Beards & water

[Chold05]

I’m new to keeping chickens with beards. I have one that’s 8 months old & suddenly her beard is super messy. I have to assume it’s from drinking… I have both a nipple waterer and a regular waterer.

With winter about to start, I’m concerned with frost bite.

I’m going to take the regular water out and only offer a nipple system.

Aside from that, any other ideas? Should I trim her beard down?

 

[Rose the Legbar]

I have three bearded pullets. One ALWAYS finds a way to get her beard wet while my other two have never gotten it that soggy. I use cup waterers as well. At this point I have given up with that one pullet’s beard, as soon as I blow dry it she finds a way to get it muddy and wet. I personally wouldn’t worry too much, my non bearded hens always dipped their wattles into the water in winter and they didn’t get frostbite. If the beard is super soaked and you are worried, I would just blow dry it.

 

[aart]

I’m new to keeping chickens with beards. I have one that’s 8 months old & suddenly her beard is super messy. I have to assume it’s from drinking… I have both a nipple waterer and a regular waterer.

With winter about to start, I’m concerned with frost bite.

I’m going to take the regular water out and only offer a nipple system.

Aside from that, any other ideas? Should I trim her beard down?

Yes, they can get messy with water and feed, sometimes their flock mates will help clean the beards so much that they pick the whole thing off.

Are the nipples horizontal ones?
They are the best, IME, but still can drip onto wattles.

 

[lagrange chicks]

I have had this problem also and it was so bad she had 3 icicles hanging that were a couple inches long. I have cup waters. nipple and the bell type and they all freeze. I use folgers coffee cans ( which freeze also but just change cans in the morning) and cut the lid so there is openings around the edge but the lid still snaps on, she has to drink from the edge and the beard is not in the water then.