how do you teach chickens to use the nipple waterer?

[Betania]

I have lots of chickens who can't figure out how to use the nipples.

the oldest is less than 3 years old.

 

[Betania]

My meat chickens are learning to use the nipples

 

[hiddenacres]

I am goin to try this system in my new coop and can't wait

 

[SoCalChickie]

Adding a nipple water feeder to the coop was the single greatest thing we did for our chickens (and for us). The regular water feeder would get really gross throughout the day and I worried they'd get sick (Alfredo liked to sit on top of the feeder and poop into the water tray...nasty!). I was worried the chickens wouldn't figure out the nipples since they are older and pretty set in their ways, but they took to it right away. The nipples are red, so I think they are attracted to it, peck at it, and discover water!

 

[LoneOak]

There is one thing you have to do with chickens that have already been drinking from standard drinkers. If you are teaching birds who have been on a standard waterer for some time then you have to completely remove it before they will ever begin using the nipples. Chickens are a creature of habit and will go to what the have always used until it is no longer available, then they will begin searching out a replacement. Since you are getting chicks then start them off on the nipples and you will never have a problem.

There are a lot of topics in this forum about teaching birds to use the nipples so search around a little and you will always see that the one factor the people with experience always recommend is removing the old waterer.

If you want to get maybe the best nipples out there then you need to take a look at the Horizontal Nipples that Rich386 sells on the forum. I recently replaced an old system in my coop with his nipples and like it a whole lot. You could make your bucket be a reservoir and put fittings in it and use a hose to go to a short piece of PVC that you put the nipples in. You could just drill a few holes in the side of your bucket and screw the nipples in it. There are many many options you could use to hook up the nipples so this is another reason you need to search around and read some more topics.

If you would like to see and read about the system I put in click on this topic, Brand new Horizontal nipple water system for a really old coop!. If you want to look at Rich's for sale add where you order the nipples click here, HORIZONTAL POULTRY WATERING NIPPLES 5 Pack FREE shipping.

In my brooder that I just took apart for cleaning last week and I don't have a picture, I had a two gal jug hanging over it with a hose attached to it and had a small piece of PVC hooked on a board that I could raise or lower with 2 nipples on it, I raised 15 birds in there with no problems what so ever. I did have to put a small plastic pan under it to keep my litter from getting wet, but that was with the old drop down nipples, I don't think you would have a wet litter problem with the horizontal nipples.