Chickens and Nipple Waterers

[sanchabird]

I have 4 chickens, they are two years old. I just got a nipple waterer. I can't get them to drink out of it. I tried tapping the nipple, holding them up to it, and holding them up and putting their beak on it so water comes out. When I put their beaks on it, they drank, but as soon as I hung it back up, they wouldn't touch it. I put my vacation waterer under the porch just so they could get water, but i don't want to have to use that one. Does anyone know another way to get them to drink out of the nipple waterer?

 

[foreverlearning]

Use your head hen as the one to teach. If she gets it all the rest will follow. Teach them in the spot where it is normally.

 

[chad-o]

If you have horizontal nipples remove all their other water they will all be drinking in 24 hr.

 

[WindStep]

That is true if they know there is water in the nipples and you take all the other waterers away they will have to drink it.

 

[sanchabird]

I took the waterer away when I brought the new one in, but they free range in my backyard where there are puddles and drainage pipes to drink out of. My head hen was isolated due to an injury but she's back and there really isnt one right now. I tried the peanut butter thing but they don't like peanut butter, so then I tried yogurt and they were more interested in the bugs around me than touching the nipples. Btw it's a vertical waterer. Got any other ideas?

 

[jetdog]

Mine were nervous at first because the bucket was swinging when they pecked at the nipples, I put a bungee cord around the bucket so it wasn't a 40 pound wrecking ball and they took right to it.