Help with chicken not drinking

[Jazx]

Hello, I don't feel my chicken are drinking enough. I keep their original 1 quart water feeder in their coop and they can go and drink anytime they want. I refill it once every other day. There are seven (7) chickens. Another feeder is is using water cups (http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/cage_watering_kit.html) but I have them into pvc and a large bucket. They have not gotten the hang of pecking at the yellow part and they get water. Then I also have a gatorade bottle with a nipple. I show them and they peck at it and then nothing - I's been 5 day with out refilling that one.

How do I teach them to drink???? I prefer to get rid of the quart waterer and use the nipple or cup system.

Thanks for any help.

 

[ImportTheBest]

I have heard of people sticking grapes onto the bottom nub of the nipple waterers to get the chickens to peck at them and discover the water. Sorry I'm a newb, so I don't know much more than that lol! Hopefully more experienced members will weigh in on this.

 

[yakibert]

That actually sounds like a good idea ...my birds love grapes more than anything - RED ones.

 

[Chris09]

If it was me the first thing I would do is put a bowl of water out there for them then see if they drink that water down any faster.

How old are they, what are the temp's there [has it been hot say above 85] and are you putting anything in there water?


Chris

 

[doshpashta]

To get chickens to drink, I usually dip their beaks in the water so they "discover" it. Even then, they might be reluctant to drink from the waterers (especially if they're tall), so I sometimes set water for them inside plastic plates. As they get older, they'll probably get used to the large waterers.