My chicken is spilling water on purpose

[smileygreen64]

One of my coops water has been empty everyday the past week or so. I have three leghorns in that pen and I couldn't figure out how they were drinking so much more than the other pens, so I watched them for a while today.

My rooster is spilling the water on purpose. I have hanging waterers and he will take a drink or two like a normal chicken and then jump on the rim and spill it out and drink off the ground.

Has anyone else ever had this happen? I guess its not a real problem. I am out there everyday, so I just fill it back up. It is a little annoying though. Any ideas on how to stop this? I sat it up on a block while I was out there and he just knocked it off.

Thanks for any advice or comments.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Are you opposed to the idea of a nipple water system?

 

[smileygreen64]

Are you opposed to the idea of a nipple water system?

I thought about that. Do chickens naturally know how to drink from them or is there some teaching involved?

 

[FlyWheel]

They figure it out. Chickens will peck at just about anything new, and as soon as one does he/she will realize that doing this = water. The others will soon follow suit, especially if they see another chicken drinking from it.

 

[lazy gardener]

One of my coops water has been empty everyday the past week or so. I have three leghorns in that pen and I couldn't figure out how they were drinking so much more than the other pens, so I watched them for a while today.

My rooster is spilling the water on purpose. I have hanging waterers and he will take a drink or two like a normal chicken and then jump on the rim and spill it out and drink off the ground.

Has anyone else ever had this happen? I guess its not a real problem. I am out there everyday, so I just fill it back up. It is a little annoying though. Any ideas on how to stop this? I sat it up on a block while I was out there and he just knocked it off.

Thanks for any advice or comments.

How big is the waterer? Why not just give them a bucket, about chest height? It might be easier for you to top off the bucket as needed than to keep re-filling the waterer you have now. Of course, nipple waterers are an other option.

 

[smileygreen64]

How big is the waterer?  Why not just give them a bucket, about chest height?  It might be easier for you to top off the bucket as needed than to keep re-filling the waterer you have now.  Of course, nipple waterers are an other option.

I had a one gallon hanging waterer. Now I have a top fill 3 gallon waterer I built a base for so they aren't scratching leaves into it. It seems to be working good until I get the nipple system figured out. Thanks for the advice.