Changing how chicks get water

[DLE140]

I have the one with the cups on the side. My chickens can't seem to get the hang of pecking the little yellow thing to get the water. Any advice.

At about 4 weeks I introduced the horizontal watering nipples by flicking the metal center in front of one of my Rhode Island Reds. That's all it took. Once one catches on the rest follow

 

[kelleowen]

My waterer has the little red cups.

At about 4 weeks I introduced the horizontal watering nipples by flicking the metal center in front of one of my Rhode Island Reds. That's all it took. Once one catches on the rest follow

 

[kelleowen]

Ok thank you very much.... I appreciate it...

 

[kelleowen]

My waterer has the little red cups.

Thanks for the information. I appreciate it.

 

[ChickenMammX4]

Mine switch back & forth between a gravity water in winter (to use with a warmer) and vertical nipples in summer (attached to a igloo cooler). They do fine.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

My chicks use the vertical nipples as soon as they can reach them. The horizontal nipples are harder to make work (because they return via spring rather than gravity), and chicks won't be able to use them until they get older and strong enough to push them in.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Okay. Do think they work better than the other kind?

Yes. No leaks, they don't freeze in the winter (as long as you keep the water inside the container from freezing), and the container itself can be set on blocks rather than hung.

 

[coopdeville15]

I started my chicks in the brooder when they were just a week or two old. My nipples are mounted on PVC pipe and are angled down at about 45 degrees approximately. They took to it very quickly. I put some of their food near, but not under the nipples and they would bump into the nipples while feeding, causing the nipples to leak a little. They learned quickly from there. Once one does it, they will all do it.

 

[coopdeville15]

I started my chicks in the brooder when they were just a week or two old. My nipples are mounted on PVC pipe and are angled down at about 45 degrees approximately. They took to it very quickly. I put some of their food near, but not under the nipples and they would bump into the nipples while feeding, causing the nipples to leak a little. They learned quickly from there. Once one does it, they will all do it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I believe they do. The other kind( vertical) must be mounted on the bottom of a bucket making it harder to set the bucket on the ground when cleaning and filling

Yes, which is annoying.
Another reason they're better is that the vertical kind will freeze in winter even with heated water. The horizontal ones are less prone to do so since the seal is internal to the water reservoir.