Got our nipples, how do they learn to use them?

[LarryPQ]

Quote:
Yup, the BIL had the two silkies in hand, and he turned to say something to the DH, who was loading up the rest of the chicks for a photo shoot.

And I snapped a picture.

Poor BIL will get immortalized on the internet, everytime someone posts a question about chicken nipples.

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

Quote:
About 99% of the chicks started in the US see a nipple within seconds of being placed on the farm. And most of them never drink out of anything else.

We have started up to 500 day old Coturnix quail on them as well with very satisfactory results.

 

[LovinMyNewChicks]

Quote:
I started my chicks out on the chicken nipples at 3 days old. I had them in a large box for a brooder (no room for a big bucket), so I attached the nipples in the lid of a couple of 2-liter bottles and hung them on the side of the box with some old calf bottle holders we had laying around. I just showed a couple of chicks how it worked, and within minutes there was a group of them drinking from it. Within an hour all had figured it out.

 

[GiddyMoon]

nipples...

 

[Freestylester Silkie's]

I use rabbit drinking bottles for my chicks. They learn it very fast when they just come out of the egg.
I only have to push there beaks into it ones or twice and then they do it themselfs.
With the adults i had taken out the waterer at night when i closed up and gave them the nipples half a day later (when hot go sooner) And pushed al of them in once. As soon as the first one had got it they all got it. This is what you also will see in your chicks. When you put in an older chick for an our a couple times a day (stay with it to prevent pecking) they see how he does and you don't have to do anything. They learn from him how to eat and drink. I don't know if it is possible with all soorts, but with my silkies this works well to.

 

[BoltonChicken]

It took my 3 week old BO's one day after I installed it to figure it out. I have a five gallon bucket outside the run and the water piped into them via pvc.
I WILL be installing another 5 gallon bucket outside the coop to supply water inside. I would recommend the nipple system to everyone. There is a
reason that the pros use them.

 

[Doctor T]

Great thread! Where is everyone getting their "chicken nipples"?

 

[cackydoodledoo]

Quote:
Look up Neil Grassbaugh on here. He sells them cheaper than I found anywhere else and he is very helpful and will answer all your questions!!!


Neil told me that once one chicken gets it to pull their other water source. The others will follow. He was right too!!!


Here is the link to his page if you want to PM him!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/profile.php?id=15206

 

[carrlr]

Does everyone who uses nipples live in warm climates? If not, what do you do in the Winter months?

 

[cackydoodledoo]

Quote:
I have read on here where people use fish tank heaters in them in the winter. This is my first try at them and haven't went through winter with them yet. I am going to try the heaters and see how it works.