Tabler, T., P. Maharjan, S. Hawkins, Y. Zhao, and J. Urrutia. 2022. Management of Nipple Drinker Watering Systems. Department of Animal Science Publ. No. D 169.
Nipple drinker systems have become the standard for most of the poultry industry. When
managed properly, bird performance and litter quality are excellent with nipple systems, and they save labor by eliminating the chore of cleaning open–type drinker systems of the past. Although labor is greatly reduced with nipple drinker systems, that does not mean they require lessmanagement. If anything, nipple systems require more management and attention to detail than systems of the past. Improper management resulting from mistakes in water line height and regulator pressure can have a detrimental impact on broiler performance and litter quality. Birds consume approximately twice as much water as feed (on a pound for pound basis), and both feed and water consumption steadily increase as a flock ages.
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