Little watering cups

[Soon2BChixMom]

Are you sure they aren't using them? When they peck at the lever it will only put out a small amount of water it will not fill up the cup like when you press the lever.
I can tell mine use theirs due to the water level in the bucket. It is semi-transparent so easy to see.
I also test my levers at least once a week.
Do you have other sources of water out fro them? If so, that would be a reason they are not using the cups.
Chickens learn rather quickly. Mine even drink water off of the siding of the shed.
How old are your chickens? How do you have the cups set up?

 

[Bdbutton]

I can’t be sure whether or not they have been drinking from the cups. I will fill the pipe to the top today and keep an eye on it. The cups are always empty so that’s why I thought they weren’t drinking. There is no other water source in the coop. The hens are 19 and 10 weeks old. Here is a picture of their waterer. Thank you so much for your reply. I was about to pull the thing out.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

When you see the cups are they bone dry or is there a little bit of water in them?

 

[Bdbutton]

A little of both.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

It's not meant to automatically refill the little cup, only when you peck / press the button does water come out. So say a hen picks at it, water drops, hen drinks it, now water is gone...... you come in to check and see that there is no water in it and think they aren't using it but really they just drank all the water. Or maybe they really aren't using it, who knows, but the point is it doesn't automatically refill the cup when water is gone.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

A little of both.

Then, it is working.

 

[trudyg]

I got those cups, too, for my chicks and they've never really gotten the hang of it. It'll work if 4 of them are all trying to drink from the same cup, but mostly they hang around waiting for me to hold the lever. Waste of money. Get the horizontal nipples and put them on a 5 gal bucket. I also have vertical nipples, but you can't set the bucket down to clean or fill it, so I like the horizontal ones better. Hanging a full 5 gallon bucket is heavy.

 

[Ohmyheart]

I would sit with them for awhile and watch them. Don't work the cup for them, they probably want you too as it's fun to have you do it. Then when you don't you might be able to catch them using them.

 

[Bdbutton]

I have sat and watched them before but I have never seen them actually peck at the little yellow float in the middle. The times I have seen them they only peck on the side.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

I was thinking about switching over to these little watering cups too...... now I have my doubts.