Do Chickens Need Water 24 Hours A Day

[ybbed]

WITH THE COLDER WEATHER COMING I WAS GOING TO TRY TO PUT OUT ONE LARGE WATERER DURING THE DAY. IN THE PAST I HAVE ALWAYS PUT SMALL WATERERS IN EACH CAGE, THEY FREE RANGE ALL DAY AND CAGES AT NIGHT, THE WATER IS ALWAYS FROZEN, AND THIS YEAR I AM UP TO 50 CHICKENS, MANY CAGES/ WATERERS, DO NOT WANT TO DEPRIVE THEM, AND THEY ALL SEEM SO THIRSTY AS SOON AS I LET THEM OUT. ANY SUGGESTIONS. THANKS DEBBY

 

[WYchicks]

The waterer in our coop is not heated (in fact, it's the small waterer we used when the girls were in their brooder - until I can build a proper, & bigger, coop next summer that can hold a big waterer, that's what we're stuck with). I take the water out at night when they've bedded down for the night so it can thaw in the house. I fill it with clean water & bring it back out first thing in the morning & although they seem thirsty in the morning, I haven't had any problems. I don't particularly like taking the water away from them at night, especially when I see how thirsty they are in the morning, but the water would freeze overnight anyway so it's not like they'd be drinking out of it then. As long as they have access to clean, thawed water during the day, I would think they'll be ok.

 

[BeccaB00]

Honastly I've never heard of chickens that get up in the middle of the night to drink. My chickens sleep through the night. They don't get off their roost for hardly anything

SO. You'll be perfectly fine with taking the waterer out during the night.

 

[jh7192]

Strictly speaking, yes, the birds should have access to water all night. However, as one respondent noted his chickens sleep all night; they don't get up for a drink. Further, if it is dark enough and they are unable to locate the water, they will not drink.
AS for the water freezing, there's little you can do to prevent this unless the water is somehow maintained above 32F (0C). When I lived in GA, I closed the the birds and water in at night. A small electric space heater was in the poultry house in a location the birds were unable to get to it or the cord. A propane or kerosene heater can also keep the water thawed, but in both instances insure adequate ventilation.

 

[abhaya]

Quote:
Dont you put little cups by thier pillows?

 

[Cowgirl71]

If you take away their water in the evening after they're all on the roosts and then give them fresh unfrozen water in the early morning before they get off the roosts, you'll be absolutely fine!

 

[halo]

I dont have freezing problems, but I keep my waterers outside in the runs because they take up too much room in the coop. I lock up the coop at night and open it up in the morning, so they only have water during the day.

 

[PepsNick]

First of all, calm down. No need for all-caps.

I agree with Cowgir71. But then again, just getting some electric water heaters saves a lot of labor and is pretty cheap. Consider that.

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

I set out warm water during the day and it freezes during the night so my birds are out of luck.... But than again I don't think they are hurting too much as they get heated water (I call it their cup of tea) when they get it.

During the summer I try and have water in front of them 24/7.


And

 

[MakNugget]

Quote:
Dont you put little cups by thier pillows?

100% serious... during a major heat wave this summer I was on the verge of setting up special nipple waterers along their favorite perch at head level, 1 per chicken.

My inevitable laziness forced me to settle by hanging an old water bottle and 1 nipple to share. It was a little low, but they used it a lot while they figured out who sits next to who.