HELP automatic watering cups are not working!

[midwifebeth]

Here is what I have. I bought them on ebay and then set up the system. The water is fed by gravity from a bucket. Leaking is not my problem. Filling the cups is the problem.



I manually feed water into a 5 gallon drum and that feeds by gravity into a hose that is attached to the pvc pipe with the cups. The cups each have a little yellow valve that I originally thought worked like a floating device that was activated by the water getting too low. But it only seems to work when it is pushed on either up or down. The water seems to have effect on it. And my chickens seem too stupid to figure it out. I've had to go out each day to push on the yellow thing or the cups are empty. Does anyone have experience with a system like this and do you have any advice for me?

 

[pdirt]

I have only read bout those cups, but there is no malfunction. That is how those cups work. When the birds hit the lever with their beaks, it fills the cup. You might try putting a dab of peanut butter on the levers to entice them to the cups. Also, remove all their other sources of water (at least until they figure the cups out) and they will quickly figure it out. It took our chicks about 10 minutes to figure out the nipple waterers and the adults took a couple hours. Unless it is over 100f where you live your birds aren't going to be harmed in a few hours while they figure it out, if it even takes them that long.

 

[LoneOak]

I have water cups in two of my cages and the birds get all to drink out of it that they want. Very little water actually stays in the cup and that is one advantage to keeping them clean. When the birds drink they push the yellow valve sideways and just enough water flows in for them to drink and a little bit will remain in the bottom. After you have filled the cups manually yourself a couple times and the birds have drank that water they will go back to the cup looking for more. One of the birds will realize that there is a little water left in the bottom and go for it, in the process of getting that last little drink she will push the valve and more water will flow into the cup. Another bird will then see that there is water in the cup and try to drink it from the other side, she will hit the valve and a squirt of water will flow into the cup. Pretty soon they will be standing on both sides of the cup taking turns drinking that last little puddle in the bottom and for some reason(them pushing on the valve) that little puddle is always there.

Your system looks good and there is nothing you need to do different, just give the birds a couple days to learn how to use it and you should be AOK. Do not introduce more pressure to the cups as that will cause them to run all the time and that isn't what you want, they are designed to work off a bucket just the way you have it.

 

[midwifebeth]

Thanks everyone! I was just nervous because we do live in a very hot climate. I will be more patient. I don't think they are dehydrated. I just couldn't figure out why the cups always looks almost empty. I guess that is the way they are supposed to look now that I've read your responses. Thanks again!

 

[LoneOak]

I was just surfing around this site and found a lady in the Buy-Sell-Trade section under everything that sells a water system and she has this listed on a page of her website on how to train your birds to use the water cups. Her web page is AutoWaterKit, Training your birds to Drinker Cups.

It seems her experiences and how she trains her birds is real similar to my experiences and how I went about doing it. Now this just confirms that I did it right and everything is working great.

 

[h4farms]

Here is what I have. I bought them on ebay and then set up the system. The water is fed by gravity from a bucket. Leaking is not my problem. Filling the cups is the problem. I manually feed water into a 5 gallon drum and that feeds by gravity into a hose that is attached to the pvc pipe with the cups. The cups each have a little yellow valve that I originally thought worked like a floating device that was activated by the water getting too low. But it only seems to work when it is pushed on either up or down. The water seems to have effect on it. And my chickens seem too stupid to figure it out. I've had to go out each day to push on the yellow thing or the cups are empty. Does anyone have experience with a system like this and do you have any advice for me?

Could you show how you build the whole thing. I've got the same set up without PVC and I'd like to switch to PVC to allow me to heat the water during winter instead of that flimsy plastic that it came with

 

[20andy19]

I know this topic is years old but i have got the same drinking cups and the past week my bantams havent managed to work out that if they peck and knock the yellow part that water will come out. Has anyone got any idea on how i could increase the pressure slightly? My bucket is a 30 gallon bucket.

If i manually press the yellow lever it fills the cups quite quickly, i starting to think either my Belgian D'anvers beaks are too small or maybe my cups are too low and there beaks dont touch the lever. Maybe if i raised the cups they would gave to stand tall to drink and cause their beaks to be more level when drinking which may knock the yellow lever? Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

Andy.

 

[LoneOak]

In my experience the birds never fill the cups with water. They peek at the nipple until they have enough and leave just a drop or two in the bottom of the cup. They never hold the nipple long enough for the cup to fill.

 

[20andy19]

In my experience the birds never fill the cups with water. They peek at the nipple until they have enough and leave just a drop or two in the bottom of the cup. They never hold the nipple long enough for the cup to fill.

I have just been watching them, they where drinking for ages but not 1 held their hwas up after trying to take a drink as of to swallow any water. I habe 40 of the drinking cups i might dismantle 1 and see if i can find away to increase the flow rate. Ill get back to here with my results.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[poultryprofessor]

I know this topic is years old but i have got the same drinking cups and the past week my bantams havent managed to work out that if they peck and knock the yellow part that water will come out. Has anyone got any idea on how i could increase the pressure slightly? My bucket is a 30 gallon bucket.

If i manually press the yellow lever it fills the cups quite quickly, i starting to think either my Belgian D'anvers beaks are too small or maybe my cups are too low and there beaks dont touch the lever. Maybe if i raised the cups they would gave to stand tall to drink and cause their beaks to be more level when drinking which may knock the yellow lever? Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

Andy.

A picture of your setup may help. I have Seramas and other bantams that use these cups with no issue, so I wouldn't be inclined to think your birds are too small. Do your birds have access to another water source? Or just the cups?