A friendly reminder...

[tadpole98]

Please do not leave a bucket of water filled even with a little bit of water around your chickens. I had a stock tank for some cows I forgot to empty that only had a few inches of water in it. I smelled something really disgusting and after some investigation found that Jo, the chicken who hatched the first egg here on the farm had fallen in and died.

They will stand on the rim and slip in. It stinks.


Also, while we are here on the topic of buckets and chickens, don't leave any buckets around that a chicken can tip over on himself. Even some big bucket they can tip over! We give out chickens compost in a bucket and someone always tips it over on themselves and is stuck there till I go rescue her an hour or so later.

 

[ohju1ia]

I heard chicks can drown themselves, but I didn't realize full grown chickens could as well. Thanks for sharing!

 

[tadpole98]

apparently they can.

i had the same belief as you to just a few days ago!

 

[chfite]

My chickens will sometimes tip over my dog's one gallon bucket. They stand on the rim to drink when the level is low and turn it over. Then no one gets any water. Of course, all the water spills, so there is no chance to drown. Chickens sure as shooting cannot swim.

Chris

 

[chickenbythesea]

my chickens have had nothing but buckets to drink from since day one and we've never had a problem. The only time I use those irritating upside down waterers is when they're chicks so that they don't drown. I should note that our buckets aren't higher than chicken height.

 

[redsoxs]

I have tanks around for garden watering and dogs to jump in and cool off. I lost a RIR a couple years ago who fell in and drowned. I felt terrible. Since them I've put little "ladders" in the tanks in case it happens again.

 

[redsoxs]

Please do not leave a bucket of water filled even with a little bit of water around your chickens. I had a stock tank for some cows I forgot to empty that only had a few inches of water in it. I smelled something really disgusting and after some investigation found that Jo, the chicken who hatched the first egg here on the farm had fallen in and died.

They will stand on the rim and slip in. It stinks.


Also, while we are here on the topic of buckets and chickens, don't leave any buckets around that a chicken can tip over on himself. Even some big bucket they can tip over! We give out chickens compost in a bucket and someone always tips it over on themselves and is stuck there till I go rescue her an hour or so later.

Ha! That reminded me of some chicks I once had in a brooder in my basement. It was too cold to put them in the coop so sometimes they would escape their broody and wander the basement. One day I came up one short. I could hear an occasional chicken noise coming from one corner of the basement but could not find the little monster anywhere. I was convinced it was up in the floor joists and crawl space behind some insulation but I could not for the life of me find it. I know I looked for over an hour. I had to move the ladder to explore a new section so I picked up a small upside down shoe box. You guessed it! He was underneath - must have jumped up on the edge and flipped it over on himself!

 

[tadpole98]

my chickens have had nothing but buckets to drink from since day one and we've never had a problem. The only time I use those irritating upside down waterers is when they're chicks so that they don't drown. I should note that our buckets aren't higher than chicken height.

yeah, ours too. Weve been doing this for 4 years and that was the first time we had a problem too

 

[ohju1ia]

I'm still surprised that chickens can't swim. Lol