water nipples!

[tball]

Hello folks, I bought some horizontal watering nipples and put 4 in a bucket. took all other sources away. I took the girls and showed them to push and all that, I was so impressed some of them taped and seem to GET IT! So every day I go out I try to reinforce the system. Well its been raining for several days {my coop is a dog run with roll down tarps} so there are puddles well today every thing is very dry and I go to the water-er and they mow me down for a drink! I worry , I poured a small amount in a dish and they went crazy. What to do?

 

[pdirt]

If they're drinking from the nipples, they're fine. I've noticed that given another water source, such as a puddle on the ground or an open dish of water, they'll often choose that over the nipples. The nipples are not as "natural" or easy for them to drink from...it takes more effort than drinking from a puddle. The nipples are usually more for us, not just the chickens. It's more convenient than changing water every day. The chickens do benefit with cleaner water, but they will also often drink the most awful water given the chance!

Our chickens will rush the feeder if I go over and pour a bit more feed in the already full feeder.

 

[aart]

Hello folks, I bought some horizontal watering nipples and put 4 in a bucket. took all other sources away. I took the girls and showed them to push and all that, I was so impressed some of them taped and seem to GET IT! So every day I go out I try to reinforce the system. Well its been raining for several days {my coop is a dog run with roll down tarps} so there are puddles well today every thing is very dry and I go to the water-er and they mow me down for a drink! I worry , I poured a small amount in a dish and they went crazy. What to do?

Wonders if they have figured out how to use them without you pushing the pin for them?

I know it took mine some time....the older birds took much longer to learn than the 2 day old chicks who picked it up in a half hour.

I put a mark on the vessel so I could see that they were in fact getting some water shown by the water level dropping below the mark.