swimming?

[gemma24]

teach my chicken to swim, we live by a pond...I have gotten him to like water...

 

[gemma24]

can I teach him?

 

[Gray Farms]

Chickens will get water logged and drown if they can't touch bottom and get out.

 

[gemma24]

k...just wondering

 

[ECMurray]

I would disagree. Chickens can swim! Or rather, float happily along. Just like ducks, minus the paddling ability. I've seen it with my own chickens. It's the getting-them-to-like it that's difficult . . . . . . I think it's great for really hot days when they need to cool down.

 

[Abriana]

Thats so cool. My hens hate water. They were so dirty after our muddy winter and so i wanted to give them a bath. They hated it. One of my Ameraucanas likes to walk through my creek. Maybe i could teach her to swim...

 

[ECMurray]

Lol. Storey's guide to raising chickens says they should get used to a nice, warm bubble bath eventually. My hens swim, but only for a few moments . . . Then they freak out! I think they're getting used to it though. My Rhode island red is doing a lot better than the Buff Orpington. I'm pretty sure it's because she's more docile. Eh, go figure.

 

[Abriana]

Lol. I had a chicken with a lot of poop on her feathers and she had vent gleet and so i gave her a warm epsom salt bath and she relaxed so much that she almost sat down in the water and fell asleep!