My favorite hen died & I dont know why

[joneus]

I always keep water in my coops even at night in warm weather. I know a lot of people look down on it, but they do not have access to water otherwise. I had a pullet have heat stroke on me because of a stupid mistake I made, and I learned real quick to make sure there was plenty of ventilation and keep water in the coop. That was when I first got chickens, and did not have this site for reference/learning. I found this site after that had happened.

I also put a dutch style door on my coop. I has hardware cloth in a frame that I lock in place and leave the top of the door open on days and nights when it is very hot so we always have good air. The girls will then roost near those dutch doors. It has made all the difference. My coop is also in a very shady area, but it still gets hot when you have birds with a body temp over 100 all together in a coop... They heat it up.

Why would people look down on you for keeping water in the coop at all times? Arent they _supposed_ to have water available at all times, regardless of the weather & time of day? Mine have water inside the coop AND outside in the run at all times, as well as water bowls all over the yard (for free ranging)... doesnt everyone do that? I thought that was what you were "supposed" to do.

My coop has two 36"x30" windows, side by side, on the front wall, 30"x27" windows on the left and right sides, double Dutch doors and a 17"x60" window above them on the back wall with a 6" ribbon window that goes around the top header of the whole coop. They've got a roost, which stretches from the left window to the right window, that sits at the big window level (about 4'-0" AFF) and another one that sits just under it (so they have a choice about sitting in front of the window), but they usually go for the upper level, even in the dead of winter. They seemed comfortable enough with the arrangement last summer, but maybe I need to rethink the ventilation scheme?