Show me your quail pens!!!

[RosieR]

Do they actually drink from that water bottle? I always assumed they would not figure it out. But if they can figure out vertical and horizontal "nipples" then I guess a hamster water bottle is not that different.

Yes the older ones can drink from it fine. I think they waste quite a bit tho. These learned to use it at 3 weeks old.
I was thinking of setting something up with nipples but I’ll have a problem in the winter with freezing water.

 

[mdees88]

Yes the older ones can drink from it fine. I think they waste quite a bit tho. These learned to use it at 3 weeks old.
I was thinking of setting something up with nipples but I’ll have a problem in the winter with freezing water.

According to everyone I've asked, horizontal nipples will not freeze up. I'll know after this winter.

 

[paneubert]

According to everyone I've asked, horizontal nipples will not freeze up. I'll know after this winter.

The nipples won't freeze but the reservoir will. I put a stock tank de-icer in my bucket over the winter and it worked fine.

 

[mdees88]

The nipples won't freeze but the reservoir will. I put a stock tank de-icer in my bucket over the winter and it worked fine.

I think people that had heated buckets with vertical nipples had problems with the nipples themselves freezing up. Nice to know the horizontal do not. I'm installing some tomorrow in my new cage...

 

[paneubert]

Yep. The vertical ones freeze since there is water in the nipple that is not able to be heated by the heater in the bucket. Horizontal don't have any water in the nipple.

 

[RosieR]

Yep. The vertical ones freeze since there is water in the nipple that is not able to be heated by the heater in the bucket. Horizontal don't have any water in the nipple.

Oh good to know! I’ll order some horizontal nipples to install in some sort of bucket or something that I can sort out heat for eventually lol

 

[RosieR]

Oh good to know! I’ll order some horizontal nipples to install in some sort of bucket or something that I can sort out heat for eventually lol

Can chicks drink from horizontal nipples as well. The dirty water dish drives me crazy lol

 

[paneubert]

Can chicks drink from horizontal nipples as well. The dirty water dish drives me crazy lol

I would not try it on really young quail. I don't think they would be able to push the nipple hard enough. But they grow so fast that I would think you could switch to nipples by about week 2.

 

[RosieR]

I would not try it on really young quail. I don't think they would be able to push the nipple hard enough. But they grow so fast that I would think you could switch to nipples by about week 2.

Ok. Maybe I would make them available and take the dish out as they transition.

 

[mdees88]

Just about finished my 3rd cage. It's a 5ft x 2ft with a roll out egg trough. Here's the link... https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/diy-quail-cage-3-0.1239392/