Official BYC Poll: Which waterer is better: Nipples or cups?

[B&B FarmsSc]

ADD and OCD...lol. Reaaaaaaaalllly helps

 

[cwelte]

I'm completely sold on the horizontal nipples.

As the hens peck & drink from the horizontal nipples, does it keep pretty dry around the waterer?

I'm not worried about summer/fall weather, but I'm thinking I'm going to need to bring what ever system inside their small coop in the winter. I'd like to keep the place as dry as possible.

 

[aart]

I'm not worried about summer/fall weather, but I'm thinking I'm going to need to bring what ever system inside their small coop in the winter. I'd like to keep the place as dry as possible.

It's the best system for freezing temps....there are some drips from when they drink...but they are the easiest to keep thawed.

 

[aligarysmom]

I used verticle and currently switching to cups. The reason is because they make the area under the water wet. I have not found they don’t flow. Quite the opposite. I have found that my girls have some trouble making the water flow in the cups. The little rubber stoppers around the yellow flow piece is kinda tight. I have both in there right now. I am hoping the cups will work for them because they don’t leak.

 

[aart]

The little rubber stoppers around the yellow flow piece is kinda tight. I have both in there right now.

Any change takes time, they'll learn faster if it's the only water source.
You can offer some in the old waterer late in day so they go to bed well hydrated.

 

[aligarysmom]

Good idea thanks for the input. I will try that when I get back. I will say that my dh said they are chickens. They will figure it out! Stop spoiling them!

I gave him a finger and said it’s water. They die without it.

He said that’s the point. We want the smart ones.

We have differing options. As he didn’t water them and feed them twice a day and monitor their temperature in their brooder. Or watch them and doctor them when one got picked. Or stayed with the non eating one trying to make sure it stayed fed and watered til it was better. I kinda like them and don’t want to start over with a new personality. I like them!!

 

[TerryH]

As the hens peck & drink from the horizontal nipples, does it keep pretty dry around the waterer?

I'm not worried about summer/fall weather, but I'm thinking I'm going to need to bring what ever system inside their small coop in the winter. I'd like to keep the place as dry as possible.

Agree with @aart . Couldn't imagine there would be any less waste with any other method. The bucket heater that I posted keeps the waterer working even below zero.

 

[click cluck]

Thanks for the input - I've been reading more and more each day about waterers and it's like noses, everyone has one and they're all different/similar in many ways.

I think I'm not sold on the nipples, but I would like to try the cups. I may even do both (a traditional waterer and the cups) and see what they all prefer.

I had nipples in my brooder for my first batch of chicks... will never do again! They make the fluff sooo wet and one of my chickens (chip,buff brahma) took "dust baths" in the wet fluff. I then had to get out the hair dryer and dry her off THEN I had to remove all the stuck fluff in her feathers, I had to clean the fluff there every day to avoid a driping chicken lol. Mine didn't leak btw. those chicks (12 weeks old) are now out in the coop and I have a bell waterer outside for them and just bought a little meatal waterer for inside the coop https://goo.gl/images/2nPEu6 . I have 24 chicks now and have small bell waters in the brooder, I have to clean those like 5 times a day but at least the chicks are dry lol. hope this helps! good luck on the coop, I think ill upload some photos of mine soon.

 

[cwelte]

My order of cups arrived this past weekend so I tried installing one on an old 64oz juice bottle. My 6 chicks took to it right away...until it was empty. Then they pecked at the trigger a little, but not enough for water to come out so they didn't really "figure it out". I read that you can try to coax them with either peanut butter (on the yellow trigger) or with a laser pointer. Well, my chicks (a little over 3 weeks old now) show no interest in peanut butter OR laser pointers. LOL I left it with them for a while, but then put back the other waterer, to which they were VERY happy to see.

So I guess my question is what are some ways people have had success with teaching their young'ins to use this? Are their beaks too small for them to get results?

(on a side note- while it didn't leak or drip for the 4-5 hours that I did leave them alone with the cup contraption, they did manage to get shavings and poop in it. #awesome.)

 

[aart]

My order of cups arrived this past weekend so I tried installing one on an old 64oz juice bottle. My 6 chicks took to it right away...until it was empty. Then they pecked at the trigger a little, but not enough for water to come out so they didn't really "figure it out". I read that you can try to coax them with either peanut butter (on the yellow trigger) or with a laser pointer. Well, my chicks (a little over 3 weeks old now) show no interest in peanut butter OR laser pointers. LOL I left it with them for a while, but then put back the other waterer, to which they were VERY happy to see.

So I guess my question is what are some ways people have had success with teaching their young'ins to use this? Are their beaks too small for them to get results?

(on a side note- while it didn't leak or drip for the 4-5 hours that I did leave them alone with the cup contraption, they did manage to get shavings and poop in it. #awesome.)

It takes time....and no other source of water.
Can be dangerous in extreme temps when the risk of dehydration is greater than in moderate temps. When I am switching from open waterer to nipples (or cups), I only give them the open waterer very late in day to ensure they go to bed hydrated, the rest of thy day they have to figure out the new thing, which they do, but it can take days for them all to 'get it'.