# Poultry nipples for pigeons?



## gjk50 (May 10, 2014)

Will pigeons drink from poultry nipples? I bought a bucket fitted with four "poultry nipples", seemed like a great way to water the birds, less waste, cleaner water, etc. They don't seem to be interested. I was told that unlike chickens and ducks, a pigeon has to suck up its water into its mouth. Anyone have any experience with this?


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## RockPigeon<3er (Aug 2, 2012)

Yes, pigeons use their beak as a straw, so sadly, nipples won't work.


Also, as an off topic side note, these nipples work best for chickens. Waterfowl should not be used with these nipples, unless you have another source of water they can dip their a entire head in. If they do not, their skin gland can get clogged and will look less healthy.


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## gjk50 (May 10, 2014)

I was hoping to use the nipples in conjunction with a rooftop rainwater collection system to pipe the water into the loft and then attach the nipples to the pipe. Can you suggest a similar setup that would work for pigeons? The loft is 45 minutes from my home and would like to only have to go there maybe twice a week.


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## RockPigeon<3er (Aug 2, 2012)

Are you saying you'll only be able to visit the loft twice a week, or the rain water collection system?

If you could do a drip system I suppose, where water drips out. Or some sort of system where it pipes the water directly into the bowls, and stops at a certain level. Like a gravity feeder I guess.

I'm terrible at this and am not the person you should be asking.


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## wyllm (Nov 24, 2012)

This is an *important *distniction that the public needs to know and _*we, as fanciers, need to teach them*_. Many communities lump pigeons in with fowl, but they are *NOT *fowl. Pigeons suck water like a straw through their beak. Fowl, on the other hand, fills their beak and tilts their head back to swallow it. Watch chickens to see this in motion.


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

Hello. I have been wanting to try the nipple system and see how it goes, but so far people are saying that it does not work. I do not see why the pigeon can not push the metal pin and suck the water as it comes out.


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## gjk50 (May 10, 2014)

I guess that either a "gravity" or "float system" would be what I want to do, just not exactly sure how to make them work. As I said, the loft is at a remote location so its difficult to visit on a daily basis. I have more than enough rooftop area to collect rainwater into a barrel, just need to figure out how to bring it into the loft on a regulated basis and disperse it into bowls or trays as needed.


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## wyllm (Nov 24, 2012)

I tend to be survival minded, often wishing I was in a position to live off the grid. Alas, I have bills and a family, so I must work.

Still, I have pretty much imagined what I could do off the grid. Your loft sounds like a good candidate if you have the means to set it up.

1. Electric could be provided, enough for lights and a small pump, with use of a small solar panel cell. You'll want a really small one so that it doesn't produce more than you can use. Plus, I'd look at it as a mini science project to set it up. Imagine a solar panel that provides enough power to illuminate a loft, if you wish, operate a small water pump as needed, or power an electric perimeter line to dissuade predators. You won't need many volts so, again, I stress small.
2. There are many rainwater collection methods on the web and this is but one, http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Rainwater-Collection-System, that you can build for a few bucks. Some commercial stores sell kits that you can put together. Adding a small submersible pump on a timer could pump a little water into the waterers on a set timing.
3. A small security camera with remote access, powered by your small solar panel, can give you eyes into the loft from afar.

Despite all this, being in the loft often is good for you and the birds because it helps relax you and helps them to come to know you better. Not like that. Plus, you can catch issues before they become problems.

You know, Dr. Emmett Brown could set you up quite nicely.


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## gjk50 (May 10, 2014)

Actually some good ideas there wyllm, but don't really want to get into the solar panel thing right now. Did get some info though from another site. Plan to use an automatic waterer system, either by Little Giant or Chicken Fountain. Both will provide water to drinking bowls from the rain barrels as needed, without the use of electricity.


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## Ross Howard (Nov 26, 2009)

Pigeons like horses have to stick there faces into water up to there eyes almost & suck it up . It's the way they were made .


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

Hello. I have decided that the nipple drinkers are out of the question because of this ad: _Hi I'm selling my chicken nipple drinkers 8 nipple drinkers with 5 gallon water I'm using couple time for my pigeon but doesn't work for pigeon I'm selling $20 any body interested pls call show contact info pls serous buyer only no txt just leave messages if doesn't pickup thanks.
_


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

You can buy the automatic waterer from foys or build one yourself and connect it to your main line outlet of the water harvester. What are you planning to do for the feed? Gravity based feeders?
How big is your loft and how many pigeons do you have?
visiting the loft just twice a week may not be a good idea. Have a plan on how to manage
1) rodents
2) injuries
3) latency in noticing signs of disease
4) cleaning
5) bullies
6) observe who is mating with whom


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## to_man (Aug 4, 2015)

*Horizontal poultry nipples for pigeons*

I was trying to use the horizontal poultry nipples for my pigeons and the pigeons didnt take long to learn the trick.

I wanted to use poultry nipples because I didnt want to do the cleaning job of the drinkers in the winter time.

I chose the horizontal nipples instead of the vertical ones because the vertical ones are well known to leak.

