Horizontal (Side Mount) Chicken Nipple Waterer
Regular price $ 7.00
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As Seen On Mother Earth News!
Columbus Aqua horizontal poultry nipple waterers are a must have for chickens, quail, guinea fowl and other poultry. These drip proof waterers keep water sources pristine and are excellent for winter water. Just add a bucket heater and you'll never have to worry about frozen water again. We recommend one nipple per 2-3 birds. Stop changing dirty water and upgrade to these today!
- Lifetime Leak Free guarantee
- Drip free, leak free design
- Keeps water clean and healthy
- Won't freeze in winter
- Allows bucket to be placed on the ground. No hanging necessary!
- Also used by ferrets, mink and rabbits
- View installation and training instructions here
These nipples were featured on a Mother Earth News Facebook Live video! Watch here
Fresh, Clean Water That Will Keep Your Feathered Friends Happy And Healthy
Stop changing dirty, poopy water! When you upgrade to our professional grade Poultry Watering Nipples, your flock of feathered friends will have the cleanest drinking water available all day long. Our innovative DIY watering fountain kit helps you save time typically spent on cleaning waterers, and when paired with a submersible bucket heater, you’ll never have frozen water during the cold winter months again!
Designed For All Birds - And Many Small Animals!
Our durable poultry nipples can be used with all birds, including chickens that are over 2 weeks old, quail, turkey, peafowl, guinea fowl, waterfowl and more. Our original design is extremely versatile and can also be used for rabbits, rats, mice, ferrets, mink, and other small rodents.
The Original Side Mounted Poultry Nipple
On the market since 2012, our original design gives you versatility when it comes to watering. What makes side mount nipples better than vertical nipples or cups? Vertical nipples leak and require a bucket to be hung up while the cups hold dirty water. Our easy-to-use side mount nipples allow your watering container to be set on the ground or on a block for easy fill ups with zero mess.
Lifetime Leak-Free Guarantee
Our poultry nipples are simple to install and come with detailed instructions for installation. We also have phone or email support available for our customers in the U.S.A. at no additional cost! Best of all, our poultry nipples come with a Lifetime Leak Free Guarantee that protects against defects.
Nipples FAQs
HOW HIGH SHOULD A CHICKEN WATERER BE?
Watering bucket should be placed on blocks so nipples are at the birds neck level.
WILL DUCKS DRINK FROM CHICKEN NIPPLES?
While ducks can and will drink from side mount nipples, they also need a dish deep enough to submerge their nostrils to clean them.
HOW HIGH SHOULD WATER NIPPLES BE FOR CHICKENS?
Watering bucket should be placed on blocks so nipples are at the birds neck level.
HOW MANY CHICKEN NIPPLES DO I NEED?
Install 1 nipple for every 6-8 birds (or 1 per 3-4 birds in hot climates)
CAN THESE BE USED FOR BIRDS OTHER THAN CHICKENS?
Yes! Our durable poultry nipples can be used with all birds, including chickens that are over 2 weeks old, quail, turkey, peafowl, guinea fowl, waterfowl and more. Our original design is extremely versatile and can also be used for rabbits, rats, mice, ferrets, mink, and other small rodents.
HOW ARE NIPPLES BETTER THAN CUPS OR OTHER WATERERS?
Vertical nipples leak and require a heavy bucket to be hung up. These style nipples also hold water and will freeze and crack, and are prone to leaking. They are also awkward for chickens to drink from.
Cups hold dirty water and algae, and chickens can step on them breaking them off. Cups also freeze easily.
Traditional waterers freeze and quickly fill with dirt, poop, and algae. Most are not compatible with Apple Cider Vinegar, and will eventually rust or crack.
Our easy-to-use side mount nipples allow your watering container to be set on the ground or on a block for easy fill ups with zero mess, and they don't freeze or break.
HOW DO CHICKEN NIPPLES REDUCE THE SPREAD OF DISEASES?
Traditional waterers and cups are an open pan of water in which the flock drinks. This open watering system is also visited by wild birds and mice.
When one sick bird takes a drink from this water, it leaves behind contagious bacteria or viruses that can be picked up by other birds in the flock, quickly spreading disease.
Contaminated water is probably the most likely source of infection for chickens, turkeys, and songbirds. Waterborne parasites have been shown to survive at least 2 hours in open waterers. *
Nipple waters are extremely hygienic and effective in preventing microbiological contamination of clean water. Even if an ill bird drinks from one of the nipples, the water coming out of the nipple is clean and cannot be infected by a sick bird.
