- 2 litres — about a day's water for four hens, two in real heat
- One genuine Lubing cup, with the Dine-A-Chook float upgrade
- Refills itself as the level drops — nothing for the birds to press
- Made for brooders, small pens, chicken tractors and as a second summer drinker
- The one to use for dosing medication or supplements
- UV-treated ASA, lead-free and BPA-free. Mounting kit included
- 2 litres — a day for about four hens
- One Lubing cup, self-refilling
- Brooders, small pens, second drinker
- Good for dosing medication
- Lead-free, BPA-free, mounting kit included
A small drinker that does a specific job
This is the compact end of the Dine-A-Chook range: two litres, one Lubing cup, and a mounting kit in the box. It is not trying to be the drinker that waters a whole flock all week — it is the one you put where a big drinker will not go, or where you want water in a second place.
- In a brooder, from day-old chicks
- In a small pen or a chicken tractor, where a full-size drinker will not fit
- As a second drinker in summer — put it in the shade, where the birds actually sit through the hottest part of the day
- As a medication drinker, for dosing a wormer or a supplement without treating the main drinker
- In breeding, quarantine and isolation pens, and for transporting or showing birds
- In aviaries, and for game birds
How long 2 litres lasts
An average hen drinks around 500ml a day, and up to a litre when it is genuinely hot. So a full 2 litres is roughly a day's water for four hens in mild weather, and about two hens in real heat. Chicks in a brooder will take far longer to get through it.
Litres and cups are two different things
The litres decide how often you refill it. The cups decide how many birds can drink at the same moment. One cup, so one bird drinks at a time. Neither number is a flock size — if you want to fill a drinker once and leave it, look at the larger drinkers and drum drinkers instead.
How it is built
| Body | UV-treated ASA industrial thermoplastic — it does not go brittle or crack in the sun the way PVC does |
|---|---|
| Water contact | Lead-free and BPA-free. No glue, no adhesives, no internal screws to rust |
| Cups | Genuine Lubing cups, made in Germany, with the Dine-A-Chook float upgrade |
| Filling | Top-filling, with a lock-on lid, lid hook and carry handle |
| Mounting | Built-in moulded hooks, plus a mounting kit of two steel brackets and four screws |
The float is the part that does the work. It refills the cup automatically as the level drops, so the birds always find water at the same height instead of having to press anything. They do not need to learn a mechanism.
Dosing medication
A small drinker is genuinely useful at worming time. You can mix an exact, small volume rather than dosing a drum, you can see how much has actually gone down, and you can keep it as the only water so the birds take the full dose. Two litres is an easy number to mix against.
Wash it out properly afterwards, and keep one drinker for medication if you can — it saves second-guessing whether a rinse was thorough enough.
Good for chicks from day one
A cup drinker suits a brooder better than an open font does. There is no standing water for a chick to get into, nothing for droppings to fall in, and no damp patch spreading through the bedding.
New chicks do need showing where the water is. Tap the cup or the float with a fingertip while they are watching — that is usually all it takes.
Keeping it clean
The cup sits above the ground and is shaped to keep dirt, dust and scratched-up feed out of it, which is most of the job done. Rinse the cup out when you refill, and give the bottle a proper wash whenever it has held anything other than water.
Keep it out of direct sun where you can. Warm water grows algae faster, and shade also means the birds are drinking something cool in summer.
One cup or two?
Same bottle, same two litres, same fittings — the only difference is the number of drinking positions. One cup is right for a brooder, a spare drinker, or a pen where birds come and go rather than crowding the water at once.
If several birds tend to want a drink at the same moment, the twin-cup version is five dollars more.
Specifications
| Capacity | 2 litres |
|---|---|
| Drinking cups | One Lubing cup with the Dine-A-Chook float upgrade |
| Lasts | About a day for four hens in mild weather; roughly two in real heat |
| Height | 375 mm |
| Weight, empty | 624 g |
| Material | UV-treated ASA industrial thermoplastic, lead-free and BPA-free |
| In the box | Drinker, plus a mounting kit of two steel brackets and four screws |
3-year warranty on the drinker components Dine-A-Chook manufactures, and 12 months on the Lubing cups and nipples. Colour loss and fading, and rodent damage, are not covered. Full terms on our warranty page.
Product Specifications
- Volume:
- 2 Litres
- Number of Cups:
- 1
- High Quality:
- BPA and Lead Free
- Weight:
- 624g
- Height:
- 375mm
- Lasts:
- About a day for 4 hens
Frequently Asked Questions
Sizing, dosing and the questions we get asked about the compact drinker.
How long does 2 litres actually last?
An average hen drinks about 500ml a day, and up to a litre in real heat. So a full bottle is roughly a day for four hens, or about two when it is genuinely hot. Chicks in a brooder go through far less. If you want to fill a drinker and walk away for several days, this is not that drinker — the larger ones are.
How many birds can drink at once?
One. There is a single cup, so birds take turns. That is fine where they come and go, and in a brooder, but if several tend to crowd the water at the same moment the twin-cup version gives two drinking positions from the same bottle.
Do the birds have to press the float?
No. The upgraded float refills the cup automatically as the level drops, so there is always water sitting at the same height. Nothing to learn and nothing to push.
Can chicks use it?
Yes, from day one. A cup suits a brooder better than an open font: no standing water to get into, nothing for droppings to land in, and no damp patch through the bedding. Show new chicks where it is by tapping the cup or float with a fingertip while they watch.
Is it safe to drink from? What is it made of?
UV-treated ASA industrial thermoplastic — stronger outdoors than PVC, and it will not go brittle or crack in the sun. Everything touching the water is lead-free and BPA-free, and there is no glue, no adhesive and no internal screws to rust.
Can I use it for worming or supplements?
Yes, and it is one of the main reasons people buy this size. Two litres is an easy volume to mix an exact dose against, you can see how much has gone down, and you can make it the only water so the birds take the full dose. Rinse it out properly afterwards.
How does it mount?
It has moulded hooks built into the back, and the box includes two steel brackets and four screws. Mount it at the height the birds carry their heads — roughly back height for adults, lower for chicks — and make sure the weight sits evenly across both hooks.
Will ducks use it?
They will drink from it, but ducks want to dip their whole bill and get through a lot more water than hens do, so a 2 litre bottle empties quickly. Our duck drinkers are the better starting point if ducks are the main users.
How do I keep it clean?
The cup sits up off the ground and is shaped to keep dirt, dust and scratched-up feed out, which does most of the work. Rinse the cup when you refill, wash the bottle out whenever it has held anything but water, and keep it out of direct sun — warm water grows algae faster.
What is the warranty?
Three years on the drinker components Dine-A-Chook manufactures, and 12 months on the Lubing cups and nipples. Colour loss and fading, and rodent damage, are not covered.
Not sure which drinker suits your setup? Get in touch — we are a small Australian family business and we answer our own emails.