The horizontal nipples worked wonderfully, installed on square bucket in the coop or installed on a small bottle for my breeding cage, they dont leak and they dont stick out too much to collect the poop.
I started using the nipples more than a week ago and didn't have to clean up the nipples even once.
Cleaning up those nipples would need a small piece of paper towel. Very fast and easy job compared to cleaning a pigeon drinker.

In the next winter I'll just have to put an 100 w aquarium heater tat the bottom of the bucket and my pigeons will have water all the long and one bucket full will last about two weeks.

Remember that pigeons are way more intelligent than chickens.
If chickens can use those nipples then pigeons can too.

I'll post my video on youtube.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Wow! I would not have believed that. Thanks for the pic.


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

to_man said:


> I was trying to use the horizontal poultry nipples for my pigeons and the pigeons didnt take long to learn the trick.
> 
> I wanted to use poultry nipples because I didnt want to do the cleaning job of the drinkers in the winter time.
> 
> ...


Althought a pretty cool idea, the two weeks of not having to CHANGE the water is looking for trouble. Especially with heaters. If you have any canker and all birds do, you risk, and a big risk of the canker multiplying in those drinkers. Now add HEAT to that for the winter and the trouble doubles. I have had canker issues and have cut my water down by half in the gallon drinkers and change them daily to keep any trich down. In winter I used to heat with the large round electric heaters and set the drinkers on top and the issue was worse. I then allowed the drinkers to freeze overnight, removed the heaters. Changed canker meds and change the water daily, it is all finally under control. I would not advise any drinkers be left to grow bacteria from dirty beaks for two weeks, without being changed or washed, just my two cents and experience and a bad one at that.


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## Whytpigeon (Sep 14, 2015)

I would worry that they were not getting enough water. They suck a
Lot down after they eat, they ESP need allot of water when feeding babies. Lack of enough after eating would make it harder to digest their non-hulled seeds. But perhaps they do not need as much as I think they do. I would keep an eye out for dehydration when it gets hot out.


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## rpalmer (Mar 10, 2011)

to_man said:


> I wanted to use poultry nipples because I didnt want to do the cleaning job of the drinkers in the winter time.
> 
> .


From looking at your photo, you need to get those birds off the ground, clean their nest bowls that can't be being used for nesting, clean out your modified white jug that is full of nothing useful and change their water daily.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

rpalmer said:


> From looking at your photo, you need to get those birds off the ground, clean their nest bowls that can't be being used for nesting, clean out your modified white jug that is full of nothing useful and change their water daily.



I have to agree with rpalmer. I was only looking at the bird drinking, but went back and looked. Your enclosure is really dirty and should be cleaned. That is how you will get sick birds. I think you really need to spend more time there, rather than trying to figure out ways to spend less time. You won't have healthy birds that way.


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

Hello. Can To Man use acv or another antimicrobial in the heated drinker, in the winter, for two weeks to keep out canker or will it mold? Thanks.


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## to_man (Aug 4, 2015)

CBL said:


> Althought a pretty cool idea, the two weeks of not having to CHANGE the water is looking for trouble. Especially with heaters. If you have any canker and all birds do, you risk, and a big risk of the canker multiplying in those drinkers. Now add HEAT to that for the winter and the trouble doubles. I have had canker issues and have cut my water down by half in the gallon drinkers and change them daily to keep any trich down. In winter I used to heat with the large round electric heaters and set the drinkers on top and the issue was worse. I then allowed the drinkers to freeze overnight, removed the heaters. Changed canker meds and change the water daily, it is all finally under control. I would not advise any drinkers be left to grow bacteria from dirty beaks for two weeks, without being changed or washed, just my two cents and experience and a bad one at that.


Being new to the hobby, I really value your comment and after spending sometime observing my pigeons I can say that the nipples are quite safe in terms of contamination.

The nipples are designed to let water flow out from inside the container and down the stems when the stems are pushed in or sideways. My pigeons also learned that if they stick their beaks on one side of the stems they would not get much water and they would get the most only when their beaks are under the stems. After the first few days they all stick their beaks under the stems when they drink.

I can say that water doesnt flow upstream and back in the container from outside and the little amount of water that is in contact with the beaks evaporates after a while. Every early morning when I came out to check my coop the nipples looked dry.

The pic I am attaching to this post is the nipple I use in my breeding cage.
I've been using it for about a month and the water inside the container is always clean and clear. I only had to wipe the nipple maybe twice when the pigeons accidentally sprayed on it.
I just hanged the water container a bit higher and so far no more accident.


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## to_man (Aug 4, 2015)

Whytpigeon said:


> I would worry that they were not getting enough water. They suck a
> Lot down after they eat, they ESP need allot of water when feeding babies. Lack of enough after eating would make it harder to digest their non-hulled seeds. But perhaps they do not need as much as I think they do. I would keep an eye out for dehydration when it gets hot out.


Your comment is a very valid one. I could see that the pigeons took much longer to drink from the nipples than they would from their conventional drinker. And being pigeons, some bullies would chase others away from the nipples.

I installed another water source in the coop to mitigate this potential problem as my pigeons are breeding now. But they seem to prefer the nipples and keep going back to this bucket. The parents have a lot of time to kill in the coop and so far the squabs look healthy.

I would recommend installing a nipple on each opposing side of a square bucket. I am using one bucket for 20 pigeons in my coop.


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

Hello. Thank you for update.


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