Remind me why I clean their water dish?

[so lucky]

Quote:
They are practicing their chicken scratching technique, and the waterer is in the line of fire. I had to elevate the waterer I used for the babies--taped the base to a block of wood, if I remember correctly. Also, the two biggest chicks liked to perch on top, and poop, so I taped an inverted kitchen funnel--small size, to the top so there was no place to sit. Gotta be inventive!

 

[NYREDS]

You do it to make yourself feel good, the chickens couldn't care less. Ours used to drink the brown "water" in the barnyard when we still had hooved animals.

 

[vsmenagerie]

I tip their waterer quite often, to keep clean water in the little tray and they drink the stuff I poured on the ground...

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

when my hen was broody she would only come out once aday, sqwaking and flapping and beelining it to the food and water I always set out, trying to make sure she has good nutrition for the 15 minutes she would give herself to eat...she'd look at me loveingly, skip the filtered water bowl and drink out of a mud puddle in an old stump....maybe there were better minerals in there! It really was the LOOK she gave me, like, thank you but this is better!

 

[TN_BIRD]

Chickens can be silly

I don't think I'd worry too much. My biggest concern might be the perpetual mud puddle they're creating.

If you are interested in slowing this down, perhaps lifting the waterer off the ground would help. I noticed a huge improvement when I got our waterer off the ground.

 

[lorain's fids]

Quote:
That is a great idea! My chickens always seem to perch on top of their feeder and waterer, and since they are sitting there, they are also pooping there too! I'll be going to the dollar store today for some funnels.

 

[motochick]

Quote:
ha ha ha, is your chook practicing to be a duck? maybe she's just a bathing beauty!

 

[CupOJoe42]

I took a lid to an old plastic container, slit a hole in the middle of it, and threaded it on the hanging feeder so they can't get poop in the top. I thought about the funnel on the top of the waterer, but I keep picturing my chicken with a funnel stuck up it's butt. They are such determined silly critters!

 

[Alethea]

We give them clean water every day so they have something nice to wash their feet in.

 

[ROCKIN R FARM]

I am going to get 5 gallon buckets and put the chicken nipples on the bottom. Hang them up or find a horse feeder for them to sit into. u only have to fill it up every 2 weeks.

I got this idea from another member of BYC. I went and got some silkies from her and that is what she uses and she loves it.

I will see if I can get her to send me a pic of her coop and her water pails. Her coop was just to cute that she had her silkies in.