Silly question...does anyone let their Chickens swim like Ducks?

[Arctichicken]

I was wondering will chickens get in water and play like ducks do. I only ask cause my chicks are covering everything in a white downy powder. We had a cockatoo that did that too and we would spray him down with a spray bottle which he loved, he would say "shower time, shower time".

Just curious, maybe I could just spray them down with a mist and that might help! hummmm

 

[seismic wonder2]

CHICKENS DON'T SWIM THEY SINK!!!

Giving them a bath is OK but they soak up water and sink
and drown if they can't stand up in the "pool"

 

[max13077]

I'd swear I read or saw somebody on here letting their chickens play in one of those round kiddie pools.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Chickens dont have webbing so they cannot propel themselves through the water efficiently, so the sink!

I do sometimes let them wade around in an inch or two of water in a shallow pan when its hot however.

Chickens loose a lot of heat through their feet, so letting them wade around in a little water really helps them cool off.

 

[Chirpy]

Also, getting a chicken wet can potentiall lead to sickness. They need to be dried quickly if they are young and have a place to get dry and totally out of any wind/weather if they are older.

 

[oandrea]

Funny you asked this because one of my chickens ended up in our pool yesterday and she was floating. I don't think she would have floated much longer but she was traumatized when we got her out and her feathers were REALLY wet. But she did float for a short time.

 

[ChooksinIowa]

Some people use kiddie pools as brooders - I've seen photos of that. But not with water in them! Maybe that is what people are remembering as far as reading about chickens in pools...

 

[Chickenfiend]

It wouldn't surprise me if the chickens wouldn't mind some water on a hot day. Most birds do. The judge at a poultry show recently said if you were going to bathe a chicken you need warm water and it should be at least 70 degrees outside to let them air dry.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Quote:
Most certainly! And agreed!

Some people put sprinklers out for their birds also.

 

[beckyloveschicks]

I have a small kiddie pool out in the yard for the ducks and when I'm refilling it, I always let it run over quite a bit so there's lots of water on the ground. The chickens love it. They walk around in it, peck at it, drink it up, but they don't swim.

But when I turn that hose on, they come running! They love that cold water.