chickens not drinking from nipples

[DickMidnight]

Take away the supplemental water .... stop giving them the easy option

it’s out of the coop. training continues tomorrow.

 

[Chookwagn]

Chooks aren't thick..... they will take the easiest option..... but they will quickly learn from each other all you should have to do is show 2 or 3 where the water is and the rest will follow

 

[DickMidnight]

they had nipples only from about 10am today.

they go in to roost right around now.

the plan is to go back into the run tomorrow and do some more training.

 

[3KillerBs]

Take the open waterer out now.

They'll wake up wanting a drink and the ones who understand will teach the others.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Last year, I took out the regular open waterer when I saw that my 3 pullets had figured out the horizontal nipple. My cockerel didn't figure it out. I saw him trying to bite the whole red plastic nipple, and figured he was on his way to getting it right.

Later the second day, he seemed lethargic and I though he looked skinnier...?!? It dawned on me he was dehydrated!

I put out the other waterer, and he went right to it and tanked up.

If I ever try to teach them him HN again, I will put the open waterer out for an hour before dusk to make sure everyone gets water before roosting.

This is why I visually verify that each chicken is drinking before I permanently pull alternate water sources - I've also had a bird that struggled to use the horizontal nipples, and it took maybe 2 weeks for her to really get the hang of it (she knew to go to the nipples, but would wait for someone else to drink and then steal any dripping water).

Realistically with a large flock that's not feasible, but for a smaller flock it doesn't take a lot of extra work to check that each chicken can use the nipples before making that their only water source.

 

[Sally PB]

Realistically with a large flock that's not feasible, but for a smaller flock it doesn't take a lot of extra work to check that each chicken can use the nipples before making that their only water source.

This. Yup. I didn't follow through far enough.

 

[Meyer_Hatchery]

Remove the other water source and make the nipples the only way they get water. They'll always go for the easier way to get water first.