Three cups. Zero water fights.
When your flock hits 15 or 20 birds, a single drinking point becomes a bottleneck. The boss hen parks herself at the water while everyone else waits — or doesn't drink at all. Three cups means three birds drink at once, and the pecking order stops mattering so much.
This is the same German-made Lubing system used in commercial poultry operations. In 15 years, we've replaced exactly one float valve. One. That's the kind of reliability you want when you're managing a decent-sized flock.
Your flock outgrew the old setup
Started with a few hens, now you're running 20. The drinker that worked for six birds can't keep up. You're refilling twice a day. The timid birds hang back while the dominant ones hog the water. And in summer? You're worrying whether everyone's actually getting enough to drink.
Three cups on mains pressure solves it. Unlimited water. Multiple access points. No refilling. No rationing. No coming home to an empty container and stressed birds.
Garden hose connection
Tank or rainwater supply
"We no longer have to worry about our chooks running out of water when we go for a short vacation."
— Chee P., Australia
With 20-odd birds, you can't afford to have water supply issues. This setup handles hot weekends, late nights, and the odd forgotten morning — your flock stays hydrated regardless.
How it works
Connect → Turn on → Done
Standard garden hose connection
The header tank fills to the correct level and stops automatically. As your chickens drink from any of the three cups, the water level drops, the float opens, and fresh water flows in. All three cups share the same supply — when one refills, they all stay topped up.
Why three cups matters for a mid-sized flock
Chickens have a pecking order. The dominant birds drink first, and sometimes they'll guard the water just because they can. With a single drinking point, your bottom-of-the-order hens might only get scraps.
Three cups spread across the frame changes the dynamic. Even if the boss hen claims one cup, there are two more available. The shy ones get access. The older birds who move slower don't get pushed out. Everyone actually drinks.
It's the same reason commercial operations use multiple nipples or cups per pen — it's not just about capacity, it's about access.
These cups actually auto-refill (cheap ones don't)
Cheap drinker cups — the kind flooding eBay and Amazon — require your chickens to press down on the float to release water. If a bird doesn't press hard enough, no water. If the float gets stuck, no water. Timid birds might not drink at all.
Genuine Lubing cups work differently. Each cup comes with the original float fitted, plus we include an exclusive Australian-made upgraded float. As your birds drink and the water level drops, the float drops with it, opening the valve automatically. Water flows in. The cup refills itself.
Your chickens just drink — they don't have to operate anything.
Cups or nipples for a flock this size?
Forgiving across a range of water pressures. Chickens take to them quickly — no training needed. Position at eye level for your smallest bird. Better for mixed-age flocks where some birds might struggle with nipples.
Exceptionally clean — birds peck upward to release water. The commercial standard for layers and breeders. Need consistent head pressure (35–50cm). Best if all birds are similar size and age.
Got ducks? Nipples are usually better — ducks carry dirt in their bills and foul cups faster. But ducks still need a separate water source deep enough to submerge their bills.
Installation: Under 20 minutes
The bracket comes pre-assembled to the tank. Take it out of the box, screw it to something solid (fence post, shed wall, coop frame), screw the outlet frame into the pre-fitted ¾" elbow on the tank, connect your garden hose, turn on the tap. Done.
The unit weighs around 5kg when full — mount it to something structurally sound like timber posts, solid walls, or concrete with appropriate plugs.
Tip: Position the cups at eye level for your smallest bird. With 20+ birds, watch the flock for an hour after installation — you want to make sure everyone can reach and the timid ones are actually using it.
Running off tank water or gravity feed?
Works perfectly. The header tank isolates the pressure from your main supply — so it doesn't matter if your source tank is 500 litres or 5,000 litres, or how high it sits. The header tank regulates everything.
On rainwater? Consider adding an Inline Water Filter to catch sediment before it reaches the drinker. With three cups to maintain instead of one, keeping the water supply clean makes a real difference.
