Should I be worried?? Water??

[ntjpm]

I am super new at chickens so let me start by saying thank you for your help and patience.

We have 8 chickens all about 6 months old, they have a bucket waterer with 3 nipples and I have seen the all use it many, many times. When we built our run we covered half of it and left the other half open with 2x4 welded wire over it. Well we just had a rain storm come through and since it is the first really big rain since we got the girls I ran out to see how it was all working. Everything is working as it should, But several of the girls where running out in the rain and finding the puddles and drinking up the water. Is this a normal fun thing for them or are they not getting enough water somehow?? Seeing how excited they were over all this water all over is freaking me out that I am somehow not getting them enough. HELP

Thanks so much, Tracy in WA

 

[flockof4]

Totally fine. Don't worry. But I would try a regular chicken waterer in addition to the one you have. It might be easier for them to drink out of. Just a thought. Good luck.

 

[ntjpm]

Thank you, what is really strange is we have had them for 2 1/2 weeks now and the first few days we had them they they drank from them like crazy and now they have slowed down, I was thinking that they didn't have enough water where they came from and now that they were hydrated they were all good, but this running after the water puddles freaked me out.
Thank you again, Tracy in WA

 

[Minniechickmama]

My chickens all have loads of water available and still drink out of puddles. It is just the way they are. Don't sweat it.

 

[debid]

They'll drink out of whatever "new and different" source they find even if it's not clean and even if they have a traditional waterer. It's a chicken thing, not a nipple problem.