Do Chickens Need Water 24 Hours A Day

[speckledhen]

If there is any light for them to see by, they will get off the roost to eat and drink. Mine do and I know this because of the baby monitor in the coop. I would never take their waterer away from them, though I do hang the feeders up high--they don't need to eat all night, that's for sure!

 

[nuttyredhead]

Quote:
LOL!!!! When i tuck mine in for the night i replace the water inside the coop, and i bring the outside waterer up to the garage. I fill that one up in the morning and take it down when i open the coop up. As the weather gets colder here, i will probably put warm water in the waterers to slow down the freezing. I do have a heater for outside that i can use if needed.

 

[mulewagon]

I don't keep any food or water inside the coop - it's much cleaner and less attractive to rodents that way. I moved the water out before the food, and they would come out of the coop desperately thirsty. Now that both are outside, they go to eat first and then drink.

In the summer, I give them ice water a couple of times a day. It helps a lot with the panting!

 

[BeccaB00]

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.

well yea in the summer I wouldn't take my chickens' water away. It goes up over 100 F here in the summer.But this poster was asking about winter

 

[black star homesteader]

I think it depends on how dry your area here is. We are in the high mountains and it is very dry. We worry about dehydration and egg binding. My 60 Watt light on from 5-8 am and 4-10 pm keeps my meatal water from freezing some nights - and I bring out fresh warmer water in the morning. My birds do get on their roosts at dark; but they do still drink, and even in the morning when I let them out after having thawed water all night; they still often drink first or at least at the same time as getting their treats. I don't think I could ever remove their water completely. I often have some in the house and outside. I like the idea of brining in one at night and switching it out.

 

[abhaya]

we dont get that cold here so if I put out fresh water late in the day it doesnt freeze till the middle of the night and they are not drinking then. I put out fresh water in the morning and all is right with the world. I have a small water thingy in the coop but no food. Food is in a large feeder in the run. The big girls free range and I do not worry about water for them as they drink out of a spring fed creek and dont drink water from any thing else. If I put water in the coop they dont touch it.

 

[cherylcohen]

in the light, agree with speckled hen

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I let them out when the sun comes up in the morning and they always have fresh water in the run. I used to put water in the coop but it's a small coop and they kept knocking it over.