EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Don't know why I waited years to do this, but I spent all afternoon yesterday re-plumbing all my kennels and installing the Lixit nozzles.  At the suggestion of a friend, I put a wad of peanut butter on the end of each one when I was finished to get the dogs to lick them and see the water.

Anyone else use these, and was there anything else to get the dogs to start using them?  Do I just assume they will figure it out?

By the way...here's a link to the cheapest I have found these.  I ordered 15 and they all came bulk together.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/370691137890?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/370691137890?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649)

I've used them before. Great investment!

All I had to do was show the dogs the water and where it came out from and they all seemed to naturally catch on right away.

they work great...they last for years and no more slim in the buckets... :)

Best money I ever spent on my kennels Bryant! Those things make life easy. I used the peanut butter trick and they all took to them within a couple hours.

What do yall do about freezing

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Good question, and a picture of what I did would probably explain better than I can with words...I'll try to take one this evening.

Basically, the way my pens are set up is that each pen is fed from a main water "loop" running overhead with a drop in each pen.  The loop is controlled by a valve at the corner of my building.  Off that valve, I put a T with a second valve.  Off that second valve I attached a air hose fitting.  My plan is to close the water valve and open the air fitting valve.  I have a small portable air tank I will connect to the air fitting, which will pressurize the line.  Then just walk to each kennel and push the lixit stem over to flush out water.

Sounds good in theory and I have it all plumbed in, but I haven't tried it out yet.

All my pipes are insulated but my wash down hose bib is at the end of my line so If it's going to freeze I just drain it down from the hose bib. 

Heck yea you can't beat lixits, if your dogs won't drink out of them make sure you flush each lixit because the water tastes like glue until you flush it real good. When it freezes I just drain mine and go back to buckets, gets pretty cold here in the winter

Not to play devils advocate ....Just some precautions from a past isolated  experience. Installed a few several years ago and had one stick after a successful week trial. Bad part is if no bucket is present.......hard to determine if dogs are actively drinking until it is getting dangerous.  This was a summertime experiment that nearly cost me two fine dogs. 

Scared me bad enough to go back to the buckets.

I am sure they have come a ways since those and may possibly have some failsafes.....just watch em close boys. 

Let us know how they turn out for ya Bryant.

I have had mine in my kennels  for 7 years and have never had a problem. Bryant I put a shut off at the end off mine. And when I want to drain it before a freeze I shut the  water off and open shut off valve then open my closet facet and it all runs out the hose .

x2 on the block and bleeds...have had mine for many years without problems...even the pups learn pretty quick on how to use them...

(http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af5/cuell27393/DSCN8137.jpg) (http://s988.photobucket.com/user/cuell27393/media/DSCN8137.jpg.html)

So out of 12 kennels, I have 9 that are using the lixits no prob.  3 dogs that haven't used them are older dogs.  Seems like pups were the first to figure them out.  I guess because they are more curious and just have a tendency to mess with things.  One of the older dogs got cut pretty good on Saturday so I just put a bucket back in his pen so not to stress him for a while.  Any other ideas to get these other older dogs online?  Someone suggested wedging Pepperoni's in the stems.

How are you determining which dogs are not using the licks Bryant?
 

I've used several signs to see if the dogs are using them.  The kennels where the lixits are used usually have a wet spot on the ground under the nozzle.  I've also been watching when I've been feeding.  My dogs will all eat, immediately get a drink then return to barrels.  What I've done on the dogs I suspect aren't using them is to take a bucket of water in the kennel and sit in front of them.  The dog that is cut and I suspected wasn't using his lixit....he hunted hard Saturday morning.  That afternoon when I went down to check on him ground was dry under the lixit.  I put a bucket of water in the kennel and he drank almost half a bucket.  No doubt he wasn't using the lick.

I'll eventually get them all going...just may take a little time with a couple of them.  Just looking for a quick fix I guess.


 

I have been using them for 20 years in my kennel.When I have a dog that is not using it I make sure the dog is thirsty,go outside the kennel and call him to the nipple and stick my hand inside the kennel pet him and then depress the nipple.This has worked 100 % of the time.

I do not have to worry much about freezing but if I think it is going to freeze I will turn water off, feed dogs and they will drain the nipples because thet drink immediately after eating.

try some peanut butter.

Peanut butter works well.

He did use peanut butter. He stated that in his first post, its in the sec or third sentence.

sorry, didn't go back and read the prior posts.

cold bacon fat or lard?

same thing I was worried about and it happen it got hot lixit wasn't working dogs weren't getting water and it was hot I noticed the dog not looking right water was the first thought ! I have buckets again galvanized ones no green in them yet I've had them at least a yr I dump them out and refill them 1 time every 2 weeks

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