Placement of Water Cups

[PatientType]

I've had my cage in use for a couple of months. I'm noticing that the placement of the watering cups at the end of the cage with wire above, below, and on that wall of the cage has helped create a low-maintenance way to keep the water cleaner.

My quail constantly dirty their water by leaving sand, food bits, and the occasional random poop in the water. I purchased the rent-a-coop watering cups that have a removable inner cup to make cleaning easier. Still, pulling out the inner cups on a daily basis, cleaning them, and replacing them would be a bit of a job.

What I'm finding works better is to simply slide the poop tray out from under the upper level water cups. Then, using a plastic water pitcher, I pour a flood of water through the wire side of the cage flushing all the water cups every AM. I wait a few seconds for the excess water to drip away, then slide the poop tray back under that side of the cage. This leaves the birds with clean, fresh, full cups that the water system replenishes through the day.

I can still occasionally do a more thorough cleaning but this flushing ritual takes less than two minutes every morning.

 

[Susan Skylark]

Quail and water are always a mess! Glad you found something that works! I switched to nipple buckets in a large group enclosure and it is way less mess than water bottles were in our small pens but the birds like them better though. They act like they are dying of thirst any time I fill the waterers, but nobody has died in the last couple months so it is all in their heads. I’d add a water feature but you can imagine what would happen!

 

[bookervet]

Quail and water are always a mess! Glad you found something that works! I switched to nipple buckets in a large group enclosure and it is way less mess than water bottles were in our small pens but the birds like them better though. They act like they are dying of thirst any time I fill the waterers, but nobody has died in the last couple months so it is all in their heads. I’d add a water feature but you can imagine what would happen!

Did you have to train your quail to the nipple waterers? I would love to switch my quail and chicken over to that system, but I am worried they won't understand it and die.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Did you have to train your quail to the nipple waterers? I would love to switch my quail and chicken over to that system, but I am worried they won't understand it and die.

The OP hasn't been on the site for a couple weeks, but I can try to help you. It's absolutely worth picking up a nipple waterer and giving it a shot. Some birds get it right away. Some need a little help.

Start by figuring out the appropriate height for it. Horizontal nipples should be at eye level. Vertical nipples should be hung overhead so the bird reaches up a little to peck.

I'll train them by replacing their usual waterer with the new nipple style for a few hours each day. Heat waves are obviously a bad time to attempt this, so wait for cooler weather. Once I feel they mostly have the hang of it, I'll make it their permanent waterer. I do supplement with cup water if we're having a warm day.

That said, I've had a couple chickens that just don't get it. They bite at the metal instead of pushing their beak against it. I'll try to assist them by gently nudging the metal spoke to the side, just enough for a bit of water to appear to the left or right. This encourages them to place their beak alongside the metal for a drink.

Hope this is helpful. Horizontal nipples are a must for us in winter with our heated waterer.

 

[PatientType]

Did you have to train your quail to the nipple waterers? I would love to switch my quail and chicken over to that system, but I am worried they won't understand it and die.

Hi,
Sorry for the slow response. The answer is ... I don't use nipple waterers. I use cup waterers.

When I built my watering system, I ordered Rent-a-Coop double cups. By "double" I mean there's in inner lining you can slide out of the cup for easy cleaning without needing to unscrew the cups. The cups are sturdy and have survived the daily routine of being walked over and sat on by my quail.

I saw little real benefit to the nipple solution. With cups, the birds can see the water and know enough to drink it. So, no "training" needed. And, with cups, there's no water waste. The cups fill automatically to about 1/3 full. And, the birds can freely drink as much as they want. It get's quite hot here in the Summer 105 degrees and even higher, so ample water on warm days is a must.

The cups do gather a little residue from the birds ... sand from the sandbox and bits of food crumble. That residue sits at the bottom of the cups. My original post describes the way I deal with that. A few times a week I take a half-gallon pitcher of water to the cage. Without opening the cage I flush the cups by flooding the cups from the pitcher through the wire mesh. That way, the water is fresh and clear.

Hope some of that long explanation is useful...

 

[PatientType]

Oops. I just realized that the nipple waterer question was posed to another poster. I've gotta read the headers more carefully.

 

[bookervet]

Hi,
Sorry for the slow response. The answer is ... I don't use nipple waterers. I use cup waterers.

When I built my watering system, I ordered Rent-a-Coop double cups. By "double" I mean there's in inner lining you can slide out of the cup for easy cleaning without needing to unscrew the cups. The cups are sturdy and have survived the daily routine of being walked over and sat on by my quail.

I saw little real benefit to the nipple solution. With cups, the birds can see the water and know enough to drink it. So, no "training" needed. And, with cups, there's no water waste. The cups fill automatically to about 1/3 full. And, the birds can freely drink as much as they want. It get's quite hot here in the Summer 105 degrees and even higher, so ample water on warm days is a must.

The cups do gather a little residue from the birds ... sand from the sandbox and bits of food crumble. That residue sits at the bottom of the cups. My original post describes the way I deal with that. A few times a week I take a half-gallon pitcher of water to the cage. Without opening the cage I flush the cups by flooding the cups from the pitcher through the wire mesh. That way, the water is fresh and clear.

Hope some of that long explanation is useful...

I appreciate you response and all the helpful information. Thank you so much. It really was a general question for anyone. I appreciate ALL input. I am currently using the cups, but I wanted to use the nipple waterer for winter time. From what I understand, that is the best option for dispensing water in the freezing cold - using that system with a submersible heat pump. What do you do for winter water for your? I got really tired of having to replace the water every few hours on super cold days and it makes it really challenging to go anywhere when it is so cold and the water freezes quickly.