poultry nipple questions

[chickymama90]

trying to introduce my one-week old-chicks to a nipple waterer, but they don't seem to understand how it works. I tried putting their beaks to it, but still no luck. anyone have any tricks to get them to use it? for now I have a little cup of water in there under the nipple so they don't thirst to death lol.

 

[carolb5]

Take away the cup. Tap on the nipple multiple times. It just takes one or two to get it. I feed wet/fermented, so they do get some water that way. I have only used nipples from day one.
Carol

 

[Blooie]

x2 Take out the cup. If they have a more familiar water source they'll head for it every time. I use nipple waterers exclusively for everything from day old chicks to the big chickens. It takes them a couple of times, but they are programmed to learn more from each other than from us. So the first time a chick taps that nipple and drinks his fill, training time is over. The rest will follow. I use vertical nipples for babies and switch them to the horizontal nipples on the main waterer as soon as they are a little stronger. They have to push a little harder on the horizontal nipples than they do on the vertical, but the verticals drip a little more, even if they just bump them when they are running around underneath it.

 

[chickymama90]

Thanks guys! I have tried all the suggestions and they are very happily drinking from the nipples

It is so much less of a mess!!