How much water

[Willie01]

just wondering how much water chickens should drink per day, I have 12 birds and am using a 5 gallon pail with 5 horizontal nipples near the bottom of it, it takes a week for them to go thru the 5 gal. I’ve read that the normal is .5 of a litre, that would equal 6 litres per day but I am not going near that much, what are the thoughts out there on this ?

 

[TwoChicksChix]

They could be getting some water from another source. Or they might not be drinking enough from the feeder because of the nipples.

You could always try putting out a second waterer and see if they drink more.

 

[Kiki]

What's your weather like?

 

[Willie01]

Currently here it’s 11 Celsius or52 Fahrenheit clouds and sun today going up to 28 or 83 degrees

 

[Kiki]

How old/young are the birds and what breeds?

 

[Willie01]

They could be getting some water from another source. Or they might not be drinking enough from the feeder because of the nipples.

You could always try putting out a second waterer and see if they drink more.

Yes, I started out with 2 waterers when I got the birds 6 weeks ago, but pulled the 1 cause I was always throwing water out because it was getting stale after 3 or4 days, they could be getting water from the different fruits I’ve been throwing In their run from time to time

 

[Willie01]

How old/young are the birds and what breeds?

They are around 14 weeks and they are

How old/young are the birds and what breeds?

they are around 14 weeks old and are buff Orpington/ road island red crosses

 

[Steven Bussell]

I have a mixed flock of 8 birds 3 ducks and 5 chickens. I go through 2 gallons of water from just my waterer but they also have a pond they all drink from.
I'm using both nipples and cups. They seem to prefer the cups over the nipples

 

[Kiki]

Here is a great book.
Info about water starts on page 15.
https://www.nap.edu/read/2114/chapter/3#16

 

[chickens really]

Possibly they are bored of the nipple water container and probably not getting enough water. I use a large water font or actually a rubber livestock bowl for water up on a couple of bricks.