Chickens & Swimming Pool? Will they fall in and drown?

[singmaster]

We'd like to put a chicken coop up fairly close to our swimming pool.
The pool is not and cannot be fenced off.
There's loads of room for the chickens to run around the yard and they'll have water to drink.
Will chickens fall or jump into the pool? Does anyone have experience with this?
Please let me know.
Thank you!

 

[chickenwhisperer123]

Im sorry to say that it would be a pretty big risk... Can you put up a little run for the chickens to safely play in?

 

[pascopol]

Yes, sooner or later they will fall in and drown.

 

[caralouise1974]

I'd be worried about chickens and water, personally. They aren't clever enough not to fall in, or accidentally run straight in if they get spooked.

Can you not keep them in a fenced off run, rather than fencing off the pool?

 

[speckledhen]

Chickens cannot swim. Their feathers become waterlogged and they sink. You'll have to do something or you will lose one to the pool

 

[Mahonri]

I had a five week old fly into my pool yesterday. Thank the Lord I was there, there was no way for it to get out.... it would have sunk and drowned after the struggle.

 

[ChooksChick]

I have a pond in my yard from which mine drink, but only rarely. It's only 9'x11' and surrounded by rocks that are mostly half a foot above ground level or more. Chickens have to crane their necks to reach the water, and most of the time they jump down to a rock that juts out at water level.

I have worried about whether I'll come home someday to find one of them in the pond. I would prefer not to take the risk if the pond wasn't already here (and full of goldfish).

If you can put your coop in a separate area (fence in the coop and run, not the pool, maybe?) that might work for you. Don't take a chance with drowning a chicken.

 

[ecopepper]

I was worried about this too....thank you for the post...I have a baby gate so maybe that will help. How hard is it to keep them in your arms to move them somewhere safer? Will they not like to be moved when they get bigger? I was hoping to put pen on one end and let them ramble on the other end of yard. Because one neighbor is cool with the chicks but not the other??