How to Train Poultry to Nipple Waterers
Nipple waterers are a great way to ensure your chickens have access to fresh water at all times, but training them to use them can be tricky. Nipple Waterers have many benefits versus using traditional chicken foundation waterers.
This post may contain affiliate links, see my disclosure policy for more information.
How to Train Poultry to Nipple Waterers
There are several reasons why you might want to train your poultry to use nipple waterers.
- It can save you time and effort in the long run.
- Using nipple waterers can help reduce the spread of disease among your flock.
- Can help keep coops/runs dry.
Get updates & freebies delivered to your inbox!
Why Train Poultry to Use Nipple Waterers?
If you have ever had chickens, then you know that they can be quite messy. Water gets spilled everywhere and it can be difficult to keep the water clean. Nipple waterers are a great way to keep your chicken's water clean and easy to access. They are also less likely to spill water everywhere. Chickens can be trained to use nipple waterers with a little patience and time.
The Benefits of Using Nipple Waterers for Poultry
Water is essential for all poultry, no matter the breed or age. Poultry producers provide water for their birds in different ways, depending on the type of operation.
Tips for Using Nipple Waterers with Poultry
Poultry farmers have found that training their birds to use nipple waterers can save time and money. Nipple waterers are a type of automatic waterer that delivers water through a small valve that the bird activates with its beak.
This method of watering is less labor-intensive for the farmer, as the birds can drink whenever they want without having to be refilled manually. Nipple waterers help reduce water waste, as the water is only dispensed when the bird drinks from it.
The Advantages of Training Your Poultry to Use Nipple Waterers
Poultry farmers have to water their chickens multiple times a day, every day. It’s a time-consuming chore that can take away from other tasks that need to be done on the farm.
That’s why some farmers train their chickens to use nipple waterers. Nipple waterers provide a continuous supply of water for chickens to drink.
A few tricks for dealing with stubborn birds:
Remove all other sources of water. Place the new nipple waterer in the old waterer’s location.
Bring a bird’s beak directly to the nipple waterer and flick the nipple. You may have to activate the nipple with the bird’s beak to demonstrate the new water source.
Place a sunflower seed in the drip trough. When the bird pecks at the seed, it will discover a new water source.
You don’t have to train every bird in the flock. Just a few will do. Once the first chickens begin drinking, others will follow. We haven’t had to do this process with day-old chicks (youth has its benefits, no bad habits to break).
More on Raising Chickens
Common Chicken Keeping Mistakes to Avoid
