Keeping Water Clean

[pulletchickens1]

I have 6 white leg horns and 2 khaki campbells (male and female) in my pen. They get along just fine but there is a problem that drives me nuts. The ducks are always putting their beaks into the mud and then drinking the clean water for the chickens. I dont want to have to separate them. Could I put something around the top of the pan (i have a 5 gallon bucket waterer I got the idea of the forum here) so that the chickens can fit their beaks in but not the ducks? I may just have to end up separating them, or just deal with it, or find another way to water the chickens. I just hate filling their water up and within 5 minutes its completely muddy. Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[RJSorensen]

Have you considered offering water to your chickens via horizontal nipples? They stay clean, I don't thinks ducks can use them, but have never kept ducks. With nipples you could perhaps do what you wish, without splitting up the pen?

Something to ponder I suppose…

RJ

 

[pulletchickens1]

Have you considered offering water to your chickens via horizontal nipples? They stay clean, I don't thinks ducks can use them, but have never kept ducks. With nipples you could perhaps do what you wish, without splitting up the pen?

Something to ponder I suppose…

RJ

I was just reading some posts on here about the horizontal water nipples. As long as the ducks cant use them i will definitely use them for the chickens. I can use a separate water source for the ducks. Thanks!

 

[pixie chick]

I use nipple waterers and would never go back to an open waterer again! No more mess! My hubby made it from a Coleman cooler and our hens figured out how to use it within 10 minutes. I smeared a bit if peanut butter on the nipples and that's all it took!

 

[darrn]

Would nipples work with young chicks?

 

[tracecom]

Would nipples work with young chicks?

Yes, I put my chicks on nipple waterers at three weeks. I set up the waterer and, one by one, picked up each chick and pushed its beak against the nipple so that a drop of water came out. That's all it took.

The only problem is that they splash a lot of water into the bedding.