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Pullet/Chick Rearing For those producers wishing to change from bell drinkers to nipples, the Quill Drinker is the number one system to use. Unlike nipple lines where the change must be 'all or nothing', Quill Drinkers can replace bell drinkers at a pace to suit the proprietors own requirements. This means houses can be changed over gradually, even while flocks are housed. Approved by Freedom Food, the Quill Drinker is a product that we know can dramatically enhance the life of all poultry. Used inside, the Quill Drinker can take birds from day olds to adults in one simple process and offers a much more hygienic way of getting water to birds than the conventional bell shaped drinker. The advantages of using the Quill Drinker over an open water system are clear – the benefit of cleaner water therefore a reduction in disease, drier bedding and reduced time and labour (the drinkers do not need to be cleaned out on a daily basis, only between flocks) are all benefits that poultry farmers will observe, as soon as the drinkers are installed. Once in operation the Quill Drinker is a low maintenance system. The only thing required is that as the birds grow the height of the drinker is altered accordingly. Unique Benefit for Pullet Rearers The Quill Drinker fills a unique role on farms rearing pullets on bell drinkers alone. Quite often, when chicks arrive on site, the rearer has no idea as to which drinking system his or her birds will move onto at 16 weeks. If reared purely on open drinkers, a change to nipples after 16 weeks could lead to dehydration and stress, as the birds get used to new watering system. The fitting of Quill Drinkers within a brooder shed, whilst retaining a few bell drinkers, ensures that the birds get educated onto both drinking systems. This proves invaluable, as the rearer can offer birds to his or her customer’s, safe in the knowledge that they will be educated to both nipple and bell drinking systems. Where bell type drinkers are present, the Quill Drinker is a direct replacement, so each Quill Drinker can supply water to 100 birds.
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