chicks drinking enough water? using nipple waterer

[ngraysmith]

Hello everyone. I have 10 three week old chicks in my bathtub

They look pretty happy. About three days ago I switched them to a nipple waterer. I made sure I saw each of them drink. I'm worried, however, that they aren't drinking enough. I keep putting the old style chick waterer from the feed store in at night just to make sure. The level in the nipple waterer hardly seemed to change last night. Neither did the level in the chick waterer. So, my question is, how much do chicks drink? How would I know they are drinking enough? Thanks!

Nicole

 

[7L Farm]

I would think they would drink more water from a conventional water er than a nipple. You could probably do a test. I personally wouldn't use nipples.Chickens need alot of water & like you I'd be worried that they weren't getting enough. My chickens like to gulp their water & spill it all down their throat. Their slob's

 

[myfivegirls]

Sombody on here did a test. They use the traditional waterer and then the nipple waterer, separately, and found that their chickens drank more from the nipple. It's just that they will go for open water whenever it's available. The reason why people use the nipple waterers is because it provides cleaner water. Hope this helps.

 

[amberflea]

I started this springs chicks on the nipple waterer right away,

I took them over to it and pecked there beaks on it at least 3 times a day for the first 2 or 3 days after they were born. I then saw them go over on their own after eating and drinking within 2 days.

I did measure the water in the bottle to make sure they were consuming it, which surprisingly they consume more than you would think, and all CLEAN water!!

I WILL NEVER go back to the conventional drinking dish or waterer. My life became instantly easier...

:yiipchick
before I was changing water 3 times a day trying to keep water clean, as you know chicks (and also hatch guinea keets) are quite the little pigs,

getting poop, food and what not in the water dish within seconds after cleaning it...

it was a constant chore to try to keep it CLEAN. Now I fill the bottle up every 3 days, swish it out and put clean water in. Oh the joy.... I recommend this to anyone! I also have this for my adult chickens in coop, 4 nipples on a 4 ft pvc pipe connected to a 5 gal bucket. We frequently visit our cabin up north for weekends in the summer, my mind is at ease knowing my chickens have fresh water for the weekend without me having to be there and change it!!

 

[ngraysmith]

I love it as well because it is clean clean clean! I'm just wondering how much they should be drinking? And are there signs of dehydration? Thanks!

Nicole

 

[amberflea]

They will drink when they are thirsty and as they need it, just because its not sitting in a bowl doesn't mean they won't drink when they need it...
They drink more from a nipple waterer than a dish... plus its clean which in turn helps prevent diseases and sickness, so I guess I don't know what you mean by 'signs of dehydration'

 

[catchthewind]

I bought a little chick waterer (the type you screw a mason jar into) when I first got my chicks as I didn't have anything made for them with our nipples yet. I tell you, after one day with that thing, if that was the only option I had I think I'd have given up on chickens altogether by now. I don't know if my little chicks are just way messier than your average chick or what, but there is no way I could get away with only cleaning it 2 or 3 times a day. I was pulling shavings and poo out of it every half an hour, even when I raised it up on a block! I love my nipple waterer. When I have put new chicks in, I've put the other waterer in again too until I see the new chicks use the nipple, which normally doesn't take long. As soon as I see them use it I've just been assuming they know what it is and out comes the waterer. Though I have one little chick in there now who I've never seen use it, though I've seen her over there watching the others. So right now the jar waterer is in there again too. I take it out periodically throughout the day to try and encourage her to use the nipple. Whenever I put it back in the cage they all run over to it and start drinking, but they do that whenever I put anything new in there so it doesn't worry me.

 

[amberflea]

I would take the chick over there and peck its beak on it so it can feel the water coming out... a couple times a day, that way it might catch on faster... but I bet its drinking, just when you're not there!

I can't imagine trying to keep the watering dish clean with shavings... I usually put the chicks on dog pee pads with paper towels over the top of that, and then change the paper towels 3 times a day. They are on shavings now after 3 weeks, as I moved them out in a brooder in the coop. I've made several different styles of nipple waterers, some out of a regular polycarbonate water bottle (the kind you buy to put in a back pack or for people who carry their own refillable bottle) for the small brooder, and will put in a larger one with 2 nipples once they are older in the large brooder.

 

[catchthewind]

Quote:
Thank you! I will try that. She's tiny compared to the rest (but can reach it), but oh so sweet. My three year old is in love with her. I just don't want to accidentally dehydrate her or something. I do need to figure out a better system for our nipple, but what we're using now (vinegar bottle sitting on top of a box and then tied to the side of the brooder to keep it stable) seems to be working ok.

 

[Gypsy07]

I just started using hamster water bottles with my last two batches of chicks. They've been using them for a couple of months now. I reckon they must be getting enough water from them, as they're all thriving!