Automatic Water cups vs Horizontal nippples

[Chicken_man_J]

I currently have a 5 gallon bucket with automatic watering cups poultry drinker
outside the coop. Inside the coop I have a 2 gallon bucket with same cups. Been reading reviews on horizontal nipples and debating replacing them. Reasons being loss of water that has ACV, electrolytes. and vitamins. What are your thoughts. In addition the ones inside to coop allow water to be spilled on coop floor. In addition what are you keeping your feed in? I feed laying hen pellets grown locally from a local feed store, I keep them in dishes and fill them every morning. As I'm making plans to build my new coop what are some ideas of do's and don'ts. I have 9 laying hens that are about 1 and 2 years old. They free range during the day and cooped up nightly. Found the Backyard Barnyard Horizontal Water Nipple Kit 6-pack for 13.99 at Tractor Supply, attached is a picture inside my coop of the water bucket and feeder dish on far side.

 

[Mr Spot]

I currently have a 5 gallon bucket with automatic watering cups poultry drinker
outside the coop. Inside the coop I have a 2 gallon bucket with same cups. Been reading reviews on horizontal nipples and debating replacing them. Reasons being loss of water that has ACV, electrolytes. and vitamins. What are your thoughts. In addition the ones inside to coop allow water to be spilled on coop floor. In addition what are you keeping your feed in? I feed laying hen pellets grown locally from a local feed store, I keep them in dishes and fill them every morning. As I'm making plans to build my new coop what are some ideas of do's and don'ts. I have 9 laying hens that are about 1 and 2 years old. They free range during the day and cooped up nightly. Found the Backyard Barnyard Horizontal Water Nipple Kit 6-pack for 13.99 at Tractor Supply, attached is a picture inside my coop of the water bucket and feeder dish on far side.

I have the watering cups, I got my system from Amazon, it has 4 cups on a square 5 gallon bucket, I never have tried the nipples so I can't honestly say on them, but so far the water cup system is working great.

 

[Smokerbill]

I have one of the Rent a Coop auto watering cups mounted on a 2 gallon bucket in the coop with my 5 week olds. It seems to work perfectly, always has water in it, and there's no dripping or sloshing when the chicks drink.

I don't know how the cups will work when the chicks mature. I guess I'll find out. I bought 6 and have only used one so far, which is plenty for my 8 chicks.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I have horizontal nipples for all year on a 5 gal bucket. 10 chickens go through 2 gal a day in winter-kept from freezing with submerged deicer. cups will freeze, period!
In warmer seasons the chickens don’t get enough from the nipple waterers— mine seem thirsty and frustrated with them. The cups I tried in the past required chickens to move a lever, well they didn’t get it!

Three season the chickens free range so I keep a 1 gal water dish near their favorite hangout and fill in AM and PM bc my dogs will gulp it down, too. Not sure that it’s ideal to share but they will do what they do when they want to do it.

 

[EddieSalita]

I don't like cups. They are dirty beasts hard to clean. Maybe my hens are just grubs. So it's either hanging waterer or horizontal nipples imo. If it's hot, hanging water seems best.
I also just use a hanging feeder. But one with a bit of a rolled edge to help prevent wastage. It's not perfect. But was thinking of trying one of the ones (pic attached) to see if I can get them to waste even less. Anyone used one before?

 

[CedarLane]

If I lived in the South, I might try the cups. However, cups will freeze in the winter up here in Michigan. I've used the Premier 1 heated waterer with horizontal nipples for 3-4 years and really like it. I hate dealing with messy waterers. With our broilers in the spring or fall, we just use the vertical nipple waterers but we aren't dealing with freezing temps either. So far we've never had any chicks or chickens who haven't been able to figure out how to use either vertical or horizontal nipples.

 

[NicholeT]

I have the Rent a coop nipples on a 5 gallon bucket and they are the bomb. Now how to get them to stop pooping on the top on the enclosed 5 gallon buckets is another story. I hate having to try to open the top when its full of poo.

 

[Captain13]

I use the Rentacoop cups. They have a removable cup liner for cleaning and they also have cup covers that help keep the cups cleaner longer. The covers slip down over the hinge and has an opening for the chickens to stick their heads in and drink. I like them a lot and none of the six I use have leaked.

 

[Smokerbill]

I use the Rentacoop cups. They have a removable cup liner for cleaning and they also have cup covers that help keep the cups cleaner longer. The covers slip down over the hinge and has an opening for the chickens to stick their heads in and drink. I like them a lot and none of the six I use have leaked.

I got the exact same deal. Buy 5 and get one free. I finally took out the liner, because the cup never got that dirty. Plus, without the liner the cup fills with water to a deeper level. The chickens seem to like that.

They're not going to work in the winter, though, because they'll freeze up. I'm going to get a few of the Rent a Coop nipples and mount them on a heated bucket.

 

[Hen-She]

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?