Best chicken waterers?

[Dragonfly Farm]

That could be a good way to do it.

For my last batch of hens, years ago in Maine winters, I used an electric dog dish. I think it held a gallon of water. I set it on a couple of bricks on the floor of their house so it was above poo level and ran the chord to a circuit breaker strip. The chord is encased in chew/peck-proof metal and the water stayed luke warm. It was great. I guess I better get another for this winter now that we have moved and have a new batch of birds!
As far as waterers go, I have 3 in the house now-A standard red and white with attached trough, a nipple feeder and a deep sort of a vase with rocks in the bottom to prevent tipping. Beakie prefers the deep one, the others prefer the red and white. No one has figured out the nipples...Such dumb clucks, how do I teach them?!

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

I use three different types of water providers, my dad always sees a new one goes “I like that” and poof we have a new one. I have the nipple water, the cups and the regular tray one that you can pretty much get anywhere. All of them work fine for us. The nipple one is probably the least used but that is because it is a pain to fill up. When it was being used it was good though.

 

[rosemarythyme]

No one has figured out the nipples...Such dumb clucks, how do I teach them?!

Chickens don't prefer nipple waterers. If you want them to use it, remove all other waterers and train them to use it - you can either tap the nipples while they watch to show them how it works, or (better) pick up a few of the more dominant birds and use their beaks to trigger the toggles. Let them drink a few drops, then put them down and see if they start pecking at it.

 

[Nay117]

Hi! New chick mom.. I was going to post a whole new thread but the information on this one did help me .. I know it's an older thread but do you have to train chickens to use the chicken cup or nipple waterer? how do they know to drink from it? Right now i have the waterer with well around base .. it works well but it is smaller and i am looking to upgrade as my chicks are getting bigger and they will be permanently in their outdoor coop soon (still bring them in at night or keep them in on rainy crappy days - they are about 5-6 weeks). I do have to constantly clean bedding out of one I have now but I do plan on hanging one in their outdoor run space. Any advice? Thanks everyone!

 

[aart]

do you have to train chickens to use the chicken cup or nipple waterer?

Yes.

If you live in a freezing climate Horizontal Nipples are best.

I've had all age birds either pick it right up within an hour...and others that take weeks to really figure it out.



Here's my thoughts on 'nipple training'.

First, it's good to know how much water your flock consumes 'normally', I top off water every morning and have marks on the waterers so I know about how much they drink.
Found they drank just as much from the nipples as they did from the open waterer.

-Do not train to nipples during extreme temps when dehydration is more of a risk.

-Show them how with your finger(tho that might just train them to wait for your finger),
and/or manually grab them and push their head/beak onto the trigger(easier with chicks than adults).

-No other water source, best to 'train' during mild weather when dehydration is less of an immediate health risk. I do provide an open waterer late in day to make sure they don't go to roost dehydrated, especially young chicks.

It can take days or weeks to get them fully switched over, just takes observation, consistency, and patience.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Right now i have the waterer with well around base .. it works well but it is smaller and i am looking to upgrade as my chicks are getting bigger and they will be permanently in their outdoor coop soon

I do have to constantly clean bedding out of one I have now but I do plan on hanging one in their outdoor run space. Any advice?

I have 2 gallon Galvanized founts inside coops on 12" pavers during warm weather and a heated base during winter season.

Outside I hang a Galvanized pail.

During winter season I use a rubber bowl.

GC

 

[neo71665]

I use horizontal nipples in a 5 gallon bucket with a heater in it.

https://www.chewy.com/kh-pet-produc...RQOYqMsUtzpSfy1LcOH1RXMcQMjyjslRoCIaIQAvD_BwE

In the winter I have it set on a timer to run for a few hours in the morning. Since changing to this setup I haven't had any frozen water and last winter was one of the worst we had around here in awhile. I only plug it in when I know it's gonna get near or below freezing.