How in the WORLD do I get them to drink from the nipple waterer?????

[Love2Homeschool]

Okay, so we bought the nipple waterers and we made a 5-gallon bucket waterer. But how am I supposed to get them to drink from it??? I let the other water pans get empty hoping they would get thirsty and notice it. I showed it to them. I fed them oatmeal under the water and tapped on it. I tapped on it and caught the water in my hand and showed them. I stuck a piece of oatmeal to the nipple, but the hen just got the oatmeal and that was it. What to do????

 

[coalroadcabin]

when I hung mine Gabby (my very friendly and extremely adventurous chicken) watched the entire time. As soon as I filled the bucket I tapped the nipple really fast a few times- made sure to make it a noisy tap - Gabby flew down to check out the new noisemaker, looked at the nipple and pecked at it. Took a drink and then another - next thing I knew all of the chickens were pecking at the nipples.

So, if I were you, I would pick out my boldest, most curious chicken and get her attention at the bucket; Tap nipple really hard and fast so it makes a lot of noise and then wait. If she taps it, she'll get a drop - once she gets the idea the rest of them will get it too.

If you still can't get them to tap, somebody else here posted about putting a cherry tomato over the nipple to get them to start pecking.

 

[kimf]

I got a mouse waterer that has a pin in it...not the kind with the ball...and my day old chicks figured it right out. The only problem is their beaks aren't big enough to shift the pin. LOL

So I got the kind with the ball and they are fine now. Will reintroduce the pin as they get bigger. I am hoping by teaching them now, they will adjust to a nipple waterer in the coop later. I just tapped (loudly) and one came over took a drink and the others all followed. They crack me up...if 1 gets thirsty, they are all thirsty. If 1 gets hungry they are all hungry.

 

[airmechreed]

Make sure that it is just above their heads about an inch that way the nipple catches their eye

 

[ChickenAl]

Quote:
X2. Very important!

 

[Arielle]

I spent a few bucks on nipples as it seemed easy to teach them to drink and their water would be always clean.

BUT only a few of the hens use it and I still had to put out the pans of water again. SO I'm reading for new ideas!!!!

 

[wyododge]

grab there head and tickle the metal part of the nipple with their beak, make sure water runs down and gets them wet. They will look at it funny then peck it. You will se the HOLY COW look on their face.

I did this with a couple, but once one does it, the news will spread like wildfire. They will all eventually use it once one does. They will not die of dehydration before they decide they better drink out of it. They actually can't, it is agains every instinct in there chicken headed little bodies. If it is their only option, and it stays their only option, they will drink from it as long as one has drunk from it, and they have seen them do it.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
Geez--my girls run for the water pans in the morning. ANd they have a nipple waterer all night in the coop!

 

[wyododge]

Quote:
Geez--my girls run for the water pans in the morning. ANd they have a nipple waterer all night in the coop!

That's cause the are lazy. Mine do the same if there is water in the road from the sprinkler.

 

[Arielle]

The dirtier the better! I clean out the duck pond (aka children's sand box) to refill for clean drinking (and swimming water for the ducks) and they run for the dumped water !

I now feel like I need to sanitize the ground! Chickens were supposed to be easy-naught!

Love having them anyway.