Teaching Chickens to Drink from Nipple Waterer

[Kdss]

We made a terrific nipple waterer from a 5-Gal bucket and nipples, but CANNOT seem to teach them to use it. They are 3 months old. I've held a treat up to the nipple to teach them, even slipped a wire around one nipple to create a constant drip, it is high enough for it to be right in their face.

 

[Presidential]

Allow your chickens to get thirsty. When they want water, they will start pecking around. Fill the waterer with ice to create condensation - this will give them a clue where to find the water. They'll get it!

 

[AnotherSusan]

I will be watching to see answers. I made my chickens a nipple waterer and hung it up. Then I fell and broke my leg, inside the house, not by the chickens.
My husband has been keeping an eye on the nipple waterer and filling their old waterer.
So far the level of water in the nipple waterer has not changed.
My plan had been to catch a few of the chickens and show them how to use the nipple waterer. My husband is not motivated to do so.
I really hoped they would figure it out, out of curiosity, but it has not happened.
Once I am more mobile I will try my method. Can't get my wheelchair out there and doctor says I am too unsteady for crutches.

 

[Presidential]

Your chickens are probably not going to PREFER the nipple waterer over their traditional waterer. If given a choice, a chicken will choose the easy way to get food & water. They have to work (peck) to get drops of water from the nipple, instead of just dunking their beak to get a full gulp.

If you want them to use it - put it out there and walk away. They will drink.

 

[SophieL]

I've got the same **** problem! I am leaving both the fountain and nipple waterer out until it starts getting cool in mid-October. I'm just too afraid of dehydrating them in this heat.

 

[loanwizard]

They definitely use it, from day old chicks to oldies. It is said that chickens like the color red and my nipples are red.... that just did not sound right.... Anyhow, when given the choice, they prefer a pan or a puddle, but the nipple system is their for our convenience.

Take the other sources away and they will figure it out in minutes.

 

[Jitamon]

I had to dehydrate my chickens on to the nipple, hehe. Not only that, but I left them in the coop till they figured it out. I kept showwing them by flicking it, making a pecking sound, and sure enough the lead cockerel came over, tried it, and then everyone did it. They all took turns figuring out the nipple, and now they do it like its no big thing. HOWEVER
When I let them out on the range, they forget all about the nipple, and if I don't have a range water source, they forget to drink,lol. The way I solved this was to teach them to use ONLY chicken nipples. I made 2 replicas of the water and nipples inside the coop, but this time put them 1 in the pasture on their range and 1 by the coop, but outside by where I feed them. The chickens only source of water are the buckets with chicken nipples.
After locking them in their coop for a couple days, 4 days in fact. I found is long enough for them to get with the program. Anyway after 4 days, let them outside. They will be happy you did. Give them some scratch and show them the chicken nipple. The key to all of this is the complete removal of all pan waterer's and dishes or whateva you were using. They need to understand that the nipple is the water source.

 

[SophieL]

I am so FREAKING excited! One of my chickens figured out the nipple waterer last night!!!! I guess she didn't like the taste of the electrolytes I put in their fountain waterer and she finally, after two weeks, started using the nipple waterer. It's now just a matter of time before all of them start using it.

YAYAYAYAYAY!

 

[rich00023]

Has anyone made one with a pvc pipe so you could place several chicken nipples along a distance of it? I'd like to use a 5 gal bucket to supply the water to the pvc pipe because I don't have a water source on that side of the house, and don't wanna mess with a regulator to decrease the pressure to 1 psi to use a garden hose. I am wondering if anyone has made one already that has tips on how I can make one. What did you use between the bucket and pipe and how did you keep it from leaking, etc. Thanks.

 

[LoneOak]

Any of you having problems teaching your chickens how to drink from the nipple water systems need to do a search in this forum for "nipple waterer" or something similar. The search box is real close to the top of every page and there are many, many, many topics on how to get your chickens to use them. There are so many topics some of the old timers that used to give advice no longer do because they have done it so many times. You could also just scroll down this page and maybe 2 or 3 more and probably see 10 or 15 topics on the subject.

The number one thing you must do to get your chickens to use them is remove all other sources of water especially the one they have been using the last couple months for their #1 waterer. They are creatures of habit and as long as they can do what they have always done they will not change. Remove their current water, make sure the nipples are at the right height and before the day is over it will be like they have always used them.

Remember to do the Search or scroll down for other topics on the subject, you will learn a lot.