Automatic Water cups vs Horizontal nippples

[jreardon1918]

For my 20 week old hens, I have the horizontal nipples on the sides of a five gallon bucket. They know how to use it but I’m not sure they get enough. When I go in and change the water and tap the plungers they go crazy for water. I was thinking about getting the cups, but living in Michigan, they’ll most likely freeze. How do you know if they are getting enough water?

We only use HN buckets. *(We do use a bowl type waterer for the first few weeks for chicks.) That includes hot summers and freezing winters. Our girls all seem healthy. Pay the rent with a plentiful supply of eggs. Every couple days I top off the bucket. It seems to me that once the girls know the HNs supply water they will drink until they are nourished. Not very scientific, but so far they work for our set up. YMMV.

 

[BonnieBlue]

I made a horizonal nipples waterer, but I have been hesitant to use it. For one thing, it is just now cooling off enough here to think about teaching the girls to use it. My other concern is them actually learning. They are 16 weeks old, and there is only one that will let me handle her. The others will come up to me, but are barely letting me pet them without running away.

I have been thinking about getting watering cups instead. I need to do something that will keep water cleaner, and also, I need to put them on something I can wire to the fence, since Violet thinks knocking over the waterer is a fun game.

Do chickens learn to use nipples if only one is physically shown how? Or do I have to help all of them learn?

Edit to add follow up question:

I see RentACoop cups that have the insert you can take out and clean, or the ones with the anti-dirt cover to keep them from hopping onto the cup, or pooping in it. Do any of you have them, or tried both, and have a preference?

 

[Smokerbill]

I made a horizonal nipples waterer, but I have been hesitant to use it. For one thing, it is just now cooling off enough here to think about teaching the girls to use it. My other concern is them actually learning. They are 16 weeks old, and there is only one that will let me handle her. The others will come up to me, but are barely letting me pet them without running away.

I have been thinking about getting watering cups instead. I need to do something that will keep water cleaner, and also, I need to put them on something I can wire to the fence, since Violet thinks knocking over the waterer is a fun game.

Do chickens learn to use nipples if only one is physically shown how? Or do I have to help all of them learn?

Edit to add follow up question:

I see RentACoop cups that have the insert you can take out and clean, or the ones with the anti-dirt cover to keep them from hopping onto the cup, or pooping in it. Do any of you have them, or tried both, and have a preference?

I bought six horizontal nipple waterers and I need to get some into a bucket so my chickens can learn to use them before freezing weather too.

I'm using the Rent a Coop cup waterers that have the removable insert. I ended up taking them out permanently. Reasons? They were a pain to remove and put back in. When they are out, the cups fill with water to a deeper level.

I have two 2 gallon buckets with the cups, and one 5 gallon bucket. To clean them I just wipe the inside with my finger, pick up the bucket and rotate it few times to sling out the dirt. Cleaning is easy. But if they're mounted on a larger container that method wouldn't be possible. So far the auto cups have worked flawlessly, other than needing to be cleaned every day or two.