Official BYC Poll: How often do you change your chickens' water in hot weather?

[Barnette]

I change my girls' water ~every two days, but more often if the water gets dirty or warm. I also like to give my hens frozen corn and fruit to help them cool down.

 

[Bekalodon]

We always give our chickens fresh water daily, regardless of the temperature. Our first couple years with them, we would bring out fresh cool water in the afternoon on hot days but now we keep all the waters under shade so their waters stay cool all day (plus their run is shaded during the hottest part of the day).

We also give them frozen or refrigerated melon and wormsicles to help them stay cool and I'll throw crunchy worms in their footbath to encourage them to drink.

 

[FrostRanger]

I change their water whenever it needs it (usually once or twice a week). My run is covered so the water never gets hot so I use the same system year round. I just give them electrolyte water in one of their waterers in summer

 

[Bruthabuz]

It depends on several factors: weather/temperature, water level, and water quality. Now that summer is here and it has been over 100°F for three weeks now, I had been changing it every day, regardless. Now that I have made them a water misting system, I change it every other day, mostly because the ducks make it grungy very fast.

 

[Bruthabuz]

I bought a kiddie pool. I put about 2-3 inches of water in it. I have picked up a few of my flock and placed them in the pool, I tossed their fav treat in. I wash it out every morning and replace the water. I can not get them to utilize it. What else can I do? The pool might become a dust bathe. Lol

I have two kiddie pools, a large one for the ducks and a small one for the chickens. The ducks will only use the small one and the chickens will not go in either. But the chickens use both for drinking, even though I have two waterers. I placed a chicken in the smaller pool and she got right out again. But today, I saw a chicken standing in a dish tray that had water in it, so I may try that. Keep trying with yours. They may just have to get used to it. Good luck!

 

[alwaystj9]

All the waterers for all the animals/birds get dumped, rinsed & refilled every 3 days for mosquito control.
All the waterers are checked 2X a day for weird stuff/water level...
I have a cinder block in every waterer as a life raft for young dumb animals (pullets, baby goats, random squirrels & toads). If I have to fish someone out more than 2 times, they go into the sell category (too dumb to breed).

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

I use the Little Giant waterers--one gal inside each coop and a 3 gal outside in the shade of each run. I like their designs. They work well and they last for years. They don't crack or break when the water freezes either.

 

[alwaystj9]

I got a 5 gallon little giant a couple of months ago and have been pleased so far. My favorite part of the design is no mosquitos breeding in it!

 

[breege]

Usually once a day, depending on whether they've dumped stuff in it, then as often as necessary
I keep it cold by putting frozen water bottles in the waterers & change those out 2-3 times