Nipple vs. cup waterers and auto fill - Page 2

Can I ask how you got them to start using the cups?  My chickens will drink the water out of the cups but don't seem to be able to figure out the little finger inside the cup dispenses the water...

I've been research watering systems and it's giving me a headache, too, so I feel your pain! :) 

It seems like the chickens would prefer to drink out of a pool of water instead of getting one drop at a time from the nipples. Our silkies and polish have feathers that partially cover their eyes and I'm afraid they would have trouble learning to drink from the nipples.

I found these auto-fill cups online and I'm intrigued - http://beaktime.com/specials.php - but the website doesn't give any details about how they work. It seems like they have a float valve that keeps them filled to a certain level. Has anyone tried them? 

Hello,  

I was looking at backyard chickens web site and see you posted about water cups.  I have installed 5 cups and I can push the little level and the cups fill up.   After I fill them the chickens drink them and when I come back hours later they are all dry or almost dry.  I get worried that they are not getting enough water so I put the old water jug thing back in and they drink from it.  Do these cup stay almost dry all the time?  

Someone suggested using yogurt on the end of the water nipples. Chickens like the yogurt, that's how she got her chickens to use the water-er. Said hers liked strawberry the best, worth a try beats packen all that water

Mine took forever to figure out the cups.  They were getting to rowdy at 3 wks and kept knocking over the chick waterer or filling it with debris.  I put the cups in at 4 wks and "showed" each one how to use it.  No luck after 12 hrs, and I put the quart jar back in when I was gone during the day.  I ran with both style of waterers.  They would drink from the cup if it had water in it, but couldn't figure out how to work it for more water.  I even took a sharpie and drew specs on the plunger thinking they would peck at it, no luck.  At 5 wks I moved the cups up to their back height and now they've figured it out or the angle is different and they actually trip the plunger when they drink.  Anytime I walk by I look and there is a small dribble in the bottom, never a full cup.  I think they just got big enough that to get the beak past the plunger moves it enough to dispense more water.

Cups are so much nicer now that they can use them.  Bye bye waterer cleaning duties 5 times a day  :-)

- JP

I just put in the nipple waters for my 8 week olds.  They tried it for the first time this morning and seems to gotten the hang of it.  I like the idea of ACV.  My setup is similiar to yours.

Make note that the cups are way harder to keep from freezing in the winter and require more cleaning.

Thanks but, I am more worried about not boiling the water in the Texas sun.  LOL 

Thanks been there done that.  Think I wrote your reply.  LOL  They finally seem to be getting it.  I expected to have more water in the bottom of the cups.  

For those who are having issues with their chickens drinking from the cups, Do they eventually figure it out? or did you do something to help them?  I've had it for 4 days and it is always empty.  I activate the yellow lever for them.  They can't figure it out.