Do chickens like water??

[helenl]

Hello

The temperature here in NSW (Australia) has risen and was wondering if my girls would like a sprinkler or maybe a small pool??? Would I have to worry about them drowning or getting too cold. Do they even swim???

 

[sheila3935]

When its really hot here my girls like the fan on them and they like puddles to cool their feet off. You can take shallow pans and put cool water in them. Also put frozen bottles around they like to lay up against them. Frozen peas and fruit are good too. And ice in their waterers.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Mine absolutely hate a sprinkler or mister but they love to get their feet wet when it's hot and it really helps to cool them. Can try using a shallow wading pool or pans, although mine won't get in any kind of container so I just make puddles for them to stand in. That combined with a fan in the barn keeps them comfortable in hot weather.

 

[sourland]

Only those with webbed feet like to swim.

Open shaded areas are favorite spots on excessively warm days.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

My hens don't care for the kiddie pool but some do. I use a mister in extremely hot conditions. I put the mister in a shaded area where the water will puddle, then I put a block of wood in the middle of the puddle and their feeder on the block. This encourages them to wade in the cool water, bringing their body temps down. Heat is rough on the birds, they manage much better in the cold temps.

 

[Prisserbabe]

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I put a little pan with water but they didnt bother wading in it they just drank it

so i agree with cafarmgirl maybe just make little puddles in mud

 

[LiLRedCV]

Someone on here a few weeks ago had a picture of chickens actually floating around in a swimming pool. Didn't look like a doctored picture, but nowadays it can be difficult to tell...

But by all means - give them water to play in! My gals loved running through the sprinklers when it was warm out. If you do a pool, I wouldn't make it any deeper than ankle deep or they may drown. We had one drown once in the dogs water bucket, but it may have been 'cuz it was deep and a bucket and not much room to maneuver in. We don't know...

 

[Prisserbabe]

Quote:

im sorry to hear

 

[LiLRedCV]

Quote:

im sorry to hear

Thank you.

 

[mutantroosta]

the hens here love to chase hail stones when its hailing.. till they get too big, then they hide under the truck and grab any that bounce into their reach