Bird Brained Water System vs. Nipple Waterer

[wildergamebirds]

The Bird Brained waterer does look like a good system.

  I am in the process of moving, I have my new flight pen posts, poles, and cable up (48'X128').  I have 48'X32' enclosed now.  I will dedicate 1/3 (16'X128') to Chukar, then add another pen.

  I had planned to install a nipple watering system, with recirculating water.  Has anyone installed a nipple system, and one like Bird Brained has in his photos?   I was wondering if the time involved drilling holes would override the savings of not buying nipples. Obviously, if one had a lot of 4" PVC and a Forstner bit on hand, it wouldn't make as much sense to buy nipples.  Are there any other advantages of one, over the other?

  Bird Brained, you may have said in the text, do you use a recirculating water, or just fill to bottom of holes?  Is there a functional reason for not having holes in the one section of pipe, or was it just tired arm syndrome?  Did you use a drill press?  The holes look pretty uniformly space/angled.

  Finally, if I split my pen lengthwise, giving me three 16'X128' sections, how should I run my pipes?  Lengthwise for half the total length of each pen?  Two, or three courses across the width?  Assuming 6000 sq. ft., 2 feet per bird for total of 3000, how many total nipples, or how many feet of 4" pipe would be required?  I've read the suggestons from manufacturers, but no one at GM is likely to say you only need one vehicle per family.  What does real world experience say?

[Bird Brained]

I did the drilling with a cordless drill by hand but marked the pipe first where the center of the holes were to be.   I almost used a drill press, but thought it was faster to do by hand.  If you use a drill press you still have to mark all the locations and then set up the press to hold the pipe.  By hand, all you need to do is lay it flat and start drilling.

It was pretty quick drilling, about an hour to drill all the holes in two 10 foot sections of pipe.

The solid section is to give a larger reservoir to hold water and to keep it from getting fouled by birds hanging out in the sheltered end of the pen....just my preference, no other reason.  Main thing is that you just need enough holes to allow the birds using it ample space to drink so they aren't climbing on each others backs to get to a drink hole occupied by another.

I do not recirculate.   No need as I switch to pans in the winter to help ease busting the ice.

Nipple system would be good too if that's your preference....it just costs more for all the nipples.

I'd run the water lengthwise like mine.  If you don't you and the birds will be jumping pipe like they are hurdles to get over them.

[wildergamebirds]

  How did you get so smart?  Are you an Okie?

  All of that makes perfect sense.  My thought about running several courses across was related to recirculating, keeping everything near the brooder, acess doors, and water source end.  But, as you said, that would put them all over the pipe a lot more and promote fouling the water.  And climbing over them on a raised wire floor would be a pain for my lard butt.