Nipple waterers eliminate dirty water that will lessen the spread of disease, such as MS (Mycoplasma synoviae), trichomonosis, and other respiratory diseases.
WHERE ARE THE COLUMBUS AQUA NIPPLES MADE?
The Columbus Aqua nipples are made in Denmark with premium, commercial-grade materials that are meant to last a lifetime.
HOW ARE THESE NIPPLES BETTER THAN THE ONES MADE IN CHINA?
Columbus Aqua is the original chicken nipple and has been making these nipples for over 25 years with the best materials available.
In 2017 the design was copied in China using cheap parts and are known for rusting, falling apart, or leaking.
I AM WORRIED THAT THE CHICKENS WON'T GET ENOUGH WATER FROM THE NIPPLES, ESPECIALLY ON HOT DAYS.
This is probably the most common concern we hear! I have personally used these nipples in ALL of by bird pens for the last 5 years, and our summers are well over 100+ degrees most days. I can assure you that the birds receive plenty of water from the nipples.
WON'T THE NIPPLES FREEZE IN THE WINTER?
Unlike traditional waterers, cups, or vertical nipples, horizontal nipples do not hold any water internally. Since they don't hold water, they can't freeze!
Do keep in mind that the water itself inside of the bucket (or PVC pipe) can of course still freeze, so be sure to add a submersible heater in the winter for easy, no maintenance winter water!
How to Install
GETTING STARTED
Before we get started, please know that these installation instructions are only intended to be used with the Columbus Aqua horizontal/side mount chicken nipples which are made in Denmark. The duplicates on the market now are made in China and do not conform to the same standards as Columbus Aqua (more on that in Troubleshooting) and their specifications vary widely.
CHOOSING A CONTAINER
Columbus Aqua poultry nipples can be installed in nearly any plastic container, including PVC pipe, buckets, 55 gallon drums, juice containers, etc..
Nipples are intended to be mounted on the side of a container, not on the bottom (like the vertical nipples). This allows the bucket to be placed on a block, instead of being suspended.
BUCKET OR CONTAINER INSTALLATION
- Install 1 nipple for every 6-8 birds (or 1 per 3-4 birds in hot climates).
- Determine where you’d like to place the nipples on your container, and mark with a permanent marker. Holes should be no less than 1” from the bottom of the container. Use 11/32” (recommended) or ⅜” drill bit for holes.
- Screw nipples into the container approximately 80%. They should not be flush mounted. Flush mounting will result in cracked containers. Our installation tool allows nipples to be quickly screwed in with a drill.
- Drill 1-2 small breather holes in container lid to prevent a vacuum from forming.
- (Optional) Apply a small amount of aquarium silicone on threads when installing nipples. Be careful not to get silicon on metal pin or o-ring. Allow the silicone to dry completely before using. Thread seal tape/Teflon tape may also be used.
PVC INSTALLATION
- Install 1 nipple for every 6-8 birds (or 1 per 3-4 birds in hot climates).
- Use ½” or larger Schedule 40 PVC pipe. Holes must be tapped ( ⅛ x 27 NPT), or the nipples will pop out.
- Screw nipples into pipe approximately 80%. They should not be flush mounted. Flush mounting will result in cracked containers. Our installation tool allows nipples to be quickly screwed in with a drill.
- Nipples are intended to be used in a low pressure system. A pressure regulator should be used if needed, and set to no more than 5 PSI.
- (Optional) Use thread seal tape/Teflon tape during installation.
NOTE: I get a lot of questions about the tap size. Taps are sized differently than drill bits, and while the size may look funky, I promise it’s the right one!
Training Your Flock
Nipples are intended to be used with birds 2+ weeks old, in most cases. For birds such as quail, pheasant or other smaller birds, wait until they are old enough to be able to press the nipple pin.
REMOVE ALL OTHER WATERERS
When ready to train your birds, remove all other water sources. This is critical, and the #1 reason for training failures. If all other water sources are not removed, birds will have no motivation to learn to use the nipples.
NATURAL ATTRACTION
Birds are naturally attracted to the nipples red color. Press the pin, allowing the water to flow from the nipple. Try this several times while birds are watching. Continue this until one bird drinks, and others will then follow. If birds do not drink after several minutes of pressing the pin, repeat in 30 minutes. Do not return birds usual water source between training sessions. Birds will often figure it out on their own within 10 minutes of the first training session.
A LITTLE HELP
In some cases, you may need to gently press a birds beak unto the nipple until it flows water. I have found this to be necessary with quail. This is similar to dipping a chicks beak into their water when moving them to the brooder for the first time.
