My Chickens just don't get it!!!

[wildflowersgirls]

New Chick Mom here, I purchased this Watering system for my chickens. They are approx. 3 months old. They cannot figure out how to get the water out. I go out there and hold down the yellow tab and fill the little cups with water a couple of times a day. They come running and drink, drink, drink. I had to buy a different kind of waterer that fills up the rim so that I can be sure they have water all day when I am not home to fill their cups. (They prefer the little cups, for some reason the water stays colder.) I tried showing them how to push the yellow tab down, but they still can't do it. Do you think as they get bigger and their beaks are bigger, they will automatically push it down when they drink?? Any suggestions?

 

[neo71665]

Not a fan of the cup waters myself.

 

[lazylizzy]

Following! I just a few watering nipples like this for my flock, and they just don't get it. I've done all the same things you have, and am ready to throw in the towel. Frustrating!

 

[Baumshell28]

I have the exact same waterer! But, I ordered watering cups from RentACoop. Their cups fit the holes on that bucket and they are stem free. The cups fill/refill as the chickens drink and lessen the water level of the cup. Instead of making contact with a stem in the cup to replenish water, the water level is replenished in these cups by a volume or weight difference. I LOVE the combo of that bucket with the RentACoop cups!!!
https://shoprentacoop.com/products/automatic-water-cup-pack-2-pack

 

[Doc7]

Fill them. Show the chickens how to use them with their beaks. Fill their feeder. Leave your chickens alone for a weekend or 4 days. They know how to use them, you are helping them avoid it.

95% of water and feed problems posted online (re: chicken usage of said equipment) are resolved by the poster ignoring their chickens for days, and it's a lot less stressful than watching, begging for your chickens to drink. Of those 95%, when it comes to WATER problems, probably 75% of those problems are due to the owner providing multiple means of water rather than the one they want the chickens to settle on.

 

[Big Doggie]

New Chick Mom here, I purchased this Watering system for my chickens. They are approx. 3 months old. They cannot figure out how to get the water out. I go out there and hold down the yellow tab and fill the little cups with water a couple of times a day. They come running and drink, drink, drink. I had to buy a different kind of waterer that fills up the rim so that I can be sure they have water all day when I am not home to fill their cups. (They prefer the little cups, for some reason the water stays colder.) I tried showing them how to push the yellow tab down, but they still can't do it. Do you think as they get bigger and their beaks are bigger, they will automatically push it down when they drink?? Any suggestions?

Yeah I bought those too. The yellow tabs didn’t fill the cups quickly enough. I would hold them down and fill the cup. The chicks would then drink the water but it wouldn’t refill cause they didn’t hit the yellow thing. So I bought a food quality 5 gallon bucket and installed horizontal water nipples. I took each chick and touched her beak to the nipple. They didn’t need a second lesson.

 

[SavyNic]

We bought the horizontal nipples and put them on a 20gal trashcan. I was so freaked out they wouldn't learn so I had another waterer in the coop for them too... turns out they easily figured out the nipples once I removed their other option! They were being lazy!!! But from my experience, once one figures it out, the others will follow. All I did was go out there a few times for the first few days to show them how to use it... we have no problems and ours are about 4 months!

 

[Big Doggie]

We bought the horizontal nipples and put them on a 20gal trashcan. I was so freaked out they wouldn't learn so I had another waterer in the coop for them too... turns out they easily figured out the nipples once I removed their other option! They were being lazy!!! But from my experience, once one figures it out, the others will follow. All I did was go out there a few times for the first few days to show them how to use it... we have no problems and ours are about 4 months!

Yeah you’re right. Once one does something the others follow right along.

 

[wildflowersgirls]

I have the exact same waterer! But, I ordered watering cups from RentACoop. Their cups fit the holes on that bucket and they are stem free. The cups fill/refill as the chickens drink and lessen the water level of the cup. Instead of making contact with a stem in the cup to replenish water, the water level is replenished in these cups by a volume or weight difference. I LOVE the combo of that bucket with the RentACoop cups!!!
https://shoprentacoop.com/products/automatic-water-cup-pack-2-pack

Thank you, I just ordered them.

 

[blackdog043]

Just a heads up, If you live where it gets below freezing, they will freeze. If your in a warm climate, no problem.