Nipple waterers and baby chicks? ..anybody doing this?

[happydog]

Where is a good place to buy them?

 

[Forgetfulfreda]

http://www.avianaquamiser.com

 

[Beekissed]

Ebay or Amazon.

 

[pawtraitart]

We only use the horizontal nipples past the 10 day old mark. (a bit longer for baby quail) These babies don't use conventional drinkers anymore. We used to use the vertical nipples but they dripped causing the bedding to get too wet. The first 10 days I have a cup drinker in their brooder box. That's what the empty mounting bracket in the middle is for.

 

[hooktontravel]

What are you using for the feeder in that video? It looks like there would be much less spilling/waste than an open dish or the chick feeders I see.

 

[MeepBeep]

Looks like a PVC street 45° or possibly 22.5° inserted into the bottom of a container...

 

[hooktontravel]

Anyone have tips for getting the little guys to start pushing the pins to make the water flow? Mine are 2 weeks old. They LOVE drinking from the little indentations in the bottom of the nipple, but don't 'get' the peck-the-stem idea. They run over when I stick my hand to push it... I have tapped it. they watch...but they don't quite comprehend. How thirsty do they need to be before they will manage it? There are only 3 of the older chicks, so they didn't spill anything when I use a half-cup canning jar with marbles in it, nor have they walked in it EXCESSIVELY, but I really want them to move to the nipples because they're getting big enough i can see trouble looming soon.

I put two nipples on a pint-size plastic cream bottle that has flat sides. They have had it since they were about 6 days old, but I left the marble-bowl in because I wasn't sure they were strong enough to peck for water. Now I know they are! They aren't real hard peckers on anything, though. the only treat they will even bother to look at & taste is the dried mealworms...


I want the big guys to get it so their little one-week-old pals will watch them and learn!

 

[MeepBeep]

Grab them with your hands and push the nipple with their own beak a few times, repeat for each bird...

 

[Western North Carolina]

I think the original point here was that nipples are too difficult for tiny chicks to use. I'll have bantam chicks that are only a few days old. Are they going to be able to use a standard nipple waterer? Doubt it. I saw the idea about using a gerbil waterer. I wonder if that would work for tiny bantam chicks. Once they are older, nipples all the way, but for now I need a different option, along with the person who originally posted this. I don't want to waste money on a gerbil waterer if it won't work for the chicks.

 

[5.3acredream]

I had the vertical nipple waterers with my standard sized day old chicks. I didn't even give them a choice, just taught them that's where the water is and all 6 of them got the hang of it within an hour. I got a pack on Amazon, they are quite flimsy so it was exactly what I needed for weak little chick necks.

I think the original point here was that nipples are too difficult for tiny chicks to use. I'll have bantam chicks that are only a few days old. Are they going to be able to use a standard nipple waterer? Doubt it. I saw the idea about using a gerbil waterer. I wonder if that would work for tiny bantam chicks. Once they are older, nipples all the way, but for now I need a different option, along with the person who originally posted this. I don't want to waste money on a gerbil waterer if it won't work for the chicks.