horse water troughs / drowning

[wild chick]

I was wary that my free range chickens might perch & fall into the 100 gal. rubbermaid water trough, but after raising day-old chicks to pullets & cockerels all now 1 1/2 year old hens & a roo, plus 2 broody clutches at 6 months old, I've never seen a single one on the edge of the trough, let alone in the water. I have long quit worrying about it. Tonight, closing up the coop for the night I counted & re-counted and realized one was missing. After looking high and low and well after dark I found her in the water trough, dead. An hour earlier she was amongst the flock when I fed evening treats. She was, of course, my favorite. I won't quit free ranging my chickens, so what is the next best thing to chicken-proof a horse trough? And why the favorite? Ok, ignore the last question, I'm all sorts of teary right now.

 

[sourland]

It's always the favorite. Most likely something spooked her and she ended up in the trough. I don't know that you can chicken proof it. Perhaps a small platform off to one end so that the inadvertent 'swimmer' could get out ? It may never happen again or knowing fate might happen tomorrow. Sorry for your loss. Good luck for a resolution.

 

[wild chick]

Thank you @sourland - I'm not even sure why I asked, except mad at myself that it happened. One of the two horses is a meddler, if I put a floating board or a ramp he'd have it out in 5 minutes. I thought about how to chicken-proof the trough over & over when the chicks had their first days then weeks then months out in the pasture. Until finally I quit thinking about it because nothing ever happened. For a year and a half.

 

[Teila]

I am so very sorry!

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry for your loss. It is always the favorite, I know.
I've lost one bird in my horse troughs in 25 years of having chickens and horses intermingling. One. And one bird stepped on and severely injured by a horse, and one bird backed over by the farm tractor. I remember them all and regret every one.
There's no way to make a stock tank 'bird safe' without making it unsafe for the horses. Maybe a floating board? My mares would probably mess with it, but maybe it would work.
Mary

 

[Dot Brady]

I was wary that my free range chickens might perch & fall into the 100 gal. rubbermaid water trough, but after raising day-old chicks to pullets & cockerels all now 1 1/2 year old hens & a roo, plus 2 broody clutches at 6 months old, I've never seen a single one on the edge of the trough, let alone in the water. I have long quit worrying about it. Tonight, closing up the coop for the night I counted & re-counted and realized one was missing. After looking high and low and well after dark I found her in the water trough, dead. An hour earlier she was amongst the flock when I fed evening treats. She was, of course, my favorite. I won't quit free ranging my chickens, so what is the next best thing to chicken-proof a horse trough? And why the favorite? Ok, ignore the last question, I'm all sorts of teary right now.

I don't no whether the chickens can climb up a branch from a tree, that is what I have in my horse trough, has I had many wild birds fall in and drown, when I leaned the stick in, no more problems.

 

[Folly's place]

The tree branch sounds like a good idea! I may try it, but I think my horses will just pull it out and have another toy.
Mary

 

[Dot Brady]

The tree branch sounds like a good idea! I may try it, but I think my horses will just pull it out and have another toy.
Mary

haha

 

[nminusyplusm]

I'm so sorry for your loss.
I'm not sure if this would work but I put concrete blocks arranged in steps so wildlife could get out of my stock tank pond.

 

[Folly's place]

One of my mares likes to play in the 150 gal. tank! She will sometimes tip it over if it's down to 30% full or less. She has broken a heater too! I can see her messing with the blocks in the tank. If the OP has less playful horses, it might work well.
Mary