We get a lot of questions from New Zealand backyard chicken keepers regarding Chicken Drinkers, lubing cups and drinking nipples. So here are the answers to the Top 10 - FAQ: Lubing Drinker Cups
At Dine a Chook, we specialise in giving New Zealand backyard poultry keepers the opportunity to purchase the very best. That's why we only carry the parts used by professionals in the Chicken and Poultry industry. It is, for this reason, we sell the German Lubing brand of chicken lubing cups. All Dine a Chook Chicken Waterers and drinkers are fitted exclusively with Lubing Drinker Cups or Lubing Nipples.
1. What is a Lubing Drinker Cup?
Lubing Drinker Cups are a water-delivery system. They are a specially designed cup with a valve float. When pressed by the bird, water from the Chicken drinker enters into the lubing cup. Lubing cups are specifically designed for poultry hydration. The float valve prevents spillage by providing water on-demand. Most birds use it without any training. Lubing Drinker Cups are designed to avoid contamination of the drinking water, avoid wet litter, and may also help to deter pests such as rodents.
The free bonus of purchasing a Dine A Chook Chicken waterer is that the float valve has been upgraded by Dine A Chook so that it allows more water to be released and is easier for chickens to press.
2. Why use Lubing Cups?
Lubing Germany is the global leader in hydration systems for poultry farmers and breeders. Their professional-standard drinker cups are made for long-term as well as high-volume use.
As Poultry Feeder and Drinker manufacturers ourselves, we experimented with a range of drinker outlets. After our testing we can confidently say the drip-free outlet and also the contamination-minimising design, make Lubing the number one choice. It is perfect for professional as well as backyard chicken keepers alike. Lubing Cups are engineered and manufactured in Germany to the highest standards.
3. What is the difference between Lubing Cups and Lubing Nipples?
The two most common forms of water delivery for poultry are drinking cups and nipples. Both are highly effective ways to prevent water spillage and drips. They are also equally both effective in preventing contamination of the drinking water.
Drinker Cups have a small amount of water into which birds can insert their beaks to drink. The 'naturally' release more water by way of pressing the float valve. Many backyard chicken keepers prefer this more "natural" delivery system.
Nipples have bearing tips which release water when pressed. They are the number one choice in large-scale operations. They require less regular cleaning. The majority of commercial systems have a drip tray to prevent wetting the litter. Nipple Drinkers are also a good option for waterfowl such as ducks, as they prevent splashing of water which leads to a mess throughout the pen.
If you use a Nipple Drinker with ducks, you shall still need a wet location where they can fully immerse their head and beak as well. This could be a pond or even an additional bucket of water. You should try however to keep this wet location away from feed areas.
4. Can ducks use Lubing Cups?
Ducks will happily use drinker cups. However, they may dirty the cup water more than chickens do. For this reason, some of our customers prefer Dine A Chook Nipple Drinkers.
5. What types of birds can use Drinking Cups?
Drinker Cups can be used with backyard poultry as well as many aviary birds. Customers have reported success with: chickens, bantams, turkeys, guinea fowl, peacocks, ducks and also waterfowl such as ducks.
6. Do Lubing Drinker Cups leak?
Lubing Drinker Cups are made to be leak and drip free.
If the drinker begins to leak, this can be caused by calcification of the valve in the cup. The build-up of sediment over time is inevitable. To stop the leak, follow the maintenance instructions below in Section 10 of this page.
7. What is the Dine a Chook float up-grade?
Our Dine A Chook engineers have experimented with conventional lubing cups, and we found a flaw. After some redesigning and moulding, we designed a patented Dine a Chook float to fit the Lubing Drinker Cups. Our float allows more water into the cup, meaning higher resting water levels. Our customers prefer this, and so too, it seems, do their feathered friends.
8. How many Lubing Cups do I need?
To ensure adequate access to water, we recommend making one Drinker Cup available for every six chickens. For Automatic Chicken Waterers, you may be able to have one Lubing Cup per 8 birds.
9. How do I clean my Lubing Drinker Cups?
Keeping your Lubing Drinker Cups clean is easy. Just give them a hose out when you are topping up the Dine A Chook Chicken Drinker. This is enough to keep the cup clean. We also recommend giving them a deep clean every couple of months to ensure they keep working in the long-run. Dine A Chook recommends thorough maintenance (see Section 10 below) every few months. With little maintenance, these chicken drinking cups will still look amazing after years of hydrating your hens.
10. How do I maintain my Lubing Drinker Cups? Instructions for a deep clean
To maintain your Drinker Cups, we recommend doing a deep clean every few months. To do this, remove the nipple valve as shown below and wash in warm, soapy water. Rinse well and reassemble. Ensure you clip the valve back in correctly and spin it gently with two fingers to ensure it is moving freely.
If you wish to really service your Drinking Cup, you can completely disassemble it, as pictured below, and then follow the instructions above to clean it. When reassembling the cup, take special care that the lugs align when reattaching the red cup to the main, yellow body. Also, ensure that the top, stainless steel valve has clipped back into place.
If you have any issues with cleaning your Drinker Cup or reassembling it get in touch, it's our pleasure to help you.
If you would like to learn more about Backyard Chicken Keeping, visit our free information articles in our Chook School.