Question about Horizontal Water nipples

[Doc7]

I worry that horizontal nipples will be more difficult for chicks to use, so make sure they're all getting the hang of it and are able to successfully drink from them before permanently removing other water sources.

You are very experienced at chicken keeping, more so than I am. But my experience is that if the chicks have an "easier" source they will use it. I have read dozens of threads on BYC where a user kept saying their chicks would not take to the horizontal nipples and it was resolved by removing all water sources.

I push them (to the side, not in) with their beaks so they get a drink, and repeat this process every hour or so until I see the chicks drinking on their own when I am spying on them. But i don't leave any other source available when transitioning.

 

[ColoradoPip]

Hello,

The lots of reading gave you false info and I hope you are confident to move forward earlier than that. I and other posts in this thread use horizontal nipples much earlier than that. They don't push the nipples in. You flick them to the side. It takes MUCH less pressure than pushing them in takes. I do it with a full 5 gallon bucket, starting on Day 10. I get tired of mucking out dirty water from the catch pan underneath the verticals by that time!

Good to know, thanks! I try to take consensus opinions before putting one of my animals in a bad position which led me to the horizontal ones for the first few weeks. Everyday I learn (or relearn) things

I didn't mind the vertical ones for a few weeks but only because I had a separate brooder. If I brood inside the coop, I don't want the wetness.

 

[Doc7]

Good to know, thanks! I try to take consensus opinions before putting one of my animals in a bad position which led me to the horizontal ones for the first few weeks. Everyday I learn (or relearn) things

I didn't mind the vertical ones for a few weeks but only because I had a separate brooder. If I brood inside the coop, I don't want the wetness.

This is how I manage the wetness, but dumping it out is still gag inducing for me. Pic taken yesterday of my fresh chicks, this morning they finally are seeing some nice weather. Yesterday was awful : downpours, thunder, extremely dark and overcast. Not to mention I spent a lot less time out there than I normally do on Day One.

 

[ColoradoPip]

I didn't mind the smell too much, I've been told my nose is "broken" though, lol.

I did buckets with nipples on the bottom and put bucket lids underneath, they worked ok but not nearly as good as what you have done there. Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

But my experience is that if the chicks have an "easier" source they will use it. I have read dozens of threads on BYC where a user kept saying their chicks would not take to the horizontal nipples and it was resolved by removing all water sources.

My main concern is that someone would assume just putting in the nipple waterer is good enough and just leave it like that, without verifying that the birds can actually use it properly. The safe way to do it is the way you noted, by keeping an eye on them and making sure they're using it.

I had an adult take a few weeks to learn to use a horizontal nipple, she just didn't get that she had to hit the toggle in the center, not just peck at the red area. She got by stealing drops from others as they pecked at the toggles. So even without another source of water she really struggled to figure it out.