how to keep bedding out of water

[Mommysongbird]

Fred's Hens :

Make a drinking platform. Build with two or three steps up. They already fly up to the top of the brooder edge and fly up on top of the feeders. They can easily walk/run/fly up to a drinking station on a little platform with steps up.

I like this idea as well as the vinegar bottle one.

I am also thinking about a small animal water bottle. Our rabbit has two, so maybe I can barrow one of his to try out.​

 

[Mtn Margie]

If they are perching on top of the waterer or the food dish, you can make a cone out of a cereal box or other chipboard and just slide it over the top of the feeders/ waterers and that will keep them off. Give them something else to play queen of the hill on and they will be happy.

 

[magistradomina]

How do they know how to drink out of a rabbit waterer? Do you have to teach them? Does it work for chickens?

Sorry for all those questions. I've been wondering for a long time. Sorry if I hijacked this thread!

 

[catchthewind]

The rabbit waterer is the same idea as a nipple waterer. I actually started with a rabbit waterer with mine but it leaked terribly, so that's when I made them some instead. It's easy to teach them to use them. Either just tap the end with a chick nearby and they'll often get curious and come see, or tap one of their beaks to the end so they get a drop of water on their beaks. Once one starts using it they all will. It's actually quite funny how curious they are when someone discovers something. I left the other waterer in their brooder until I could see they had all figured it out, but some people only leave it in until they've seen one or two chicks use the nipple.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

This is what I use for feeders and waterers.

Works well.

 

[CochinBantams]

A.T. - I love what you did...very easy yet smart!!! BTW what do you have in the water that is making it yellow?

 

[CrazyCatLady76]

I have mine up on what we call "the fancy Tupperware," plastic takeout containers from the Chinese restaurant up the road. We started with just the lids, which helped some but not a lot, then as the babies grew we moved to just the upturned bowls. Now they're up to the whole thing put together, and there's hardly any junk kicked in the water.

 

[Mommysongbird]

Quote:
That's okay, I have wondered too so I am just going to try.

 

[Mommysongbird]

A.T. Hagan :

This is what I use for feeders and waterers.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_...AABG0/lvuFE5EA_is/2009 Sandhill chicks-01.jpg

Works well.

I like that set up, but I don't have room for something like that.

By the way, what kind of chicks do you have? Our yellow/white look like yours and so do our little black ones.​

 

[PetRock]

We have our waterer up on a semi-round cement paver that I picked up on clearance at Orchard. It keeps it high enough that very few shavings get in and the little ones can get up on the paver to drink if they want to. Last year we used the plastic waterers and had all kinds of problems with the chicks wanting to be on top of it. This year we went with a mason jar waterer and haven't had a single chick out of 9 roost on the top. Maybe the glass is too slick for them as opposed to the plastic. It doesn't hold as much water as the plastic one, though. I am refilling it once a day now and may have to go to a bigger waterer or two of them as the chicks get bigger.