why arent they adapting

[jlehr25]

ok so I switched my quail over to the nipple drinkers and they are drinking from them but not very much and when I use the regular waterer it always leaks and soaks their bedding so I am trying to use this but then they are super thirsty and all swarm the waterer if I put in in the cage why do they do this when I see them using the nipples I will attach a picture of the nipple waterers there are 3 in each cage

 

[Fat Daddy]

I find they will use them, they will drink enough to stay alive. But I have never had a situation, that they did'nt still swarm a water faunt when they had the chance. It does not matter if its chickens, quail , or chukar, they all act the same. Birds prefer to "dip their beak" for water. This does not mean nipples are bad, they make life easier for the breeder for sure. But clearly not what the birds prefer. My suggestion is to watch very closely when it gets hot. Your birds need alot more water when its hot. They will have a tendency to dehydrate and this makes prolapse more of a possible issue as well as birds just expiring from extreme heat.... I set up a pipeline water system that supplied 3 sets of cages. it worked very well but I found the same issue you describe. I have since abandoned it.... Good luck, Bill

 

[James the Bald]

This is what I use. After hearing how everyone else on this site had such great luck with nipple drinkers, I got some nipple waterers a year ago. I attached 3 of them to a 24inch long piece of 1" pvc pipe and connected them to a 5 gallon bucket with a clear tube. I ran the pvc pipe across the top of their cage. I had built it so I can add a tee connector to the water tubing and add in more if they worked. Even after I put some aquarium sealant around them, they leaked so much that I stopped using it.
I wish you much better luck than I had.
James

 

[Fat Daddy]

This is what I use. After hearing how everyone else on this site had such great luck with nipple drinkers, I got some nipple waterers a year ago. I attached 3 of them to a 24inch long piece of 1" pvc pipe and connected them to a 5 gallon bucket with a clear tube. I ran the pvc pipe across the top of their cage. I had built it so I can add a tee connector to the water tubing and add in more if they worked. Even after I put some aquarium sealant around them, they leaked so much that I stopped using it.
I wish you much better luck than I had.
James

I have never tried the ones you linked James.... I tried these too and didnt like them either. same problem you describe... http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/120929520586?lpid=82&chn=ps

I used this set up and the birds used them. It sounds like it was a lot like yours except i used the nipples. 5 gal bucket, 1" pipe, actually serviced 7 pens here. It didnt leak, but they would always act starved for water if you set a old school water faunt in with them.... I only used it till it got hot. I stripped it for parts. I set the nipples up on the bottom of 5 gal buckets and it was the same thing. The birds would use them but still run to a old school waterer.