How to get birds to drink from second waterer?

[apollowikia]

I have a combo of 5 chickens and 4 ducks that are 4 weeks old and hang out outside in a shabby run most of the day under the shade of a tarp.
I put out a second gravity waterer since the ducks like to hog and fill the first one with mud and food and i thought "hey lets set out another one just in case and i'll have to come out less often to refill it probably" but they seem to be disinterested in drinking out of the second one and prefer the first one and completely drain it after a few hours while the second one sits there, full of water. They're both relatively close to eachother and out of the sun.
Is there anything I can do to coax them to use both?

(sorry if i'm doing this wrong I'm new to this website and raising chickens in general )

 

[Katanahamon]

I have a combo of 5 chickens and 4 ducks that are 4 weeks old and hang out outside in a shabby run most of the day under the shade of a tarp.
I put out a second gravity waterer since the ducks like to hog and fill the first one with mud and food and i thought "hey lets set out another one just in case and i'll have to come out less often to refill it probably" but they seem to be disinterested in drinking out of the second one and prefer the first one and completely drain it after a few hours while the second one sits there, full of water. They're both relatively close to eachother and out of the sun.
Is there anything I can do to coax them to use both?

(sorry if i'm doing this wrong I'm new to this website and raising chickens in general )

Do you use apple cider vinegar? Mine like that, it can sometimes encourage drinking, just not much of it in extreme heat, it can bother their calcium metabolism. If you have really hard water, up to two tablespoons per gallon, or just one, or even just a capful or two..and not in a galvanized one either..or try removing their favorite waterer for a morning and see if they’ll try the new one If it’s the only one available. Waterers don’t seem to matter to mine, or feeders, they’ll eat or drink from anything..

 

[apollowikia]

Do you use apple cider vinegar? Mine like that, it can sometimes encourage drinking, just not much of it in extreme heat, it can bother their calcium metabolism. If you have really hard water, up to two tablespoons per gallon, or just one, or even just a capful or two..and not in a galvanized one either..or try removing their favorite waterer for a morning and see if they’ll try the new one If it’s the only one available. Waterers don’t seem to matter to mine, or feeders, they’ll eat or drink from anything..

I haven't tried apple cider vinegar! I might consider that if taking away their favorite drinker for a bit doesn't work.

 

[Katanahamon]

I haven't tried apple cider vinegar! I might consider that if taking away their favorite drinker for a bit doesn't work.

It is good for their (chickens) digestive system in that it creates a favorable level of acidity for the “good” probiotic bugs to live and discourages disease pathogens, but I don’t know about ducks..and they like the flavor. I tried some in water, it’s good, it changes the mouthfeel a lot, it’s refreshing.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I put out a second gravity waterer

I haven't tried apple cider vinegar!

Don't use vinegar if your gravity waterer is Galvanized. It will rust quickly. GC

 

[NatJ]

I put out a second gravity waterer since the ducks like to hog and fill the first one with mud and food and i thought "hey lets set out another one just in case and i'll have to come out less often to refill it probably" but they seem to be disinterested in drinking out of the second one and prefer the first one and completely drain it after a few hours while the second one sits there, full of water. They're both relatively close to eachother and out of the sun.
Is there anything I can do to coax them to use both?

If the waterers look different from each other, try switching which one is in which place.

Putting marbles or pebbles in water can encourage baby chicks to sample the water (they peck at the bright colors and get water in their beak). The same trick might work even though they are already 4 weeks old, but of course you would try it with something too large for them to swallow, or else small enough that they can swallow it safely.

Sometimes just waiting a few days, so they can get used to the new thing, is all it takes.

 

[Katanahamon]

Don't use vinegar if your gravity waterer is Galvanized. It will rust quickly. GC

As I said, but more importantly, the acid will leach metals into the water..not good for chickens or ppl. Every year ppl get sick from parties where they mix alcoholic stuff and lime or lemon in galvanized tubs or cans..

 

[apollowikia]

As I said, but more importantly, the acid will leach metals into the water..not good for chickens or ppl. Every year ppl get sick from parties where they mix alcoholic stuff and lime or lemon in galvanized tubs or cans..

Don't use vinegar if your gravity waterer is Galvanized. It will rust quickly. GC

They're both plastic so hopefully I don't have anything to worry about besides cleaning them out every so often

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

Are they identical in look?
I know chickens can be skeptical.
I switched mine from an open gravity system to a horizontal nipple bucket waterer.
I had to completely remove the gravity one in order to get them to drink from the other.
Since I have chicks that are too small to reach the horizontal nipples I placed a gravity one back out and they now ignore the horizontal one again and drink from the gravity one. And will drain it completely and not go back to the horizontal nipples.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Since I have chicks that are too small to reach the horizontal nipples I placed a gravity one back out and they now ignore the horizontal one again and drink from the gravity one. And will drain it completely and not go back to the horizontal nipples.

How old are the chicks? I found if I simply gave them a way to reach the nipples, they'd use them: