The Correct Height For Poultry Nipple Chicken Waterers

Poultry nipples, such as the ones shown on the BriteTap waterer below, can be used to provide water to chicks from the day they hatch.  However, the height of the waterer should be adjusted as the bird matures.

The BriteTap waterer attaches to a standard Igloo or Rubbermaid Cooler and
makes it easy to use poultry nipples to water your flock

For chicks that are 1-5 days old, the stem of the poultry nipple should be placed at eye-level.  While the exact height will depend upon the breed, the stem will be approximately 4 inches above the ground on day 1, and 6 inches above the ground on day 5.

From day 5 through day 28 (4 weeks old), the stem of the poultry nipple should be placed just above eye level.  Again, chicken owners should continue to raise the waterer every 4-7 days, or as needed to keep the stem of the nipple at the correct height.  For a typical breed, this means that the nipple height will be increased from about 7 inches above the ground on day 5 to about 13 inches above the ground on day 28.

After day 29, the stem of the poultry nipple should be placed above the head of the bird so that it needs to stretch slightly in order to drink from the poultry nipple.  Poultry owners should continue raising the waterer to achieve this correct height until the birds reach full maturity.  At that point the stem of the poultry nipple is likely to be 18-24 inches above the ground. 

Proper Poultry Nipple Height By Age of Bird

  

For flock owners using the BriteTap chicken waterer, here are the dimensions of some common objects that can be used to raise the waterer to the proper height.  

Common Object Dimensions

Square-shaped milk crate  -13"L x 13"W x 11"H

Cinder block                      -16"L x 8"W x 8"H

Brick                                  -  8"L x 4"W x 2"H

Using these objects alone or in combination with each other, you can raise the BriteTap waterer to the right height for your flock.

Bricks, cinder blocks and milk crates can be used to raise your BriteTap waterer to the right height.

Free Smartphone App for Poultry Valve Pressure & More: 

When using poultry valve, the water pressure created on teh valve is a function of the height of water in your tank. Poultry valve are generally rate at 1 PSI (pound of pressure per square inch) or less, so you should not overfill your tank. 

If you would like to know the water pressure created by a specific height of water in your water tank you can use our Cluck-ulator smartphone app to do this. The Cluck-ulator includes five other cool chicken tools including a breed selector, coop planner and food and water calculator. These can be downloaded from the iTunes App store (iOS) or the Google Play Store (Android) and are free.

Click the below links to go to these stores to get your free app:

iPhone App at iTunes Store: http://goo.gl/dZnCS5

Android App at Google Play Store: http://goo.gl/kbdUSQ

Posting sponsored by ChickenWaterer.com, makers of the BriteTap automatic poultry waterer. The BriteTap waterer shields water from dirt and poop. The water stays clean and there are no messy pans for you to wash out.