Teabone
Chirping
- Jun 11, 2017
- 20
- 8
- 64
My chicks have to the age where I want to get them to drink water from the metal cup with a quart jar to a bucket with nipples (see sample) and I have encountered a problem teaching the about the nipples. I read where you can hold them up to the nipple and get a little water to their beaks, also how some berry jam smeared on the nipple will do the job.
As can be expected chickens do not always see it the way we do. The water did not seem to impress them and the two who tried the jam quickly wiped any on their beak off in the shavings and showed no desire for more. I do not know how long you can leave the little guys with no water to get them to try the nipples. I tried for 3 hours without them showing any interest at all and they were looking plenty stressed at that point so I returned the original water to them but left the bucket in the coop.
Does anyone have some insight on this that would avoid torturing the little guys any more than needed?
As can be expected chickens do not always see it the way we do. The water did not seem to impress them and the two who tried the jam quickly wiped any on their beak off in the shavings and showed no desire for more. I do not know how long you can leave the little guys with no water to get them to try the nipples. I tried for 3 hours without them showing any interest at all and they were looking plenty stressed at that point so I returned the original water to them but left the bucket in the coop.
Does anyone have some insight on this that would avoid torturing the little guys any more than needed?
