Small plastic waterer problem

[QChickieMama]

My latest batch of baby bobs is in the brooder at age 2 weeks. I have a red plastic saucer w/glass quart jar as their waterer.

They're growing fine, so I removed the pebbles last week from the saucer, but now I'm noticing that the water isn't filling the saucer like you'd think gravity would cause. I check on them several times per day to see their jar full of water and the saucer empty.

Is there an easy fix I'm missing here? Are these waterers just not really meant to work?

 

[Reedgirl20]

I have probably a dozen of those waterers and never have had a problem. Perhaps check that it is not screwed in too tightly?

 

[wishful suburbanite]

I have that kind too. Using the "quail" base. I notice the water is quite shallow but I hear it glug regularly to refill. I'm supposinging it was designed that way to help keep quail chicks from drowning. I always tip it a bit to hear it glug after I refill the waterer, though. The opening isn't large and the surface tension seems to be able to hold the water in to a limited extent before it gets started. You could make the hole a bit taller if you want more water flowing. This is me assuming you have exactly the same one as me, though, and I don't know if you do.

 

[QChickieMama]

I have that kind too. Using the "quail" base. I notice the water is quite shallow but I hear it glug regularly to refill. I'm supposinging it was designed that way to help keep quail chicks from drowning. I always tip it a bit to hear it glug after I refill the waterer, though. The opening isn't large and the surface tension seems to be able to hold the water in to a limited extent before it gets started. You could make the hole a bit taller if you want more water flowing. This is me assuming you have exactly the same one as me, though, and I don't know if you do.

Sounds the same. Sometimes the saucer is full enough, and sometimes it isn't. Makes me worry I'll come home some day to find nearly dehydrated chicks. :-( I'll see about enlarging the hole.

 

[wishful suburbanite]

I looked at mine yesterday and part of the screw-on thread is directly above the water hole, so I may have the take that back about enlarging it. On mine it wouldn't make much difference because the jar itself would still be screwed down just as low if I had it in all the way. Hm. Maybe a second hole if you can manage one?

 

[QChickieMama]

I figured it out, finally! I switched to a plastic jar instead of a glass honey jar. The plastic is not so heavy and the threads allow for more water to escape to the saucer.