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Best way to get girls to use superglug?

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We bought a superglug last week in the hope that when we are away in just less than 3 weeks my friend who is looking after them will be able to fill it from outside the run.

 

Has anyone had great success with them the reviews in the omlet shop were good, but considering 3 of ours came from Cotswold Chickens where they had peck drinkers as well as normal drinkers they seem a bit clueless. They peck at it then watch the water fall to the ground.

 

Is there an optimum height for it? It is mounted at stretched head height at the moment.

 

I gave in last night and mid-morning today and filled a couple of cage cups with water and they guzzled it down, with one of them pretty much dipping her head into the water. The only other water source they have at the moment is one of the little drinkers like you get on rabbit hutches that they had at Cotswold Chickens and they are pecking that quite a bit.

 

We bought a hanging 4 litre drinker when we got them but we thought that it would be a pain for my friend to keep clean and refill while we are away, she doesn't have chickens of her own and it is quite a big ask already for her to look after them.

 

They have had the Superglug in the run since Saturday afternoon.

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I tweaked on of the 'nipples' with a stick or my finger through the side so that water dribbled out... they were trying to peck my finger or the stick at first.... but one of them soon got the hang of it and then kindly showed the others!

 

Mine is just under stretched head height. I've put a perch next to it for my little Lavender Araucana to sit on... she drinks out of the top!

 

I'll go take a photo!

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The perch came from Pets At Home... they are sold for Parrots and come in a range of colours! MiMi often sits up there... especially when drinking... I hand treats up there for her too coz she doesn't get a look in if I put them in the run!

SANY0002-1.jpg

 

Hopefully you can see the height here!

SANY0004-1.jpg

 

Oh yes... I placed a large stone underneath one side for FiFi, my Amber Star, to use as she's not as large as the Pepperpots. (to take the pic, I just tapped on the nipple again and she duly obliged!)

SANY0005.jpg

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I have 2 superglugs up at stretching height which I hear being used occasionally....one super glug at ground level so they drink from the top (2nd favourite)....6 cage cups (favourite)...and a standard glug in the WIR.

 

My 3 originals were unimpressed in the extreme when I put the superglug up above the door in their eglu when we first got it so it resided in the greenhouse until we got our extra chooks & the WIR.

 

The low level SG is such because I can't get into the cube run to hang it properly due to the way it has been attached to the WIR, they aren't at all bothered, in fact they prefer it down low & it's easy to fill from outside...does get a bit mucky though & I clean it out properly (dishwasher :whistle: !!) at least once a week & empty it every other day or so.

 

Not sure this is much help at all :roll: ,

 

Sha x

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Looks like I might have to mount it lower and or go back to the standard glug and a hanging drinker. At least she could fill the normal glug and superglug from outside and cage cups. We will be away for 6 nights so although they will get grubby in that time i don't think that they would actually come to harm over that time, I have seen what they drink around the garden :roll:

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Persevere!

They will use the superglug if there is no other source of water, & if it is within reaching height for them. It's a great design, & takes away the worry that the hens will run out of water.

Try holding a chooks beak to the nipple so she gets the water out. Thats what I did. My chicks even got the hang of the SG when they were about 8 weeks old.

 

Here's mine in the WIR. The plastic stops them drinknig from the top, as designed by Cinnamon!

2677575100_7d3ce565b2.jpg

 

 

and in the eglu

3791118327_4b528953d9.jpg

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The perch came from Pets At Home... they are sold for Parrots and come in a range of colours! MiMi often sits up there... especially when drinking... I hand treats up there for her too coz she doesn't get a look in if I put them in the run!

SANY0002-1.jpg

 

Hopefully you can see the height here!

SANY0004-1.jpg

 

Oh yes... I placed a large stone underneath one side for FiFi, my Amber Star, to use as she's not as large as the Pepperpots. (to take the pic, I just tapped on the nipple again and she duly obliged!)

SANY0005.jpg

 

now then, I really need a perch like that for my girls & boys!

Its another Omlet must-have :roll::lol:

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