Watering Nipples.

[riverpilot69]

I was thinking about trying watering nipples for cleaner, fresher water. I have never used these and was wondering if the chickens will learn to use them on their own or if they will have to be conditioned to use them? I know animals can smell water and will seek it out from great distances. Will a chicken do this also? I know it sounds dumb but I just don't know.

 

[Avonlea22]

I tapped the beak of one of my girls up to the nipple a few times until she got the taste of the water. Once this happened, she figured out how she could get it on her owm, and the others, out of curiosity, just copied her and "discovered" how it worked.

 

[OC closet chicken fan]

i have been using the nipples since december and they work great. i had the same concern as you but after trying it out i dont' think i can go back. surprisingly the chickens caught on very quickly...within the hour or so all of mine were using it. their natural instinct will make them wanna peck at the nipple... water comes out...and they learn. i went from refilling/cleaning waterer like every day to once a week after install nipples on a clear gallon jug and hanging it... give it a try

i got mine from ebay... 5 for $3.90 i think

good luck

 

[anderson8505]

I got mine from a BYCer that ordered too many. My chickens and chicks took to them pretty quickly! I left a regular waterer in there and watched the behavior. Their natural curiosity led them to investigate the nipples, after that, it was pretty much a done deal. I am now using it with brand new chicks, but also have regular water bec of the dangers of leaving them without water. I'd definately recommend getting nipples. It was easy to do, too.

 

[riverpilot69]

Thanks guys and gals. I think I will give them a try and sit back and observe the action.

 

[BellevueOmlet]

Chickens are curious and this instance, it serves them well. Since they are red and often have a water droplet on them, it should not take long. I never saw my chickens drinking from mine when I had them, which concerned me so I switched to cups and love them but know many people that also like the nipple waterers.

 

[debid]

I started mine on a nipple waterer as tiny chicks. They saw that shiny, silver lever and wanted to peck at it. It was clear they were doing fine with getting water so I took the dish type out an hour after installing their new waterer. No issues here.

 

[pampered_poultry]

The cup drinkers that I use work great!! They create very little excess water and are easy to lean. You can check my website for details.

Thanks,
Richard

 

[CluckyJay]

Absolutely LOVE them!

They make quick work of dosing my chickens with garlic, too! I just dump my pureed garlic in the bucket and they drink it all up. No mess and no fuss. They freeze though. I melt mine by dumping hot water over them. Now I am using a plain ice cream container to water the hens until I figure a way to keep the nipples from freezing.

My adult chickens I just got learned how to use them in like two minutes! I think you'll love the chicken nipples.

Just remember to keep the bucket covered with a lid and you can say bye-bye to poopy water!

 

[wyododge]

We use a bird bath deicer to keep the water from freezing. And would never go back. We have a pretty good set up we designed out of necessity. You can see our solutions to common issues on our page.