Reminder to check those water dishes!!!

[NYREDS]

I know someone who doesn't water his chickens at all in the winter. He just scoops up pans of snow for them & they get their moisture from eating the snow.

 

[sparkles2307]

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But that lowers the chickens' body temperature which can cause illness.

 

[Mattemma]

I bought a second waterer so I could switch out the frozen one with warm water 2 times a day.My 3 girls were drinking away as soon as I set it down.
Gave the cats rabbits,dogs,and frogs warm water too.

A bit off topic but my 7yo asked me the other day how long a chicken can live without water.I have no idea and was hoping someone would know.I guess they were talking at school about people and how long they can survive without food and water,so he asked about the hens.

 

[sparkles2307]

I want to know why my birds are more thirsty now than in the summer when its so hot. They dont free-range (chicken eating dog) so they are in a dirt pen so arent getting extra water from plants... and its usually like 90 in the summer so why are they going thru SO much more water now that its -10? 5 gal in a day and a half for 30 chickens...

 

[KellyHM]

Reading this reminds me why I live in FL...I only have to worry about frozen waterers a handful of days during the year.

 

[rcentner]

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That's odd, I am going through 1/4 of the water, good thing cause with the frozen hose it's harder to fill! They like the warm water though..maybe your chickens like colder water! maybe you Can encourage them to drink more in the summer by cooling the water with ice or somethin?

 

[Tala]

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Is your waterer leaking?? Mine are using very little water - I change it daily for clenliness not because it's running out.

 

[deanna&rich]

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Sometime when you're thirsty, go out and bite into a handful of snow. Then you'll see why it's not such a great idea, just a lazy idea.

 

[deanna&rich]

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When it's that cold out, the air is REALLY dry, so the air they breath dries out the mouth and lungs.