nipple water

[Dingleberry]

I made a niple water for my ladies but they don't use it and I know they are thirsty. I tried dripping the water so they could see it. I tried holdingthem and putting their beeks on it. I have tried different heights nothing any help??

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
My hens aren't big fans of the nipple waterers either. I worried that they weren't getting enough to drink so I put the regular waterers back in operation.

 

[Dingleberry]

agghh don't say that. I wanted them to love this watering system

 

[NevadaRon]

How old are they? I was thinking of getting nipple waterers too but I'm afraid if they are older they won't "take" to it.

 

[Black Creek Poultry]

he type listed on our site at www.blackcreekpoultry.com and dont seem to have a problem out of any of them.

 

[DragonEggs]

I introduced rabbit water bottles to my birds a couple weeks ago. Water stays fresh and free of poop/debri. The chicks picked it up right away! It took my older guys a little over a day to get it.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

I bought one of the nipple waterers from the poster above and then we, in all our optimism and enthusiasm for the idea, made several of our own, cheaply, easily and with recycled Gatorade containers and a bucket. We bought the actual nipple waterers at Tek Supply:

http://www.teksupply.com/farm/suppl...&langId=-1&division=TekSupply&productId=17662

They're super easy to make and the nipples cost only about $2.00 each.

My 9 month old chickens understood how to use them within about 10 minutes. I did "show" them that water comes out of them by pressing on the nipple for it to drip. They all investigated and were willing to use the waterers. Of course, all of the regular waterers had to be removed from the coop and run for them to use the nipple waterers exclusively. I just felt they weren't drinking enough from them.

At one point, I had a regular waterer that I had filled up to put in my chicken tractor for some of my younger chicks and when the big girls found it, they flocked to it as if they were dying of thirst. So...now I keep the nipple waterers filled but also supply them water in several regular waterers. In the very high temperatures we've had for the past six weeks here in Connecticut, my concern is keeping them hydrated and I'm just not confident that that happens with the nipple waterers. Just my experience.

 

[Zoomom]

All my chickens drink out of rabbit water bottles as well as regular waterers. The older chickens took about a week to consistently drink out of the rabbit water bottles, but the babies just took to it right away and used it as soon as I showed them.
They have access to both at all times, the water bottle outside/downstairs and the regular waterer inside the coop.

 

[Wheels]

I using this system with much success.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
Me too! They "know" how to use it and I've seen them use it, but I keep other waterers out just in case (I do live in the desert afterall). They very much prefer the inverted-jug type waterer or a simple bowl over the nipples. I wish I had trained them from very early on to use the nipples. I have my system plumbed so it's automatic and I'd never have to worry too much about it.

I wonder if it matters whether your birds spend most of their day in the coop/run vs. free-range. Mine free range all day and I have waterers all over the yard and they use them all. That means they get much more experience with them compared to a bird that was enclosed most of the day, and therefore, exposed to the nipple waterers.
Here it is: