HELP!!! Chickens won't drink from their nipple waterers:(

[urbancountrygal]

I just installed my chicks waterers today and they won't drink from it. They are ages 7-8 wks old. I tried to round up most of them and bring them into the coop and put their beaks to it but no go. It was 97 today so I put out the normal waterer so they wouldn't go thirsty. Tomorrow should I just not give them the 2nd water option and just let them learn on the nipple? Any other advice as to how to get them to drink from it?

 

[andalusn]

I had my DH make two nipple waters this weekend and hung them in two cages. The Serama cage has a roo/hen. They are about 5 mos old and have always had a regular water setup. I placed the food next to the water so they were eating and as they stood back up the nipple was right there at eye level. The rooster seemed to ignore it that first day so on day two I held him by the nipple. tapped it and would drop the water from my finger onto his beak. tap,tap,tap.. drop the water on his beak. Did this about 6 times and then left him alone. Checked later and saw him eyeing it and next thing I knew he was drinking from the nipple. I knew then he would show the hen how to do it to. They really do mimic each other. Today I saw her eating her breakfast and then tap, tap, tap... she was drinking. I am monitoring the water level too to assure I have an idea of how much they are drinking.

The second waterer is in a large brooder in the barn and there are 8 month old chicks in there. They seemed to not even notice it hanging in the brooder so I placed a 1 gallon waterer right next to it and tonight there were two chicks going tap, tap, tap so there curious nature took over and they are figuring it out. I feel pretty confident the others will also investigate and learn that it has water. Chicks are pretty compulsive about following the leader.

 

[urbancountrygal]

I hope they get it by friday. It's a great system and I would like them to use it and I am sure they will enjoy the clean water as well.

 

[LegginMF12]

Mine guys and gals didn't seem to want anything to do with it the first day. So I picked up their water dishes and did held breakfast about 2 hrs. Then I put a dab of peanut butter next to one of the nipples. They were hungry and of course everybody mobbed it and it took like 5 minutes to figure out where to get water!

 

[urbancountrygal]

Quote:
. Aren't you a smart one. Awesome idea!! Right now I keep food out all the time for them. Have you found it better to ratio the food out?

 

[BoltonChicken]

Chickens will, by nature, drink from a "pool" of water. They will go to that first. If you remove your standard waterer they will find the moisture in the nipple
and go to that source. You really don't have to teach them anything. No more than you have to teach them to lay eggs.

 

[BellevueOmlet]

I like to give my chickens a pool of water to drink from but like the nipple system so I use the nipple waterer cups like these:

All the benefits of a nipple system with the water style the chickens like to drink from.

 

[urbancountrygal]

I went into the coop this morning and before I let them out I tried again to touch their beaks to the nipple and show them where the new feeder was. I had my back turned and heard one of them pecking at it then slowing the rest of them followed. Such a relief