Chicks keep soaking themselves!

[jesirose]

I have a bunch of chicks that are 5 days old now. They keep huddling under the waterer and getting soaking wet and then piling up together in a big wet pile of baby chicks! What the heck? They have plenty of room to be NOT under the waterer.

 

[silkielover249]

try putting marbles in the water so they wont fall in and get as wet. them piling up, im not sure, at least they're social little guys!

 

[SobbaChickens]

I'm assuming your waterer is hanging. How about putting something under it instead? When my chicks were that young I used a small Tupperware container that was around 1.5in high. I personally never had an issue with the chicks getting in the water but the marble idea from silkielover249 is awesome.

 

[jesirose]

It's a hanging nipple drinker. I can try putting a block of wood so they can't get directly under it. Ill have to make sure they can still drink from it. It's so weird my other chicks never did anything like that!

 

[mithious]

It's a hanging nipple drinker. I can try putting a block of wood so they can't get directly under it. Ill have to make sure they can still drink from it. It's so weird my other chicks never did anything like that!

Kinda hard to put marbles in the nipple drinker

to prevent them getting wet LOL!

I think your idea of a piece of wood, maybe a scrap 2 by 4? is a great idea. I use 2 by 4 scraps for all kinds of things with my birds

Maybe make some kind of contraption that is teepee like, so they can't get under so easy but can still drink? DIY and some thought can get you far! It doesn't have to be fancy, just workable!

Good luck in figuring this out! I was looking at those water set ups also. Seems a MUCH better way to water and keep it clean! I have it book marked! The article I read said they should be reaching just a bit to drink...maybe raise it a tad? Just a thought!

One more thought, is it too hot in your brooder? I would think, under the cool water container. would be a great place to go if I was too hot? It is summer, so harder to get the temps right and they really don't need as much heat, to bring the heat up to the right temp. Do you have a thermometer? Check your heat and see if that's the problem. My chicks never did like it at the temps that are recommended

They are 3 weeks today and went out to their coop yesterday with no light at all. All are doing fine...just another thought to check your temps and watch how your birds react!

 

[jesirose]

Yeah it's been hot all week so we've actually never used a heat lamp with them, we put it on and they were way too hot. It's been 90-95. Today should be closer to 85.

 

[mithious]

Yeah I had the temp problem here the first week I had mine and what made me think of the temp, was mine all huddled around the water container, which had cool water in it...

Maybe with the cooler temps today, you might see them not doing the huddle under the nipple water container thing?

Hope so!!!! That would answer your question, wouldn't it?

Good luck with whatever you decide to do and hope the wee ones stop getting themselves all wet!!!