible. A container for collecting liquid is installed under each nipple outlet. During the period of birds getting used to the drinker, other methods of water supply are excluded.
When a hen is thirsty, she looks for water. Seeing the drops falling from the nipple, she instinctively understands that she needs to use it to quench her thirst. Having used this source of water several times, the chicken gets used to doing it all the time, after which you can stop the dripping of the liquid.
For information on what nipple drinkers for chickens are, see the following video.
