Watch Chickens with Horizontal Nipples - Leave extra water source in case

[mustangjayyyme]

For hot parts of summer, you definitely want to have more watering options available, even if all the birds are fine with nipples. Way too easy for them to get dehydrated or heat stressed when talking about high temperatures like that.

Oh yes definitely, that was my plan! I never got rid of their old waterers anyways. And I'll probably freeze them some yummy treats, as I do that for our dogs too. I have a lot of silicone molds I can use too

 

[FloorCandy]

For hot parts of summer, you definitely want to have more watering options available, even if all the birds are fine with nipples. Way too easy for them to get dehydrated or heat stressed when talking about high temperatures like that.

I put out their “pool” aka a wide flat bowl that goes under a deck potted plant thing, when it gets hot. That way they can jump around in it, and drink it. They still have the regular nipple waterer bottle available, but they prefer to poop in their water for that extra flavor.

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

I watched them to see it being used which after a few used it...they were all interested. And yep watched their water as well. Just I couldn't sit there and watch them all day to make sure they all used them. And I followed what I thought was the right thing to do. Now I know better myself. And I haven't chosen a camera just yet for them. But glad I caught it when I did. She's still very lethargic like...but she's eaten, drank, and pooped a lot finally. So I take that as a good sign. She seemed to be very constipated from what I cleaned up.

I'm glad she is doing good.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I put out their “pool” aka a wide flat bowl that goes under a deck potted plant thing, when it gets hot. That way they can jump around in it, and drink it. They still have the regular nipple waterer bottle available, but they prefer to poop in their water for that extra flavor.

I use terracotta planter saucers, very big ones, so they can wet their feet and cool down that way, and of course they drink from that too. I like the saucers because they're way too shallow to drown in, too heavy to tip over, and the rougher surface provides good traction in case a chicken goes bolting across.

 

[aart]

For hot parts of summer, you definitely want to have more watering options available, even if all the birds are fine with nipples. Way too easy for them to get dehydrated or heat stressed when talking about high temperatures like that.

Ice chunks and regular EL doses during heat waves here.
I give EL in extreme cold too.
If they aren't drinking they won't eat.

I love HN's, been using them for 6 years.
Especially in the winter.
Can put them in all sizes of buckets, jars, bottles.
Bottles work great in a rate when isolation is needed.
But it does take time and observation.

I've had all age birds either pick it right up within an hour...
....and others that take weeks to really figure it out.

Here's my thoughts on 'nipple training'.

First, it's good to know how much water your flock consumes 'normally', I top off water every morning and have marks on the waterers so I know about how much they drink.
Found they drank just as much from the nipples as they did from the open waterer.

-Do not train to nipples during extreme temps when dehydration is more of a risk.

-Show them how with your finger(tho that might just train them to wait for your finger),
and/or manually grab them and push their head/beak onto the trigger(easier with chicks than adults).

-No other water source, best to 'train' during mild weather when dehydration is less of an immediate health risk. I do provide an open waterer late in day to make sure they don't go to roost dehydrated, especially young chicks.

It can take days or weeks to get them fully switched over, just takes observation, consistency, and patience.

 

[NH-Song]

My chickens are all too stupid to use nipples - it's possible I haven't waited long enough for them to figure it out, but they just suffer and dehydrate. They're also too dumb to figure out the cup-nipple things with the yellow filler-dongle. It's sad.

But really, I'm just coming here to say that I read the post title and was amazed. My chickens don't have nipples at all, let alone horizontal ones.

 

[SusiesPeeps]

So just like the title reads...
If switching to horizontal nipples, be careful. I've read a lot of different things here, and as well as the instructions for the nipples.
I saw what I thought was at least 7 of my girls drinking from them.
So I thought okay...they're good. They all seemed fine, as I watch them regularly anyways.
Well today I just happened to go check on them. I almost didn't open their gate, but I ended up doing so.
I counted 8....there's 9. So I looked for her. Didn't see her anywhere on the ground with them. I see some feathers in the coop. I go look and she's laying on her side. I thought she was dead. Her feet moved. I grabbed her instantly. Fiance grabbed some water and she started drinking. She could barely stand up, but she drank. So we brought her inside. Put some of their electrolyte stuff in her water and she kept drinking here and there. She finally seems a lot better after a hour or so. She started eating too. I wet her food significantly to help her eat and get water. So she is inside now in a spare dog kennel we had. Will monitor her. I also did add their old waterer back to the run, in case anyone else was struggling with the nipples. I've seen them many times a day using them. And they already went through a whole 3 gallon jug. But obviously, nipples aren't for all chickens. So I just wanted to say, always provide them with something else. Thank you for all your inputs here as well. I did some searching when she didn't seem well, but we instantly figured it was water/dehydration anyways. Which I hope it was. I don't want to lose "Esme" btw she is a Silkie...if that matters.

