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Quail Waterers: Which One Is Best For You?

quail waterer

Depending on the kind of setup you have for your quail, you need to figure out quail waterers that your birds will understand and keep the environment clean. 

It is no fun to have smelly, dirty water dishes—no fun for you, and no fun for your quail. Bacteria can grow in water that has been soiled by feed and droppings. 

Bacteria equals infections, sick birds, and possible death. So, what kind of waterers should be used for this tiny little game bird? 

Let’s take a look at a few examples of the options available:

Quail Waterer Using Good Old Pots and Pans 

Ok, so if you are reading this article, you are probably looking for something a little more quail-specific.

However, for those of you who are new to quail-raising, it may be tempting to throw a dog dish into your pen and call it good.

These can also be a quick option if you want something easy and raise quail for sport and hunting (they are left to roam).

Open watering dishes can become cesspools of bacteria. Quail are messier than you might think, and they love to throw their food all over the place—everywhere and anywhere.

These tiny game birds are foragers and picky ones at that. They love to pick through crumbles, searching for the “perfect” sized pieces.

The rest of the sub-par-sized crumble will end up on the floor, in the droppings tray, and inevitably in the water. 

Choosing the correct quail feeder will help with the food-flinging problem, but having an enclosed waterer is also quite helpful and easy to find. 

Quail Watering System of Poultry Founts 

You know the kind, typically red-bottomed with a white cylindrical top. These are also known as gravity-fill waterers.

These can be good for free-ranging quail or ones in a ground pen because the waterer can be placed on the ground.

Fill the container with water, screw in the bottom, and turn the waterer over. The water fills the tray and stops when it is complete.

As the quail drink, the fount auto-fills. 

Poultry founts are one step up from the ‘ol frying pan because they do not expose all of the water to the elements—or wasted feed, for that matter. 

However, the problem with founts is that they can be a tempting little perch for curious quail to jump onto. And that is a problem because droppings from above can easily fall into the fount. 

A fount also exposes just enough fresh water to the possibility of having feed flung into it.

Both droppings and feed can cause bacteria to grow in any waterer. And in young birds susceptible to coccidiosis, drinking water laden with feces can be deadly. 

It would help if you were careful when using poultry founts when you have a brooder full of babies.

Quail chicks are tiny birds, and they can drown very quickly. If birds are only a few days old, they are usually pretty weak.

If they fall into open water, they may not have the strength, or agility, to get out of the fount. 

With that being said, if you do use a gravity fount for your chicks, you can easily prevent drowning by adding clean pebbles to the water tray.

This makes it next to impossible for chicks to fall into the tray, and if they do, they can usually squirm around enough to set themselves upright once again. 

Chicks have no qualms about drinking the water around pebbles. Just ensure that the stones are clean before adding them to water dishes.

Nipple Quail Water Feeder

As a new innovative waterer, the nipple design keeps bedding fresh and your quails’ water clean.

Nipple waterers are one of the better types of waterers you can get for your quail. They are made to attach to a bucket, or another container, from either the top or bottom, depending on the type of nipple you decide to use.

Water is dispensed only when the quail peck at the nipple. 

There can be a little bit of a learning curve for quail unaccustomed to the nipple waterers and even some training involved. Still, in general, most poultry is curious enough to start pecking at the shiny “spigot” without any assistance from you. 
quail waterer
Chicks can use nipple waterers as well, but if you have brand new babies, monitor them to make sure they know how to use them and that they are drinking enough water.

Remember, babies are much weaker than adult quail and may not provide the force needed to make the water flow. 

Best Quail Waterer Poultry Cups 

What would we do without technology? And speaking of technology, these little cups are the latest and greatest.

Like the nipple waterers, poultry cups attach to an external water source (like a bucket or PVC pipe). The small cups hang on the side of pens and cages, which means they take up very little space. 

Poultry cups have a small tab that, when pecked, allows water to flow into the cup.

These cups function similarly to a standard nipped, except they have a cup attached and are more accessible for quail to drink from. 

It’s safe to assume that both quail and chickens prefer founts and poultry cups to nipples because drinking from the water below their heads (you can place some nipples horizontally). 
quail watering system
Another perk for using poultry cups over other waterers is that they can be connected to any container.

You can use a small 5-gallon bucket or a 50-gallon drum! If you go big, make sure you have enough chicks to drink the water within a reasonable amount of time.

Stagnant water can grow bacteria and cause health issues. So, try to pick a size relative to the number of quails you have.

Lastly, poultry cups are incredibly safe for young quail. It is improbable that a baby will find a way to drown itself in a poultry cup.

But don’t quote me on that. 

Quail Waterer Conclusion

Any of these quail waterers will get the job done.

Some quail watering systems are much better than others.

When it comes down to it, you have to decide what Quail water feeder will work for your setup and the number of birds you have.

To learn more about raising quails.

READ NEXT: The Ultimate Guide to Raising Quail

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Quail Waterers

One thought on “Quail Waterers: Which One Is Best For You?

  1. Some bird watchers believe that buying bird feeders locally is better because you can actually see the birds personally and touch them. However, buying online certainly has its advantages as well.

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