cups or (straight) nipples?

[FlyWheel]

Hi.

We're going to be receiving four 1 day old fuzz balls in about a week, and I would like to start them off with nipple waterers instead of having to convert them later when the move out into their coop. Please note, these first nipple waterers will be in a brooder than will be indoors, the temperature will never get below 50 F minimum, so freezing will not be an issue.

Which do y'all think would be easier for them to learn and use, the straight peck and drip type or the ones with the cups?

 

[DobieLover]

This is what all the of my broods used from day one. There is a single vertical nipple on the bottom of the bottle.
Brood two used only that for 4 weeks and I had 15 chicks in that group. You just raise the chain as they grow.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Vertical ones are the easiest to learn to use, but make sure to put a dish or something underneath as they do tend to drip.

I don't know if very young chicks can use the cup type. Horizontal ones I know would be difficult as it takes a certain amount of pressure to push it.

 

[Steven Bussell]

I don't think we give enough credit to how smart chickens and ducks can be... I started with a 3 gallon water containers. Soon my ducks were empty it in a day. When to a 5 gallon container. Then I made a waterer with nipples and cups. They use both nipples and cups withwi a few hours.
If you have the space and want to save money get the biggest waterer you can now.
If I ever raise babies again I'm good to go but for now they just sit in the hay loaf above the coop

 

[DolceVita]

Definitely do cups. Chickens love to put their wattles in water on hot days to cool them off. They stay fairly clean but some times get dirt in the cups from their beaks. To clean it out I take a cheap toothbrush and break the dirt up and spray it out.

 

[Twoleggedmotherhen]

The Chicks (6) we got Feb 28th used a regular chick waterer(kept at shoulder height) and had a horizontal waterer in the brooder also. They were 3 weeks when they started using the horizontal waterer. As soon as I saw they were able to use the horizontal I removed the regular chick waterer.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Horizontal is the only way vertical can and will drip
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074FZXS3M/?tag=backy-20

 

[gtaus]

...these first nipple waterers will be in a brooder than will be indoors, the temperature will never get below 50 F minimum, so freezing will not be an issue. Which do y'all think would be easier for them to learn and use, the straight peck and drip type or the ones with the cups?

I still use the old mason jar chick waterer in the brooder and then I have a 3 gallon double wall metal waterer in the coop. What I like about the old system is that I can just look down at the waterer and be assured that the chicks have access to water. Along those lines, I think the cups would be a better option as your chicks can easily see the water and you can see that there is water in the cup. I don't know how much easier that can be. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I'd worry that the nipples are not being pecked hard enough by the young chicks and they get thirsty. At least with the cups, you could see if there is any water in there.

I don't like the idea of the vertical nipples because I know that, sooner or later, I would be putting the bucket down on the ground and breaking the nipples. There are some companies that have special buckets with recessed areas for the nipples, so they do not extend below the bottom of the bucket for that very reason.

I have read good things about all these systems, so maybe it doesn't really matter. I was thinking of making a 5 gallon bucket waterer with cups, but I live in an area where winters are long and frozen. So I got the metal waterer with a heater base for the winter.

You did not mention how many chicks you are getting. My 10 pullets, at 13 weeks old, go through a 3 gallon waterer in about a week and a half. But I also have a small watering pan out in the chicken run. I thought I would be going through a lot of water, but as it is, I only have to refill my 3 gallon waterer every 10 days. So very little work for me.

 

[Doublete]

I hated the cups. I have a waterer sitting not being used because of that

Vertical works best for day olds but week plus can use horizontal and its cleaner and more healthy

 

[gtaus]

I hated the cups. I have a waterer sitting not being used because of that...Vertical works best for day olds but week plus can use horizontal and its cleaner and more healthy

I defer to your experience, but what happened with the cups that you dislike them so much?