Training to use a waterer

[emilyc52]

Can anyone provide any assistance on how to train chicks to use a waterer? I’ve just constructed my waterer and will be moving the chicks out in a few weeks. I just want to make sure they are able to get water.

 

[Ms Clucky]

Put a mirror behind it. They will see their reflection and then notice the water, hopefully

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Press the lever just enough to put a little water in the bottom......if you put too much water out they drink their fill without experiencing moving the lever to associate thst with water dispensing

 

[Toothpick]

If they are chicks you can gently push their beak to it so they can taste the water. That’s what I did with my chicks. Might be harder with grown adults. I got my chicks used to the 5gal bucket with nipples by putting their beaks to it but my grown adults had never used one so I stood in the run for a while and made the water come out of it myself. They are curious so they came over and would see the water running down and drink it. Eventually they put 2 & 2 together.

 

[aart]

Some good tips already given above.
Hopefully a couple will catch on right away to show the others.
How old are your birds?
Can we see the other side of the wall?
Looks like a pretty cool system.

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[emilyc52]

They are taking to it just fine! Whew! They are 7 weeks old now. Below are some pics.

 

[Timothy Menezes]

If your birds scratch around as actively as mine do, they will probably flick nasty things up into those cups. Any way to install a piece of plywood or something hard on the ground in front of those cups?

Really spiffy looking setup by the way, I really like it.

 

[lrobb88]

I just switched to a nipple waterer and was worried about the same thing. Once they got thirsty they went looking for water and figured it out right away.

 

[Sueby]

Neat set up! & glad they picked up on the waterers. I think they're smarter than I ever thought!

I was worried all night about mine when I switched them over to the nipples. I took their water dishes away & took each bird & tapped their beak on it till they got a drop. Then, because I was worried, I did it again 1 more time before bed. The next day there was like 3 inches of water gone & it was wet under the bucket - I do believe they were playing with it!