Just installed nipple waterer ... will the old gals catch on?

[10xmama]

My dear hubby ordered this from a farm supply catalog and installed it today. I've got more hens than I've had in the past and they kept bumping our old 3 gal stainless waterer so it would leak out. I would come and find them upset with no water. So hubby solved that!

However, my girls are not chicks. All between 8m and 4yr. I took away their old water can and went ahead and shut them in for the day (they were out free ranging). I've seen a couple of them peck at it... but the others are squawking up a storm at me like they are asking for their water can. I'm guessing they'll catch on, right?

 

[10xmama]

Forgot to mention I've got 15 hens ... and there's plenty of nipples on that waterer.

 

[jennyf]

How are they doing? Have you tried pushing the little metal piece with your finger so they can see the water coming out? It may take some "training".

 

[TheOgdensmenagerie]

I had to pick up and show each one how to use it. I gently pushed their beak to the water and once they did it on their own in my hand I let them go. They all caught on after that.

 

[10xmama]

They caught on! I did grab a few of them and put their beaks up to the nipples... but honestly I think they knew what to do but we're holding out to protest the change. After about an hour in the run w/o their old water can they gave in and started using the nipples. Thanks for checking

 

[azygous]

When trying to get a new chicken who has never seen nipples to try them, I place a small cat food bowl just beneath the nipples so it catches the drips. The chicken notices the water in the bowl with the nipples just above, and it's just a short step from there to notice the source of the water being up in the nipples.

Chickens detest change of any sort. You sometimes need to trick them into accepting it to shorten the period of frustration. It helps the chickens frustration factor, too.