swimming pools and chickens

[rebelchicken]

Not sure if this is the right place but....here goes. Has anyone had any problems with chickens and above ground pools? I'm worried that my chickens will perch on the side and fall in. I'm betting chickens can't swim, so should I just build my chickens a run? I've been letting them free-range in the backyard but now that the pool is up again I'm concerned.

 

[Judy]

They cannot swim and can drown in a pool pretty quickly. Good news is, since you would only be fencing chickens, you can use chicken wire, which is not expensive.

Mine have access to a pool, swamp, and pond, but this is over 11 acres. They do not range that far, and do not go near the water. I think the big worry here is, if they have a small yard with water in it, they could wind up in the water because of being frightened, and going in that direction when they flee. If they perched on the side, I don't think they would fall in, but they could be frightened into leaping in that direction. Just depends on how much space they have.