⠀ Chick watering question

[in2camo]

I recently tried to put in an automatic chick waterer in the brooder and haven't had much luck. It's the kind with a clear bottle and a red button and a silver nipple. I left their other dish in there for a day, making sure that they would still have available water. I took it out the next day, but within hours all of the chicks were panting and not using the automatic waterer. I put the dish back in and they drank until their heart was content. Any suggestions on transitioning them. They're almost two weeks old and I'd really like to get them out of the dish as it gets so polluted with shavings.

 

[fried green eggs]

If they were panting you may have the brooder too warm for them? You need to teach them how to get water by holding a chick and push in the nipple with it's beak. Once a few of them get the idea, the others will figure it out. Take out the other water or they won't use the nipples. Little chicks figure out the nipples pretty fast. Older birds that have never used them before are harder to teach.