Warm water?

[Yep I Talk To Chickens]

So lately I have been hearing give baby chicks warm water when you first get them. Is this true? I have had chickens for 5 years most since they were chicks and never gave them warm water. I also have had several broody moms and they as weel as there chicks had cold water. So do I have to?

 

[humblehillsfarm]

So lately I have been hearing give baby chicks warm water when you first get them. Is this true? I have had chickens for 5 years most since they were chicks and never gave them warm water. I also have had several broody moms and they as weel as there chicks had cold water. So do I have to?

The idea is it helps get their internal temp of faster. It certainly doesn't hurt them to have some warm water in the first hour. My first round of chicks I gave them warm water, my second round I gave them room temp water. They've all done fine but that's a small number of samples.

 

[Yep I Talk To Chickens]

Thank you! So I should give them warm water?

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Thank you! So I should give them warm water?

I always say a little redundancy never hurt. My hatchery recommended it so why not?

This is my weird personal opinion, but I've heard you shouldn't use warm water from the tap to cook with or eat because hot water will bring out more mineral build up from your pipes so you should use cold water and heat it on the stove. Not sure how true that is, but when I gave them warm water I heated it slightly on the stove to maybe 85-95 degrees. Warm but just barely.

I got mine from Meyer hatchery and they recommended it. So does Cackle: https://www.cacklehatchery.com/chick-care-instructions

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I never gave my chicks warm water and they did just fine.

 

[The Happster]

I usually only give normal, cold tap water. Mainly because I know which I'd rather drink.
Probably wouldn't hurt to give them warm water though.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I'm googling this and common opinion seems to be that cold water will lower their body temperature and can cause shock. As I said I did do warm water once, and room temperature water once with no issues but after reading I'd probably do warm water from here on out to be safe.

 

[NatJ]

I plug in the heat lamp and fill the waterers before the chicks arrive. When I come home from the Post Office with the chicks, the water is warm.

If it matters at all, if would only matter in the first hour or so. That's when the chicks might be chilled (from shipping) but also thirsty (from being shipped.) If they hatched at your house, or were shipped to a store and spent time there before you got them, it won't matter.