why do some chicks do this?

[stormylady]

I've noticed that some of my young chicks (not all) will pick up a footful of chick crumbles drop it in the waterer and pick it back out?? Which kinda irritates me because Im having to constantly change out there water, My grown chickens don't have this behavior, Do you think maybe they would stop doing it if I was to soak their feed with water first.

 

[buildingmyark]

Why don't you just get some nipple waterers?

 

[stormylady]

Quote:
Actually i hadn't though about it, never heard of people using nipple waters in a brooder before but I suppose they might. Thanks for the thought

 

[ruthless]

Do you have your waterer up on a block, so it is up off the floor? I use a small paver when they are very young and graduate to bigger bricks as they grow. The water stays much cleaner this way.

 

[RedDrgn]

Move your waterer further away from the feeder. We'd keep our on opposite sides of the brooder, and as they grew, we'd gradually raise them up off of the floor more and more. Minimizes a whole lot of mess.

 

[TheJuan-n-Only]

Quote:
Actually i hadn't though about it, never heard of people using nipple waters in a brooder before but I suppose they might. Thanks for the thought

I used 2 rabbit bottles in the brooder...worked like a charm....they had it figured it out within 1 hr...Now they are in the coop and I have those same bottle plus a 2 gallon jub with 2 nipples on it....clean water at all times

 

[colebarnhart]

Quote:
Actually i hadn't though about it, never heard of people using nipple waters in a brooder before but I suppose they might. Thanks for the thought

I used 2 rabbit bottles in the brooder...worked like a charm....they had it figured it out within 1 hr...Now they are in the coop and I have those same bottle plus a 2 gallon jub with 2 nipples on it....clean water at all times

X2 Agree!!!!!!!

nipples can cost about $2 each & i bought rabbit waterers for $2.50 at TSC for my brooder.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/pet-ca...e-rig-house-trade-water-bottle-32-oz--2179554

 

[stormylady]

Thanks for the suggestions! the water bottle sounds like a really good Idea! Do they leak? I know when I had my ferrets there bottles always leaked but they were probably just faulty. Thanks again all!

 

[juliaaa]

Quote:
I miss my ferrets! Used to have 6 of them at one time.

My chicks do the same thing. I put the waterer up a few inches higher than the food. Seems to have worked so far for me.

 

[lbartsch]

I used a rabbit waterer too and now I have an avian water miser nipple waterer in the coop. Both are genius and save so much time and effort. My rabbit waterer leaked a little each time they used it but only for a minute and the heat lamp in the brooder dried it up in about 1 more minute. I had to show my little chickies how to use the rabbit waterer a couple of times (I just tapped it with my finger) and then they got it right away. Try it - I bet you'll love it.