Why doesnt everyone use a water bottle for their chicks?

[CAjerseychick]

Hello read the the old threads on water bottles-- and tried them out-- yes indeed the chicks LOVE their rabbit water bottle-- they love shiny things and that metal ball really gets them going....
Did remember someone saying that they "no longer use water bottles " for their chicks and am wondering why? So much less mess and convenient....
Anyone? Feedback appreciated! (Note-- they were almost 2 weeks old before they really paid attention to it, so I can see this not working for dayolds...)... THX in advance, love this Forum!

 

[Pharmacy Chick]

I would love to try this...it would be great to put a couple in separate corners of the brooder. Looking forward to what everyone has to say about this.

 

[Cryptkeeper]

I just put one in with my week old frizzles 2 days ago. They didnt like it at first, but yesterday I noticed that they were giving it a try. I plan to give it another day and then remove their bowl waterer.

 

[Coopini]

I'd love to try this. Mine are always getting litter in their water.

 

[Sharon2012]

Mine shove their waterer over at every opportunity making the cage and everything in it wet. Am trying the water bottle.

 

[mayberrygirl]

I only use water bottles now, I was tired of stinky litter filled waterers.

 

[RonC]

I never tried a water bottle. Tried elevatling my waterer and that helped with getting "foreign" material in the water. It had a loop/handle on the top and I finally hung it from the top of the brooder and that did the trick. It was high enough they couldn't get shavings in it and discourged them getting on top because it would start swinging. Alot of people use the chick nipples connected to a large gravity fed container or low pressure system. About like a water bottle but doesn't need to be filled often or not at all if used with a regulator to drop the line pressure.

 

[CAjerseychick]

I never tried a water bottle. Tried elevatling my waterer and that helped with getting "foreign" material in the water. It had a loop/handle on the top and I finally hung it from the top of the brooder and that did the trick. It was high enough they couldn't get shavings in it and discourged them getting on top because it would start swinging. Alot of people use the chick nipples connected to a large gravity fed container or low pressure system. About like a water bottle but doesn't need to be filled often or not at all if used with a regulator to drop the line pressure.

My 6 week old chicks never were taught to use it so I will probably just move to the big 5 gallon waterer in the run (its on a cinderblock and rarely gets anything in it) when both sets of chicks are merged-- The bottles are really handy in the more cramped environment of brooder and brooding run and I have one inside the Coop(maybe the big birds will figure it out and sometimes they get let out really late I work night shift and I like to know there is water in there in these summer months...) .... Not sure about the nipple system - how hard it is to pt together... maybe I will research it...

 

[RonC]

The nipple systems are pretty simple to put together. A five gallon bucket,some pvc pipe and elbows and the nipples. You can also use a pressure regulator and plumb them into you regular water system for a never ending supply. There are some posts on here about them. I'm old school, just use a one gallon chicken waterer and clean and fill it daily.

 

[mayberrygirl]

The chicks get water bottles, for chickens I keep, the coop has a 5 gallon bucket with water cups placed around the bottom.