LASER POINTER
You may also find success in guiding birds to drink with a laser pointer. As the birds chase and peck at the laser pointer, have the birds follow the dot to the drinker. When they peck the nipples, they should quickly figure out how to use them.
MARK THE WATER LINE
When I am training new birds to use the nipples, I find it helpful to mark the water line on the container and check back in a few hours. If the water level has dropped, I know the birds are drinking from them, and I no longer need to sit and watch them for hours just to make sure.
NEED MORE HELP?
If you are struggling to teach your birds how to use the nipples, be sure to visit our Side Mount Poultry Nipple Troubleshooting Guide for more in-depth suggestions.
Lifetime Leak Free Guarantee
Our poultry nipples are simple to install and come with detailed instructions for installation. We also have phone or email support available for our customers in the U.S.A. at no additional cost! Best of all, our poultry nipples come with a Lifetime Leak Free Guarantee that protects against defects.
HOW DOES THE LIFETIME LEAK-FREE GUARANTEE WORK?
If you are experiencing a potentially faulty nipple, be sure to contact our friendly customer service. Most "problems" are due to improper installation or simple fixes which we will walk you through.
If the nipple(s) is still leaking, we kindly ask for a photo or short video to rule out any other potential simple fixes to get your waterer working in short order.
Once a nipple is determined to be defective, we will send out a replacement right away, free of charge.
Reviews
Chicken ****** waterer
Great! These are just what we needed. No more dirty water and changing it twice a day. Thank you!
United StatesHorizontal chicken nipples
Love these. I tried cups initially and hated them. Dirty all the time and harder to clean. These work great. No cleaning and chickens took right to them without training.
United StatesNo leaking/dripping
These chicken nipples are the best, I don’t have the leaking/dripping problem that I had with other brands.
United StatesHorizontal nipples
Haven’t installed yet, but looks like a very quality product.
United StatesHappy chickens
The nipples Works fantastic took about a day for my chickens to figure it out
WHAT OUR CUSTOMER'S ARE SAYING
"Thank you! These all worked flawlessly. And wonderfully precisely detailed installation videos and written instructions. I will admit that first I bought the cheap Chinese/Amazon knock offs. Every single nipple leaked. What a waste of time. Thank you for selling the real deal! My chickens figured them out in a few minutes after I took away their other water sources and showed them water dripping when the nipple was pressed. Easy worry free water for my hens. Thank you again!"
- LUKE -
"Best water system for chickens hands down, and I've tried several different methods. This has proven to be the best. No leaking, no pool in the water. Husband had it assembled and in the coop in under twenty minutes. Will never buy another type of water system again. Fast shipment, good instructions, quick replies. Company had all star customer service. Highly recommend!"
- JULIE D. -
"My first experience with waterers similar to this design were Chinese knockoffs and were installed in a square kitty litter bucket. They worked but constantly leaked. THESE are built much better and work better! I now have mine installed along a 1-1/2" pvc water bar, fed off a 55gal rain barrel. My chickens are never short of water! They love using the horizontal waterers. Thank you for providing a quality product at a great price!"
- JOHN G. -
"These waterers are fabulous. We tried using watering cups attached to PVC pipe, but our ladies kept knocking off the cups and spilling a ton of water in the coop. These were super easy to install as the thread size is the same as the cups. Our ladies learned to use them right away and they have stayed in place without issue. No water spillage, and no dirty cups to clean! We will definitely buy these again!"
"The nipple waterers work just great! No more scrubbing of the dirty, fouled water container. They were really easy to install and my 10 week old chickens used them immediately. They made it through a week of over 100 degree heat no problem."
- JULIE D -
"I was scared to take away the other watering system, but I followed the instructions to train the chickens and they never missed a beat. So good for them to have clean water and not have to clean fecal matter out of their pan everyday"
- LISA -
HI, I'M NICOLE
AND LIKE YOU, I STARTED WITH THE TRADITIONAL STYLE WATERER
After my first winter with chickens, I was ready to sell them all! (ok, not really...). I was so frustrated by frozen and dirty water that I had to deal with every day. I am not a morning person and having to trudge through the snow before work to dump out and refill frozen waterers really ruined my day.
And then, in the warmer months, the flocks waterer was always filled with dirt and poop, even though I cleaned it just hours before. Yuck!
That is when I discovered the Columbus Aqua chicken nipples and how much easier they made my life. I now use them for all of my birds- chickens, guinea fowl, ducks, turkeys, pheasants, pigeons and quail- and know that they will always have access to clean, healthy water.