# At what age do you start giving chicks water in a dish?



## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Just curious, so those that hand-raise chicks, at what age do you usually start giving the chicks water in a dish? 

I usually do it when the chicks move into a weaning cage, and I start giving the chicks “weaning foods” to try.


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## RMAC81 (Oct 16, 2013)

I do it the same way. I also offer a water bottle for them to learn how to use, I like them a lot better than I do a dish way less mess!


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

At three weeks I give them a shallow dish and dip the end of their beaks in it so they get the concept.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

My babies are co-parented so they always have access to water bowls and will discover the purpose of it when they're ready. But with the last clutch I discovered that they like to go wading in a wide shallow bowl of water intended for bathing, and while they're in there they sample the water with their beaks. So the last clutch of chicks discovered water drinking earlier than my previous clutches.


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## Fredandiris (Nov 27, 2012)

When I put my babies in their weaning cage I had water in a bowl around the bottom of the cage. Eventually they figure out where the water is though, especially if there are older birds around to teach them.


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