Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[Maccbean]

Hi

 

We only got our chickens on Sunday, but didn't put the glug in until yesterday morning, at which time I removed the dish that I was using to give them water. However, a couple of hours later I had to put it the dish back in as it seems they haven't worked out how to use the nipples on the glug and they all ran to drink from it. There have been a couple of attempts at jumping up to get the water from the holes, but no attempt at pecking where they are supposed to peck to get the water from. Of course I don't want them to get dehydrated, but want to remove the dish as they keep knocking it over. Can you teach the chickens to use the glug?

 

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Debbie

[Omletina Kyckling]

If you use something like a stick and tickle the nipples underneath so that the water runs out, once they see the water dripping, they will soon get the hang of it......

[Egluntyne]

My cup of tea just came down my nose. :D

[Maccbean]

Ha ha, I wondered if I could get away with writing nipples without any smuttiness

[Maccbean]

Well so far not so good, I spent an hour of and on tickling them with a stick but they reall don't get it. Happy enough to run to the area of ground where the water is falling but not inquisitive enough to try them (avoiding the word you notice) I'll give it another go if they're not getting it in the morning and then I'll lower the glug for them to get their heads in. V. infuriating!

 

Debbie

[Maccbean]

No matter how much tickling I did, they just didn't get it. So, the bar has been lowered this afternoon and they are drinking from the top. I spose some get it and some dont eh!

[Jules.]

don't give up trying to teach them how to use the superglug!

My hens took a good few hours working out theirs, I held each of their beaks to the nipple in turn so that they knew where the water came from, & they did cotton on eventually.

The water will get all dirty if you let them drink form the top of the glug- I use the Cinammon method to keep my water clean- plastic held on with cable ties which covers the glug like this.

Works a treat.

 

[charliechick]

Hi

 

I know exactly what u mean!!!! one or 2 of mine did figure out the teats but i noticed (after much lengthy watching) that they just didnt like it and made a dash for the small glass i had to put in the run. When we came home from work the glasses were bone dry knocked over and filthy So when i went to get more feed i spotted a propper drinker with extendable legs for a good height and they loved it. If its filled to the top they cant knock it over and the water stays reasonably clean.

[Mumpty]

I was going to post this query myself as I too am having problems. I have tickled said (items)! and no joy. I tried picking them up (the chickens) and showing them, but as they've only been with us a few day, thy're still a bit wriggly and they just looked at the ground. The wet ground is very intesting but the stupid birds don't look up to see where the water's coming from - I don't know what to do either.

[Mumpty]

Hi, just wanted to add to the thread that my girls cracked the nipple thing today. I tried tapping them and water just dripped all over the chickens making a muddy mess on the floor. I tried lifting the chickens up to the glug and pointing their beaks at the nipple whilst tapping (no mean feat, seeing as the girls are new and flap a lot!), but they wouldn't have any of it. Finally, I took their other water away and waited. I was just going to try tapping the nipples again and there they were, tap, tapping all on their own. I feel really chuffed that they've sussed it out. I am a clever mummy!

 

Do you like how I mentioned nipples lots of times

[Milly]

I have sat outside tapping the nipples and they look interested but then just come outside to see what I am doing It would be nice if they would use the new glug, but I haven't been resolute enough to take away all other sources of water yet (too much rain water around anyway, until the past few days!)

 

Milly

[Seagazer]

If you use something like a stick and tickle the nipples underneath so that the water runs out, once they see the water dripping, they will soon get the hang of it......

 

[Steve.]

My new chooks - who'd only seen a vacuum-dish-thingy before worked, out how to drink from the superglug very quickly after they sneeked into the cube-run to try and find something to drink.

 

Wondering, hmm, why are the new chicks not free-ranging ... oh ... water ... tapping a bit with my finger and after 1 minute or so they got the hang of it all.

[Olly]

don't give up. They will drink from an open container much more eagerly, but actually I think the Superglug keeps them occupied during the day! Mine always rush out as soon as I open the run, and head for a plant saucer full of mucky water ...

 

I didn't believe mine could use it, until I stood back and observed, I found that in fact they could drink from it perfectly well but if I put an ordinary Glug in there they'd drink that first. Persevere and they'll get the hang of it.

[AJuff]

Over filling the glug makes the water run down the sides and onto the nipples. Once my chooks saw the water dripping off they figured it out.