Chickens aren’t drinking water!!! Help

[Skitty4gzus]

This is my first winter with chickens. Just as it has started freezing recently I started using the heated dog bowl. I haven’t seen them drink in days. Their food and water are both near each other outside the coop. I know they don’t like the snow but will they kill themselves to stay out of the snow?

 

[NNYchick]

Are you sure they aren’t going over and drinking? Mine never had an issue even my littles went right up and drank when I set it up. If there is snow between them and their food and water you may need to shovel it and put down straw for them to walk on. My chickens love to eat snow too. They don’t go out on it but when I walk in with snow on my boots they all start pecking at them.

 

[Skitty4gzus]

If they are drinking than it’s very little. They came out in the run today for a minute but basically flew around to avoid landing in the snow and when they were in the snow they would stand on one leg.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Mine avoided their waterer (horizontal nipples) for quite a while, preferring to wait until I let them out and gathering around my small birdbath or a puddle. They are also reluctant to go out in snow, but they like to peck at ice and eat bits of it. Could yours be tasting the snow in some way?

 

[FarmerGirl101]

I would try and make sure that they have a path to get to the water and food where there is little to no snow. Like what @NNYchick said, try and put some straw on the ground

 

[Skitty4gzus]

There’s straw over the snow currently. I’ll watch them more tomorrow

 

[GRB73]

I'm sure they are drinking and eating when you're not looking.

Can you cover a portion of the run to keep it dry and snow free? You can keep the food and water in this location.

My chickens HATE snow. They will fly over it to avoid. I cover the top and three sides of the run with plastic to keep the wind and weather out. I also put a thick layer of straw down to provide insulation from the cold ground.