Chickens not drinking outside.

[chickens really]

Water inside. They will not if stubborn.

 

[centrarchid]

If what goes on here goes on there, then the birds will ignore the indoor water except when they come off the roost.

 

[chickens really]

If what goes on here goes on there, then the birds will ignore the indoor water except when they come off the roost.

What?

 

[centrarchid]

What?

My barn birds have water in tubs within each pen. Many, if not most will drink immediately after coming off roost, especially when on a straight formulated feed. For balance of day they do not seem to consume water from the tubs. When I watch them closely, they will peck up snow here and there. If I put a pile of dry feed on feeding station, then they will eventually step out to consume snow rather than go back to tub in coop. I try to keep distance between feed and water to reduce contamination of water sources. The pattern may not hold if the resources are close together.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I moved my waterer outside of the coop a few weeks ago to heat it. The girls are fine with this and drink outside. But now - the dreaded SNOW ATTACKS! They won’t go outside to drink

I have water in the coop on a heated base. . I also have the extension plugged into an outdoor GFCI outlet. . If your coop is big enough and well ventilated you should be fine. GC

 

[sourland]

First exposure to snow generally sets them off - chickens hate change, but they adjust and as Centrarchid has mentioned will consume snow as readily as drink water.

 

[centrarchid]

First exposure to snow generally sets them off - chickens hate change, but they adjust and as Centrarchid has mentioned will consume snow as readily as drink water.

What I am seeing is many do not realize the birds will willing consume snow. There may even be an assumption that the practice is unhealthy.

I remember as a kid having to break pond ice to bucket up for cattle and horses and they wanted it bad. When snow was on the ground, water was not as urgent a need.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I can agree that they can and do eat snow.

 

[Chick-N-Daddy]

I can agree that they can and do eat snow.

Indeed they do. When mine got their first taste (pun intended) of snow, they were rightly confused. Once I got em kinda OK with walking in shoveled areas, I held out a clump of snow - since it was in my hand, they ate it. Eventually they caught on that it's just a different kind of water. Now if it's on the ground, they prefer that. I guess they don't have to walk as far when they're thirsty, cuz lazy.

 

[centrarchid]

I want to put a qualifier on snow consumption. Thermally stressed birds, especially those with a health issue like intestinal parasites that promotes dehydration, are not what I would want consuming large amounts of snow.