I can't get my chickens to drink!

[jimz1]

I've got 2 one quart plastic waterers that the chickens have had since they were 2 days old. I put them in thier run and they drink out of them with no problem. I wanted to put more water in there so I cut down a milk jug and filled it up and put it in the run. They don't even touch it. How do I get them to drink out of something they aren't used to? I screwed up when I made the run, and didn't make a door, so it isn't very easy to change the waterers.

 

[secuono]

How old are they? I put a 10g clear bin in my chicken's run. I can easily fill it with a hose, no need to go in. If yours are small or young, use a shallow bin. No need to make a special waterer for most.

 

[jimz1]

They are about 2 months old. Are you talking about the bins that you can get from Walmart or other places?

 

[JodyJo]

mine have a chicken waterer inside their coop, but outside, we just fill up a pan, dump it every day or when it get's soiled and refill it, just put a pan in the run, and run the hose through to fill it...they will find it fine. If they are very young, make it a shallow pan so they don't drown in it.

 

[MommaOrp]

Have you tried popping their beaks in it? we sometime have to try this method with stubborn chicks.

 

[BellevueOmlet]

I agree. If it is new, they might just not notice that there is water in it and need ot be shown. Once you introduce them tot he water source, they should drink if they are thirsty.

 

[sammyh312]

They will get used to it and will be drinking from it in no time, no worries.

 

[tarragon]

Quote:
I had to do that when we moved the 8 week old chicks into the coop. They didn't realize what the new waterer was until I dipped their beaks.

 

[Pinky]

I always tap on new waterers to get thier attention and then they find it. They should get use to it soon

 

[BellevueOmlet]

That is funny Pinky. I do that for anything I want them to notice. They never seem to notice things until I touch them or shake them and then all of a sudden, they see it like it had never been there before. Such funny little animals.