Maintenance for a three-cup setup
Three cups means three valves to keep clean — still quick, but worth doing properly.
Quick hose-out of all three cups
Disassemble each cup and clean thoroughly
Check for sediment around the valve
Sediment can build up around the stainless steel valve, preventing it from seating and sealing correctly. A vinegar rinse helps with mineral deposits, especially on bore water.
What you get
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Specifications
| Flock size | Up to 24 chickens |
| Dimensions | 364mm × 200mm × 250mm |
| Tank capacity | ~3 litres |
| Weight (full) | ~5kg |
| Hose connection | 13mm (standard garden hose) or ½" BSP |
| Mounting | 4 screw holes — requires solid surface |
| SKU | DACBTA3C |
Not sure if this is the right size?
Single Cup — compact setup
Twin Cup — most popular
Triple Cup — you're here
Four Cup or multiple units
Who makes this
The original — built in 2010, still in use today. Since then we've refined every detail, but the core principle hasn't changed: reliable water, no fuss.
We're Ryan and Kara, based in Townsville. We started Dine-A-Chook in 2010 as a weekend project in the garage — we had chickens, we were frustrated with the gear available, so we made our own.
Fifteen years and 50,000+ customers later, we're still a family business. The aluminium brackets are cut on our own CNC machine. The fittings are injection-moulded in Brisbane. The Lubing components come from Germany because nothing else matches them for reliability. This isn't imported and rebadged. It's designed here, made here, and backed by people who use it.
Three cups. Twenty-four birds. Zero daily hassle.
German engineering. Australian manufacturing. Fifteen years of backyard testing.
Spend $299 or more and shipping's on us.
Questions? 1800 103 326 — you'll talk to someone who keeps chickens, not a call centre.
Product Specifications
- Header Tank Length:
- 364mm (14 Inches)
- Header Tank width:
- 200mm (8 Inches)
- Header Tank height:
- 250mm (10 Inches)
- Waterer Capacity:
- Approximately 3 Litres
- Water Supply Compatibility:
- Mains pressure or gravity feed systems
- Number of Lubing Drinker Cups:
- 3 - System also available with Stainless Steel Nipples
- Suitable For:
- Chickens, ducks, and other poultry
- Placement:
- Install in a shaded area to prevent water from heating up
- Warranty:
- 3-year warranty on drinker components; 1-year on drinker cups and header tanks
- High Water Level Option:
- Includes additional floats for the Lubing Cups to adjust the water level higher if required
Yes. Chickens are naturally curious about water and will investigate the cups within minutes. Unlike cheap press-to-release cups, genuine Lubing cups auto-refill as the water level drops — your birds just drink normally. No training required.
For most backyard flocks up to 24 birds, yes. Each cup refills automatically so it's about access, not capacity. Three cups means three birds can drink at once, reducing competition and ensuring even bottom-of-the-pecking-order hens get water.
Standard Australian mains pressure works perfectly. The German float valve inside the header tank regulates the pressure automatically. Gravity-fed tanks and rainwater also work — the header tank isolates the system from your source.
Usually sediment. Small particles can build up around the stainless steel valve, preventing it from seating properly. Remove the cup, disassemble the valve, and rinse thoroughly. A vinegar soak helps with mineral buildup on bore water.
You can, but nipples are usually better for ducks. Ducks carry dirt in their bills and foul cups quickly. Either way, ducks still need a separate water source deep enough to submerge their bills.
Each cup comes with the original Lubing float fitted. We include three upgraded floats (Australian-made) with a larger contact section that keeps the valve open longer — so the cup fills with more water. Try both and see which your birds prefer.
Weekly: quick hose-out of all three cups. Every few months: disassemble and clean each cup thoroughly. On rainwater, an inline filter upstream reduces maintenance significantly.
Aluminium brackets are CNC-cut and folded in our Townsville workshop. Outlet frames are injection-moulded in Brisbane. The Lubing float valve and cups are German-made. This isn't an imported product with our sticker on it.