So glad you were able to recognize what was happening with Esme and intervene as soon as possible. I don't have Silkies but 6 pullets who will turn one year in April. We used the vertical nipple waterer when we started the brooder and then switched over to a larger vertical nipple water when they went out to the coop. When it started to get cold and freezing was a danger, we switched them to the heated horizontal nipple waterer - because we could not find a ready-made waterer that could be heated with vertical nipples. We placed the horizontal waterer on top of an inverted tall bucket so they could drink comfortably. I can't say it was easy to make the switch. To this day, my Buff Orpington prefers to wait until another hen drinks from a nipple and laps up some of the water from the little cup that falls between the waterer and the bucket it stands on. Before all the snows hit this winter, when they had gone out to free range, I would put out a shallow pan of water and they would all stand around it and drink for several minutes before they'd go about foraging. And, now, when I enter the runs with my muck boots caked with snow, they immediately come over and eat the snow off my boots! We have had no sick hens or serious concerns about dehydration, but I can't help but wonder if they are getting the same amount of water from the horizontal nipples as from the vertical.

 

[Pioneertown mama]

So just like the title reads...
If switching to horizontal nipples, be careful. I've read a lot of different things here, and as well as the instructions for the nipples.
I saw what I thought was at least 7 of my girls drinking from them.
So I thought okay...they're good. They all seemed fine, as I watch them regularly anyways.
Well today I just happened to go check on them. I almost didn't open their gate, but I ended up doing so.
I counted 8....there's 9. So I looked for her. Didn't see her anywhere on the ground with them. I see some feathers in the coop. I go look and she's laying on her side. I thought she was dead. Her feet moved. I grabbed her instantly. Fiance grabbed some water and she started drinking. She could barely stand up, but she drank. So we brought her inside. Put some of their electrolyte stuff in her water and she kept drinking here and there. She finally seems a lot better after a hour or so. She started eating too. I wet her food significantly to help her eat and get water. So she is inside now in a spare dog kennel we had. Will monitor her. I also did add their old waterer back to the run, in case anyone else was struggling with the nipples. I've seen them many times a day using them. And they already went through a whole 3 gallon jug. But obviously, nipples aren't for all chickens. So I just wanted to say, always provide them with something else. Thank you for all your inputs here as well. I did some searching when she didn't seem well, but we instantly figured it was water/dehydration anyways. Which I hope it was. I don't want to lose "Esme" btw she is a Silkie...if that matters.

 

[Lil TexHens]

I LOVE horizontal nipples!!!

Aart’s instructions are right on!!! I would add, IF your flock is small enough, you can assure each chicken knows how to use nipples by showing and observing each and every one. I don’t remove the open water source until I know they are ALL are “certified” nipple drinkers. And if you can’t tell who is who, I’d keep them in the coop and only let one out at a time to train with the nipples. Again, this is with a smaller flock. With large flocks, they will train themselves because monkey see... monkey do!
I have to say that in the beginning I was extremely skeptical as to whether, or not, nipples would allow for as much water intake as an open water source would. Well, I’m completely sold on nipples after using them exclusively for 4 months now. My entire flock of 14 is thriving with nipples. My younger girls were nipple trained at 2 weeks old. Oh and 2 are Silkies! I cannot stress enough how the overall health of my chickens has been improved with absolutely clean water!

Just to note, I use multiple drinkers so even the lower hens get to drink. Also, I plan to still use my oversized plant saucers for wadding and drinking, during the extreme summer time heat, in addition to the nipple drinkers.

 

[Pioneertown mama]

So just like the title reads...
If switching to horizontal nipples, be careful. I've read a lot of different things here, and as well as the instructions for the nipples.
I saw what I thought was at least 7 of my girls drinking from them.
So I thought okay...they're good. They all seemed fine, as I watch them regularly anyways.
Well today I just happened to go check on them. I almost didn't open their gate, but I ended up doing so.
I counted 8....there's 9. So I looked for her. Didn't see her anywhere on the ground with them. I see some feathers in the coop. I go look and she's laying on her side. I thought she was dead. Her feet moved. I grabbed her instantly. Fiance grabbed some water and she started drinking. She could barely stand up, but she drank. So we brought her inside. Put some of their electrolyte stuff in her water and she kept drinking here and there. She finally seems a lot better after a hour or so. She started eating too. I wet her food significantly to help her eat and get water. So she is inside now in a spare dog kennel we had. Will monitor her. I also did add their old waterer back to the run, in case anyone else was struggling with the nipples. I've seen them many times a day using them. And they already went through a whole 3 gallon jug. But obviously, nipples aren't for all chickens. So I just wanted to say, always provide them with something else. Thank you for all your inputs here as well. I did some searching when she didn't seem well, but we instantly figured it was water/dehydration anyways. Which I hope it was. I don't want to lose "Esme" btw she is a Silkie...if that matters.

I've had horizontal watering nipple for years. I made my watering system out of a extra large contractors watering cooler. The kind you see on trucks. It's made with a float and hooks up to a water faucet Line. So my chickens always have fresh water. This system works great without ant problems at all except I'm afraid the system might freeze in the winter so we close it off and use a regular chicken watering container.