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HI the1honeycomb, right after I installed the chicken nipples I sat outside my coop with a skinny stick and tapped at the nipple while getting the birds' attention. Water would drip out and they'd go for it (I first deprived them of water for 2 hours). They learned within an hour or so with just a few training "sessions". My problem is that they prefer to use the standard vacuum waterers. I kept my regular waterers around the yard and they'd go out of their way to drink from them rather than the nipples. We have several months on end where the temps are 100-115 and I felt I couldn't remove the other waterers. I will when it cools off this winter though. So, I would remove the other waterers and watch to make sure they are getting enough water. I'd also do a couple training sessions a day for the next couple days just to make sure they don't forget overnight. Good luck and let us know how they do. BTW, my re-purposed cooler reservoir was easy to make. Go to your local hardware store and find the right fittings to make everything water-tight and tube of silicone too to seal it. I used a standard float valve (about $5) which keeps the reservoir full. Of course you don't have to plumb it to your waterline, I just like the convenience. You can also use a bucket. Good luck.
this is not a personal attack but chickens are not going to forget where water comes from over night. and also you dont have to train chickens how to use the nipples. the nipples are red for the same reason the bottom of plastic waterers and feeders are. the chickens are attracted to the color red and will peck at it and in turn water comes out. as far as dehydration is concerned my chickens, turkeys, and guineas, probably 50 birds in all have been surviving on the nipples for about a month and no one has been dehydrated yet. as a bonus the birds dont have to drink turd water and my system makes it easier on me because instead of filling and carrying five five gallon waterers across the yard everyday i fill the 55 gallon drum with a garden hose one every week and a half or so.
no offense taken. My birds free range and I keep waterers all over the yard, just to make sure they keep hydrated since they spend so much time away from the coop (where the nipple waterers are located). When I installed the nipples our daily temperatures were well over 100 degrees and they didn't look twice at them for a couple days. I wasn't going to risk dehydration and death because they didn't quite get it. I did deprive them for a couple hours one day to "train" them. Once I got their attention by tapping at it with a stick they got the idea. I actually had to do that a couple times throughout that first day and the next because they weren't drinking. Eventually they did learn, they just use the other waterers more. I guess your birds are smarter than mine.
HI the1honeycomb, right after I installed the chicken nipples I sat outside my coop with a skinny stick and tapped at the nipple while getting the birds' attention. Water would drip out and they'd go for it (I first deprived them of water for 2 hours). They learned within an hour or so with just a few training "sessions". My problem is that they prefer to use the standard vacuum waterers. I kept my regular waterers around the yard and they'd go out of their way to drink from them rather than the nipples. We have several months on end where the temps are 100-115 and I felt I couldn't remove the other waterers. I will when it cools off this winter though. So, I would remove the other waterers and watch to make sure they are getting enough water. I'd also do a couple training sessions a day for the next couple days just to make sure they don't forget overnight. Good luck and let us know how they do. BTW, my re-purposed cooler reservoir was easy to make. Go to your local hardware store and find the right fittings to make everything water-tight and tube of silicone too to seal it. I used a standard float valve (about $5) which keeps the reservoir full. Of course you don't have to plumb it to your waterline, I just like the convenience. You can also use a bucket. Good luck.
this is not a personal attack but chickens are not going to forget where water comes from over night. and also you dont have to train chickens how to use the nipples. the nipples are red for the same reason the bottom of plastic waterers and feeders are. the chickens are attracted to the color red and will peck at it and in turn water comes out. as far as dehydration is concerned my chickens, turkeys, and guineas, probably 50 birds in all have been surviving on the nipples for about a month and no one has been dehydrated yet. as a bonus the birds dont have to drink turd water and my system makes it easier on me because instead of filling and carrying five five gallon waterers across the yard everyday i fill the 55 gallon drum with a garden hose one every week and a half or so.
no offense taken. My birds free range and I keep waterers all over the yard, just to make sure they keep hydrated since they spend so much time away from the coop (where the nipple waterers are located). When I installed the nipples our daily temperatures were well over 100 degrees and they didn't look twice at them for a couple days. I wasn't going to risk dehydration and death because they didn't quite get it. I did deprive them for a couple hours one day to "train" them. Once I got their attention by tapping at it with a stick they got the idea. I actually had to do that a couple times throughout that first day and the next because they weren't drinking. Eventually they did learn, they just use the other waterers more. I guess your birds are smarter than mine.
