Teaching chickens to drink

[rngrbill]

You can teach chickens

. My ladies have been home now for a week and I was concerned that they were not drinking from the nipple waterer. I had been told that their natural curiosity would solve the problem. The water level hasn't subsided noticibly and I haven't seen them drinking. So after doing some research here and elsewhere I found an overpriced sales site for them that had a FAQ with comments. They recommended removing all other forms of drink from them and let them get real thirsty. Sounds a bit cruel but in the long run right!!

Then someone said they pushed grapes over the nipples and by the time they finished the grapes they had learned how to drink. Having read that grapes might be bad, or at least seeded grapes (?) I went with small, cherry type tomatoes. First cut a cross in the bottom of the tomatoe and pushed it on the nipple. It split all the way down the side and of course wouldn't stay on. Then I took the drill bit I had used to put the nipples in and just using my hand drilled a hole in the bottom, cut off the top and slipped it onto the nipple success.

It stayed on for now. I got the proper starting height for the nipples (18" for my size girls Went to 19" later) added water and let the girls go. I had also removed all treats from the run. No cabbage, no pumpkin.
After a water fast for 18 or so hours I let the girls go. They went straight for the tomatoes. they discovered the water and the rest is history.

You want to learn the pecking order for your chickens? Fast them from water then give them a limited source. i.e. 3 nipples.

My unknown breed bout the size of my BO, Black with a green iridesent sheen, and my BO are the dominant pair. BO seems to allow the others in and could care less Blacky ( soon to become Boss Lady) is very aggressive towards the others, My two reds seem to pick on my BR who is sometime tolerated by the other 2.

Love that chicken TV.

 

[TigerLilly]

I like the info & suggestions, but what is "chicken tv?" And more to the point, how have I been missing out on it?

 

[kittykittykitty]

Quote:
GRAPES ARE NOT BAD FOR CHICKENS! My chickens LOVE THEM! And never ever got sick from them!

Cool idea btw!

 

[rngrbill]

Quote:

I pickup the term chicken tv from another post somewhere here in chickenville. I gather it refers to pulling the couch out to the run and coop, popping a top and watching the chickens with a bag of Cape Cod potato chips.

 

[LiLRedCV]

Awesome idea! Thanks... working on building a new and much larger coop for our girls and trying to figure out the logistics of the water and feed systems. This information comes in mighty handy since I've never used the chicken nipples before, but have been eyeballing them.

 

[OneTenthAcreAndAChicken]

Yeah - we watch lots of chicken TV here.

My mom, who had chickens when she was a kid and is convinced that they are the stupidest creatures on the planet, was quite certain they would all die before learning to drink from the nipples. She happened to be visiting the weekend I got them and set up the waterer. The chicks actually took to it within a few minutes - it was all pretty funny to watch - both the chickens and her reaction.

I do like the grape/tomato idea, though - pretty clever.

 

[chick4chix]

I love chicken tv too! My granddaughter came up with the "chicken channel". The window that looked out at the chicken yard was next to our tv and as I was turning on the disney channel for her she said: "Grama, that's okay you can turn that off- I'm watching the chicken channel".

 

[rngrbill]

Quote:
As Art Linkletter said: "Kids say the Darndest Things"

 

[lorain's fids]

Chicken TV is my all-time favorite show to watch these days!!!