Keets, Marbles in water

[Foghorn Mike]

When is it safe to take the marbles out of the water? Mine are 3 weeks now and it's a pain to give them fresh water when I have to remove those marbles every time. They are actually eating from the large feeder now as well. The chick feeder is almost too small for them at this point.

 

[racuda]

I think it would be impossible for a 3 week old keets (or chicks) to drown in a hanging chicken waterer. You can safely take the marbles out.

 

[Foghorn Mike]

Actually I don't have them hanging. They are just sitting on the floor in their building.

 

[robin416]

I didn't even put marbles in my waterer, completely forgot about it. But keets are so much more mobile and stronger than chicks I'm not sure they really need them.

 

[Finn's Mom]

I don't know how big your waterer is but I think I took the marbles out at around 3 weeks. I couldn't stand the cleaning part with the marbles either so I got a quail water bowl then graduated to the chick waterer with marbles for another week to 10 days. Then suddenly, it was ok, except for the mountains of shavings they liked to kick in.

Of course when I tried to raise the water they were afraid of it for hours . . .

 

[Akane]

I don't use marbles anymore for chicks or keets. I just don't put water in until they are steady on their feet. The chicks are fine for a couple days and the keets for at least a day after hatching. Once steady on their feet they rarely take a swim and if they do they learn not to do it again. Now quail on the other hand....

I fill the water with grit so they can only drink from the little gaps or they repeatedly manage to drown themselves and each other. They also don't avoid repeatedly stepping in the water like chicks and keets.

 

[featherz]

I put up nipple waterers for my keets - they used them even right out of the incubator. No mess!!!

I had to drill a new hole and add another nipple when I had a larger hatch then expected, but that's easy enough

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THat's the nipple waterer - the bucket in the corner. It has three nipples in the bottom. I need to order more!