teaching them how to use new waterer

[SophiaLinn]

So I just moved my six 1/2 week old chicks into their coop which has one of those bucket waterers with the chicken nipples on it. They’re still getting used to the coop and they haven’t gone near their food or the water yet. It’s a new waterer for them. I tried poking the nipples to show them but they’re still just huddled in a corner. (they’re scared, it’s not cold) Does anyone have any tips to get them to drink from their new waterer?

 

[Chiknsrcool]

I’ve been having the same problem with my chickens but they are about four months old and we leave a bowl in for them because we don’t want them to get dehydrated but they just use that instead of the waterer so maybe I’ll try again during the winter when it’s not so hot? Or you could wait till their a bit older?

 

[rosemarythyme]

To train them to a horizontal nipple, here's a video, same technique I use: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chickens-just-dont-get-it.1384534/page-2#post-22828077 Vertical is pretty similar, except they'd drink from underneath the nipple.

However if it's currently very hot where you're at, best to provide them with the waterer they're used to and train them later as dehydration could kill them quickly while they're still trying to figure out how to use the new one.

 

[RRM]

We have horizontal nipples and used a little laser and shined the nipples with the beam. They would chase and peck at the beam and figured out water came out when they pecked it hard. Started that at about two weeks if I remember correctly, but It did seem like they we’re about three weeks old before they could tap the nipples hard enough to get anything out though.
Have a batch of 25 new babies coming the 22nd so I’ll try it with them and see how old these are when they start working the nipples.

 

[aart]

However if it's currently very hot where you're at, best to provide them with the waterer they're used to and train them later as dehydration could kill them quickly while they're still trying to figure out how to use the new one.

Ditto Dat!

Some birds pick it pronto, others can take days to weeks to really get it.