Best type of system for guinea's water

[TonyaS]

I'm hoping someone might have some advice for me. I have 18 chicks and 12 keets that are 5 weeks old today. A couple weeks ago we were able to switch to using a hanging bucket with the nipples on the bottom for the chicks water instead of the stand up small water container that I constantly had to clean. We tried to switch the keets to the same thing but they didn't seem to ever figure out how to drink from it. We tried changing the nipples to the cups but they still didn't take to them even though I showed a few of the keets that there was water inside the cups. They will be moved out into their coops this weekend and I'm hoping I can use the less messy hanging water system with both the chickens and the guineas. The keets are constantly pooping and flinging the bedding in the water so I have to change it multiple times a day so they have clean water. Does anyone know how I can train them to use the nipples and/or cups? Is there any other water system anyone can recommend that would be better?

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I just use a normal waterer and have it set up on a piece of concrete. I know that doesn't help with what you are asking about cups and nipples but keeping it elevated keeps it clean(er).

 

[Chickiemom25]

When my keets were in the nursery they had a cup of water with rocks in the bottom. Now they have a regular waterer for the ones still confined and the freerangers have bowls in the yard to access. No one has dropped dead from the extreme heat yet so they must be figuring it out

 

[TonyaS]

Thank you very much! I looked up some good examples online of ways to elevate the water to keep them from flinging so much stuff in it. I guess because my chicks took to the change so quickly I was hoping the keets would too. Probably just a sign of how they'll keep me guessing in the future lol!

 

[Joe Soslick]

We started with one of these for the keets:

and then I made a 5gal bucket when they were about 3 weeks old using these (due largely to the same issue, they were kicking pine chips into it and pooping in it):


and they seemed to figure it out soon enough... I figure if they get thirsty enough, they'll do anything to find water. So far, so good.

If you do use the watering cups and a bucket, make sure you add a small hole in the top or side, or leave your lid popped just a little, otherwise you'll create a vacuum and the water won't flow. Ask me how I know

I have a few videos where I talk about it on my YouTube channel, if you are interested. Hope this helps!

 

[BlueShadow]

I don't think guineas drink quite as much water as chickens, so if you were relying on seeing the keets use the waterer, that may be why you didn't see it.

Other than that, we have always used the traditional style waterer with our guineas. I have switched to the nipple waterers with my chickens and love those, a lot less mess, but the guineas have stayed with a water bowl. Because they free range, its just easier to let them drink from the same bowl the cats use. That's what we do in winter, too.

 

[TonyaS]

I don't think guineas drink quite as much water as chickens, so if you were relying on seeing the keets use the waterer, that may be why you didn't see it.

Other than that, we have always used the traditional style waterer with our guineas. I have switched to the nipple waterers with my chickens and love those, a lot less mess, but the guineas have stayed with a water bowl. Because they free range, its just easier to let them drink from the same bowl the cats use. That's what we do in winter, too.

Good to know and makes sense! I see my chicks drinking all the time but I only see the keets drink when I first clean out and fill their waterer. I basically just changed my focus to trying to find the best way to position or elevate the traditional waterer to avoid some of the mess since that's the type they seem to prefer. Since I'm in Florida and it gets very hot, I worry about them getting enough water to stay hydrated. I've read about giving them frozen "treats" using veggies or fruits to help keep them cool as well as giving them entertainment but I wasn't sure how old they need to be before I can give them those types of foods. I'm sure they will find more places to drink water once they are free ranging so this is basically just for the times they are in their coop and/or run.

 

[BlueShadow]

Good to know and makes sense! I see my chicks drinking all the time but I only see the keets drink when I first clean out and fill their waterer. I basically just changed my focus to trying to find the best way to position or elevate the traditional waterer to avoid some of the mess since that's the type they seem to prefer. Since I'm in Florida and it gets very hot, I worry about them getting enough water to stay hydrated. I've read about giving them frozen "treats" using veggies or fruits to help keep them cool as well as giving them entertainment but I wasn't sure how old they need to be before I can give them those types of foods. I'm sure they will find more places to drink water once they are free ranging so this is basically just for the times they are in their coop and/or run.

Regarding treats - as long as you are feeding grit, you can offer fruits or veggies as treats at any time. Grit is good for them at all ages, so worth it to pick some up even if you aren't offering treats.

HOWEVER, regarding treats for guinea keets - if you plan to free range your guineas, please be aware that they seem to develop their food preferences as keets. So offer treats that you are okay with them eating as adults. (i.e. we stuck with grains and special plants picked out of the lawn that they found particularly tasty and avoided garden fruits/veggies). For the most part, this worked well for us and the guineas leave the garden produce alone. The only exception was strawberries, they never had those for their first year of life, but it only took one taste for those to become a favorite! So I have to fence off my strawberry patch each spring, which is unfortunate because I would dearly love them to eat all the mosquitos that hide in there!

 

[Joe Soslick]

Has anyone had success with using nipple feeders with guineas? I'm still using the cup-style waterers I posted above, but they constantly perch on top of the bucket and crap all inside the cups

 

[Krazyquilts]

For my latest brooder of birdbrains (a mix of Keets and Narragansett turkey poults with some random chicks thrown in as an effort to get the guineas to calm the cluck down), I used the Premier 1 Chick Nipple Waterer https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/...SpCVfX_vFRdL8PETM475V_Lp56sDbpUwaArmlEALw_wcB
and it has worked great! Clean, poop-free water that doesn't get brooder material in it. Occasionally it leaks but I just put a small plastic lid under it when that happens. I added a second one as the birdbrains got bigger to make sure they don't run out. They don't go through nearly as much water this way and the brooder stays dryer. I already bought the stuff for larger nipple waterers when they transition out to the coop.