I LOVE horizontal nipples, but I give up.

[Ljc01]

I gave up as well. No matter what I did, they would not use them.

 

[weirdlywired]

Seems like the more something works for us, the less they're interested!

 

[flyin-lowe]

First I am making he assumption you are talking about the horizontal nipples with the cups, is that correct? If so I have a couple thoughts as I switched my hens to them this spring. First off I would fill the cups up with water and take all other water sources away. If they get thirsty they will drink the water. Secondly I would measure the water level in the bucket you have them attached to. Once they drink the water out of the cup and the cup empties they will move the nipple and a few drops of water will come out and they will drink it. The cups will be dry most of the time when they are not drinking from them. Some people think that if the cups are not full of water that they are not being used. The chicks won't hold the nipple down long enough to let the cups fill up, they will just peck it to get a sip and then move on.

Not saying that is your issue but unless you are watching the cups with a camera or something it is hard to tell if they are using them or not. If you fill the cups completely with water and they stay full then that is a sign they are not using them but I don't see that happening.

 

[sd38-2]

I just introduced my 4 isa browns to the horizontal nipples. They were drinking from a plastic fount now i am using a bucket waterer with horizontal nipples. To my surprise they figured out how to drink from the nipples with in minutes of me putting the new waterer in their run.

 

[weirdlywired]

First I am making he assumption you are talking about the horizontal nipples with the cups, is that correct? If so I have a couple thoughts as I switched my hens to them this spring. First off I would fill the cups up with water and take all other water sources away. If they get thirsty they will drink the water. Secondly I would measure the water level in the bucket you have them attached to. Once they drink the water out of the cup and the cup empties they will move the nipple and a few drops of water will come out and they will drink it. The cups will be dry most of the time when they are not drinking from them. Some people think that if the cups are not full of water that they are not being used. The chicks won't hold the nipple down long enough to let the cups fill up, they will just peck it to get a sip and then move on.

Not saying that is your issue but unless you are watching the cups with a camera or something it is hard to tell if they are using them or not. If you fill the cups completely with water and they stay full then that is a sign they are not using them but I don't see that happening.

This horizontal style does not have the cup, or small well, where water would sit. That style wouldn't have helped us as they would freeze. We did note the water level in the bucket and even though we tried many times and in different ways, they just wouldn't drink from them!

 

[weirdlywired]

I just introduced my 4 isa browns to the horizontal nipples. They were drinking from a plastic fount now i am using a bucket waterer with horizontal nipples. To my surprise they figured out how to drink from the nipples with in minutes of me putting the new waterer in their run.

That's great!!! Smart girls!

 

[weirdlywired]

Sadly we had to go back o the heated dog bowl and several of them now have frostbite on their waddles.

 

[lutherpug]

Sadly we had to go back o the heated dog bowl and several of them now have frostbite on their waddles.

Oh shoot! Sorry to hear that. I took our waterer out of the baby pen for the time being for unrelated reasons but I'm going to try again here in the next week. Why do they make it so difficult???

 

[weirdlywired]

Oh shoot! Sorry to hear that. I took our waterer out of the baby pen for the time being for unrelated reasons but I'm going to try again here in the next week. Why do they make it so difficult???

UGH!!! If only I had known to just start with the horizontal style, I have a couple of friends that are getting chickens in the spring and I'm putting together a list of things - this is on it! It's so sad to see their pretty waddles all mucked up.

 

[flyin-lowe]

I don't think the heated dog bowl is the issue with the frost bite. I know some people blame that but I don't think there is any way that an open bowl of water sitting in a coop will raise the humidity enough to cause a problem. And I have never seen chickens dunk there head into a dog bowl enough to get their waddles wet. If they have frost bite I am guessing they would have gotten that no matter what kind of waterer you were using.