Winter is coming!!!

[red horse ranch]

When the temps are below freezing I put a 100 watt red heat lamp over the water jugs. Keeps the water unfrozen even if it dips down to single digits inside the henhouse.

 

[ValerieJ]

I love your design and plan to build one soon, hopefully today if my small farm and feed store has the nipples, if not I will order them today. Just wondering how long it will take to train my girls to drink from them and also should I leave their normal waterer out at the same time until they learn?

I have had no success with this at all until now. I have 4 chicks in the brooder and started them off early on vertical nipples and soon will convert to horizontal nipples. I hope they will teach my older girls by example.

I have the same problem with feeders. I want something rain proof for out in the run, but my older hens will not even approach a feeder they have to poke their heads into. I don't want to invest in a treadle feeder because I know they wont approach it. So I have to keep feeders inside 2 of the coops. The third coop is far enough off the ground to allow for a feeder hanging underneath it.

If anyone has ideas on how to train a chicken to these things, I'd sure like to know what it is too.

 

[aart]

Aquarium heaters are designed for indoor use so how effective they would be outside is a guess at best.

No guessing here, it works well.

This has worked well for me for 5 years now, don't skimp on a cheap heater.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-heated-waterer-with-horizontal-nipples.67256/

I love your design and plan to build one soon, hopefully today if my small farm and feed store has the nipples, if not I will order them today. Just wondering how long it will take to train my girls to drink from them and also should I leave their normal waterer out at the same time until they learn?

I've had all age birds either pick it right up within an hour...and others that take weeks to really figure it out.

Here's my thoughts on 'nipple training'.
First, it's good to know how much water your flock consumes 'normally', I top off water every morning and have marks on the waterers so I know about how much they drink.

-Show them how with your finger(tho that might just train them to wait for your finger),

and/or manually grab them and push their head/beak onto the trigger(easier with chicks than adults).

-No other water source, best to 'train' during mild weather when dehydration is less of an immediate health risk. I do provide an open waterer late in day to make sure they don't go to roost dehydrated, especially young chicks.

It can take days or weeks to get them fully switched over, just takes observation, consistency, and patience.

 

[hispoptart]

No guessing here, it works well.



I've had all age birds either pick it right up within an hour...and others that take weeks to really figure it out.

Here's my thoughts on 'nipple training'.
First, it's good to know how much water your flock consumes 'normally', I top off water every morning and have marks on the waterers so I know about how much they drink.

-Show them how with your finger(tho that might just train them to wait for your finger),

and/or manually grab them and push their head/beak onto the trigger(easier with chicks than adults).

-No other water source, best to 'train' during mild weather when dehydration is less of an immediate health risk. I do provide an open waterer late in day to make sure they don't go to roost dehydrated, especially young chicks.

It can take days or weeks to get them fully switched over, just takes observation, consistency, and patience.

Thanks, it will be a couple of days till I can get the nipples in, My small farm store didn't carry them, but he is going to the city today and should have them when the open on Tue. My girls are pretty used to being handled so showing them by pushing their beak into it shouldn't be to hard. My goal is to get the on it before winter, so I can add the heater like you did. I'm also building the feeder you built today. I have all the parts for that. I'm such a copy cat LOL but so happy that people like you share your ideas and projects.

 

[aart]

My small farm store didn't carry them, but he is going to the city today and should have them when the open on Tue.

You'll probably have to order them online, never seen nor heard of them being in the farm stores.

I'm also building the feeder you built today. I have all the parts for that.

The water bottle one?

 

[hispoptart]

You'll probably have to order them online, never seen nor heard of them being in the farm stores.

The water bottle one?

Ok thanks if he doesn't find them then I will order them, I'd like to support my small town stores when I can.

I guess I confused the feeder I want to build with yours, but now that I have seen what you did I am reconsidering what I want to do.

 

[aart]

I guess I confused the feeder I want to build with yours, but now that I have seen what you did I am reconsidering what I want to do.

There are a lot of options, I've tried various stuff with lots of little tweaks along the way.
This works best so far, scroll all the way to the bottom:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-waste-free-funnel-bucket-feeder.67218/

 

[Willowspirit]

View attachment 1908470


This is the one I have.

Are you using it? I got cups but found they get filthy way before I want to dump the water. They are hard to clean, too.

 

[Willowspirit]

No guessing here, it works wel

-Show them how with your finger(tho that might just train them to wait for your finger),

.

Too true!

 

[blackdog043]

I use a 5 gallon bucket, horizontal nipples and a stock tank deicer. I'm making a 14 gallon heated waterer for this winter.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ock-tank-deicer-and-horizontal-nipples.74609/