Watering cups

lisa920

Chirping
Mar 30, 2016
72
7
81
Virginia
Does anyone use those little watering cups? If so do you like them? I bought some last fall but haven't used them, just wondering if they will be of any use.
 
Do you mean the little drinker cups, like those that are pictured below?

160x160px-LS-24fe28a5_B00NJ8SQA6-41QO9q16AlL.jpeg


If so, I use them, and generally like them. My chickens learned how to use them quickly and the water is kept clean. The only problem with them is that sometimes they leak. This typically happens when a shaving or other piece of dirt gets stuck up in the plunger mechanism, causing water to continue to flow out. Sometimes it happens for an unknown reason, though.
 
Yeah the ones I have are similar. Exception is that they have ports on each side and are made to use tubing from your water source to and between each cup. I didn't set them up since winter was coming because I was worried about the water freezing in the cups. Has that been a problem? I plan to have them on the outside of the coop in the run.
 
Do you mean the little drinker cups, like those that are pictured below?

160x160px-LS-24fe28a5_B00NJ8SQA6-41QO9q16AlL.jpeg


If so, I use them, and generally like them. My chickens learned how to use them quickly and the water is kept clean. The only problem with them is that sometimes they leak. This typically happens when a shaving or other piece of dirt gets stuck up in the plunger mechanism, causing water to continue to flow out. Sometimes it happens for an unknown reason, though.

I have one of the type above installed in a plastic bucket, along with a horizontal nipple. The birds get to choose. They choose the cup almost all the time, except when all of them try to drink at once. They then use both. The cups WILL freeze when it's much below 25F, even with a bucket heater installed and working. The horizontal nipples kept working down to -3F. When that happened, all birds were forced to use the horizontal nipples, but resumed with the cups when they thawed. Was relieved to find they were not damaged by the freeze.

I would expect yours to behave similar or maybe sooner. Keeping the feeder hose thawed would be a problem.
 
In my case, the cups sit empty most of the time. The birds quickly dip up any water in them, which is a good way to teach them to use them. Fill the cup and they go for the last drop in the bottom, and in the process, nudge the yellow lever. From that, they quickly learn to nudge the little yellow lever to open the flow and stop nudging the moment a drop or two hits their beak. Horizontal nipples work the same way as mine have a tiny little cup that holds only a drop or two. They peck the valve to earn a drop and drink it one drop at a time.
 

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