My chickens won’t use horizontal water nipples.

[wamtazlady]

Yep, exactly what mine do! Very frustrating since that means they know HOW, they just WON’T.

Chickens are not going to let themselves die because they don't like a particular waterer. When they are thirsty, they will use it, but only if it's the only source of water they have. I put some 3 month old chicks in my coop a couple years ago. It was dark already. They were used to water in a dog bowl. When I checked on them at 6 am they were all getting drinks already. I have never showed a bird how to use nipples and have never had a bird not use the nipples.

 

[blackdog043]

Also plenty of water comes out of the nipple, when they push the nipple to the side the water will flow. They don't just get a sip at a time.

 

[BGcoop]

The big one is only two weeks old. I rinse out my waterers every month or two. They don't get dirty inside or build up any algae. I add fresh water to each of them every week. One is inside the coop, the other in the run and not exposed to very much sun. I have 18 chickens. The big waterer will last 2 weeks, if I didn't add water to it.

Wow!

 

[Ljc01]

Mine would never use them. Switched to cups.

 

[chicken keeping person]

i have three 8 month old chicks who can not push the horizontal water nipple hard enough to get water out. any ideas on getting them to push hard enough? my 18 month olds are able to push hard enough, so are my 8 monthers just too young for horizontal nipples? any suggestions? thanks.

 

[chicken keeping person]

i have 3 9-month old chicks who cannot push the horizontal nipple hard enough to get water out, any suggestions? thanks.

 

[JaTexas]

First time chicken owner here.

Is there any way that I can train my chickens to use the horizontal nipples? I have both that bucket(which has a heater to keep the water from freezing in the winter) and a standard waterer available. My chickens will use the nipples if I show it to them by hitting them myself several times first, but then go back to completely ignoring it. My concern is them being able to get enough water in the winter if they don’t learn to use it. (Yes, I am a lazy chicken keeper and don’t want to go out there several times a day to renew their water.) They also manage to dirty the water in the standard waterer no matter how I place it.

I found some on Amazon that do NOT have the little valve device in them. They fill with water and when the chicks drink it refills without input from the chickens. Very effective in my limited experience. They could not manage the kind that they have to peck to get more water out.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

i have three 8 month old chicks who can not push the horizontal water nipple hard enough to get water out. any ideas on getting them to push hard enough? my 18 month olds are able to push hard enough, so are my 8 monthers just too young for horizontal nipples? any suggestions? thanks.

Your 8mos are not too young. Mine were using them by 4wks.

I don't have any suggestions not already mentioned I apologize

 

[chicken keeping person]

Sorry, I meant 8 week old chicks

 

[chicken keeping person]

i have three 8 month old chicks who can not push the horizontal water nipple hard enough to get water out. any ideas on getting them to push hard enough? my 18 month olds are able to push hard enough, so are my 8 monthers just too young for horizontal nipples? any suggestions? thanks.

Sorry, I mean 8weekers