Cup-Waterers - need help understanding - **UPDATE**

Hello,

Yesterday we installed a cup-watering system. The brand is Easy Garden and we ordered it from McMurray Hatchery. There is a picture here:

http://www.easy-garden.com/watering.php

However, I can't figure out how it is supposed to work. The installation was easy enough, but to get water into the cups, you have to hold down the yellow levers - how are the birds supposed to get water from it? So far I have only seen one bird peck at the yellow lever, which I'm not sure is effective. It seems like not much water is ever in the cups at one time.

I want to make sure I'm not doing something wrong here. If anybody has experience with these (I know Mrs. AK-Bird Brain does from her coop design page), I would love some insight. The product does not come with any explanation of how the birds are to use it and MM's and Easy-Garden's websites aren't any better...

Until I can make sure they won't die of dehydration, I've left their regular waterer in there too.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

~Lisa

 

Nobody knows anything about cup waterers?

My birds are pecking at them a lot and getting a bit to drink, but I fear it's not enough....

Anybody have any thoughts?

 

As I said in my first post, my chickens have their other regular 5 gallon waterer and they are fine. I wouldn't let them go without. I don't appreciate the alarmist responses.

And I don't think anything is wrong with the system either. I just am trying to make sure I am doing it properly.

ChooksChick -

Thank you for a reasonable response, I appreciate it.

Yes, it is a low-pressure system designed to be used with a 5 gallon bucket of water, which is exactly how we assembled it, so I think the pressure is fine.

When they do peck at the levers, it doesn't take much effort to move them, but a quick peck only releases a drop. You need to hold it down for maybe 2-3 seconds to get a decent amount of water. What often happens is that they drink all the water around the levers and avoid hitting them. They do like to peck at the whole thing - levers, cups, the pipe, etc... but they are quick pecks so far, and that's why it doesn't seem like it's going to work that well.

Perhaps they are getting more water from it than I can tell. I am not comfortable using it without their regular fount yet, but that is my goal. I am hoping someone who has used them before will be able to give me some advice. Perhaps I will PM Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain. I will also try to call McMurray tomorrow if I can't figure it out, of course. I was just looking for advice from people with personal experience before trying to call the hatchery which will probably only be able to read the instructions to me.