Chickens and Bodies of Water?

[BackyardCoop]

My husband and I live along a river. Our chickens have plenty of room but we'd love to let them free range at times.
However, I'm worried that with the river in our backyard that they may get into it or jump into it and float away.

What do you guys think? Will they know to avoid it?

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Chickens evolved around rivers, and ate little fish for protein scientists say (that's why you can feed them kitten feed in their layer pellets/crumbles)

I have washed my chickens before, and even if the are wet, the can fly out of the bathtub, that's what wings are for. So I don't see the problem. But I'd watch them the first few times, just in case.

 

[sourland]

They will avoid the river. If pursued by a predator they might accidentally fly into the river, but given the choice they will stay away. I frequently used chickens to hatch duck eggs. The mother hens would go into a panic whenever 'their' duckligs discovered the creek.

 

[CorinneP]

They know.. they Dont really even like Rain.. They might peck close to water for bugs but rest assured they dont want to take a swim ..

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Yes, true, I noticed on the "Legend of Zelda" the chickens are swimming. The folks who made that need to visit BYC.

They know.. they Dont really even like Rain.. They might peck close to water for bugs but rest assured they dont want to take a swim ..

 

[BackyardCoop]

Ours definitely don't even care for rain!

I just wanted to get some opinions before we try free ranging them during the day. =) We do have a lot of big birds here so I want to be out when they are so mama can watch her babies.

Thanks guys!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Keep the inner tubes and pool toys locked up and you won't have any problems with your birds floating away.

 

[DamselinFlannel]

I was trying to catch a runaway rooster last summer and it ran straight into the pond behind our house and swam/floated to the middle of it, just staring at me. He would float to the other side of the pond, get out, and then jump back in just about the time I made it over there. It made me so mad. LOL

 

[MVchickens]

I have a large pond in the backyard. 100 yards by about 300 yards. The chickens won't go near it but the ducks love it.

 

[zstewart123]

They wouldn't have a problem with drowning here, just alligators and gar fish.