Can I convince chickens to use a nipple watering system while there is a pool for my ducks?

[drewskimac]

Is it possible for me to convince chickens to use a nipple watering system and take away the open source they currently have?
They are currently sharing a water dish with ducks and I am having to dump and clean it 4 or 5 times a day. This wont work out for me when I leave on the weekends, so, I am hoping I can set up a nipple watering system for the chickens to keep their water clean and plentiful and let the duckies drink and dirty up their little kiddie pool.

Thankyou all.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi there,

From my experience, chickens will always preferably drink from an open water source. I have a nipple feeding system which my flock normally use but if it rains, or i scrub out the coop, or water the garden, they seek out pools of water, the buckets with water in and my leaking hose pipe immediately.

You may have a challenge since you need to keep some open water available for your ducks, it may be almost impossible to train a chicken to preferentially feed from nipples. Having said that, there's no reason why you should not try. Do it on the cheap by drilling holes in a plastic bucket and suspending the bucket from something (I hang mine from both the roof of a shed and a tree branch). At least this way, you will not have spent time, energy and money on something which may not work.

Good luck!

CT

 

[drewskimac]

That's what I was thinking, thankyou for your input!

 

[Pork Pie]

You're very welcome!