Am I doing the right thing, or am I killing them?

[jahphotogal]

As I've posted before, my girls have absolutely refused to use the nipple waterer. I've held their beaks to it til the water dribbled down their throats, I've taped seeds and mealworms up on it so that they are pecking near the nipples, and when I put it in, two weeks ago, I put the old waterer out in the yard so they could only get to it when I let them out of the coop. No luck - they just wait til they get out and head straight for the waterer. So this morning, I put the waterer out of sight and left them in the coop ALL DAY. (It has a little run - they're annoyed but not too confined.) So either they drank from the nipple waterer or didn't drink at all. I wasn't home all day - came home after dark. My daughter said there was only one egg today (lately there have been 3 most days) - could that be a sign that they are getting dehydrated? (After one day?)

Should I watch tomorrow and see if they are drinking? Leave them in another day and trust they'll be OK? Or just let them out and give up on it if they're not using it yet?

 

[Choco Maran]

If they have not learned to use the nipples by now they may never. I would give up.

 

[jahphotogal]

Yes - I couldn't keep them locked up for a second day so I put the old waterer back and let them out. Too bad - was looking forward to not having to refill and clean out (and break up ice) every day!

 

[featheredmom]

LOL, I think our chickens have us trained vs the other way around...mine wouldn't use a nipple waterer either, don't feel bad. I gave in pretty easily as well, couldn't stand to watch them suffer.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

I use to keep my ducks in the pen with them. {had to move the ducks, young rooster trying to mate with the female duck and hurting her. } But if you have ducks you know that there pool water will be black in hours after changing it. I would refill the chickens water and they would rather drink from the stinky, black duck pool. Facts, they are chickens!!!

I bought a pig trough from TSC. Works great for water and easy to clean.