Hello Crafty! First off, I hope you didnt pay too much for the cups. Hope you did some searching on different suppliers and options. The nipple feeders alone work just as well. And yes, according to pictures and articles provided via the internet, chicks pick up on nipple and cup feeders quite quickly. It may take a little introduction on your part to press their beak against the nipple or in the cup and wet their beak. After that they adapt on their own by pecking it.
This is my first year for raising chicks. Way back in the depression days, money and jobs were scarce. Our grandparents farmed and raised chickens and such to provide table fare during hard times. I remember it as a child being a lot of work for them. Today we have so many new inovations to lighten the maintenance load and upkeep. A lot of us have adapted a water ( rain ) barrel source to pvc piping with nipple waterers. Its a great approach to letting mother nature do the work for us. Tractor supply sells a floating water heater for about $30.00 dollars to keep the water from freezing during winter months. I want a hanging bucket waterer to put in my run outside the coop and yard area so the chicks dont have to run back to the coop all the time for a drink. Constantly exploring these new ideas can save you lots of time and monies. Next on the list is feeders! A couple of new ideas and applications are out there, but nothing really has me sold just yet. I like the pvc fill feeder approach as it attaches to a coop wall and takes up less space. I will probally make 2 of these to start with.
So Crafty! I hope this has helped you somewhat.
