Warning for those leaving chickens for weekend with food/water

[guesswhatchickenbutt]

I know this is obvious.... but it just happened to us and made me think... and I thought I'd share.

It's very hot and humid here and our chickens are reliant on their hanging waterer. It's one of those typical feed store red and white hanging waterers. I filled it up the other night and knew the hens would be fine the next day.

The following day I had a ton of errands to run so didn't get out to see the hens until the afternoon. It was over 100 all day with the heat index and high humidity.

Turns out the night before something happened to cause the waterer to hang sort of crooked. I assume one of the chickens had an insane moment and flew into it and knocked it off kilter. It hung in such a way that the watering hole was down and every drop of water leaked out. (I assume it was at night). By the time I checked on them that afternoon, the waterer was bone dry, the hay was even dry and the chickens were parched. This was the ONLY time since I got chickens that I had to spend the day out without checking on them and that happened!!

I filled up their waterer when I got home and they each drank for about 5 minutes straight. I felt horrible. I really thought I had set them up fine by filling up the waterer to the top the night before. I only have 3 hens and this large waterer should last for days.

It makes me think twice about my plan to leave them with plenty of food and water if we ever go away for a 3-day weekend. I've seen plenty of people on here say they're going away for the weekend and have given their hens plenty of food and water. ................but what if they knock the hanging waterer crooked like mine did? at just the right angle so it all leaks out?!?!?

My advice from this: If you have a hanging waterer and are going away for the weekend, always leave 2 waterers out if you don't have a neighbor or friend who can stop in to check on them. That way you have a backup if one of the waterers has an issue. I suppose the same would be true for feeders too...

Just a thought.

 

[emvickrey]

The only time my animals would go un tended to is if I was going for the night and would be back before afternoon. I would still have somebody check on their water at least.

I have to go to Indiana near mid July for I have no Idea how long. I arranged for a house sitter just for my animals. In this heat I don't feel comfortable depending on somebody to "stop by" sometime to check on them. Last time I did that I came home to nobody haveing any water but plenty of food. The caregiver got called to work becaue there was a ropical storm thata came up through our way and he works for the city. He had to clear the roads of trees and depris. While my poor dogs and chickens went thirsty.......in August. I'm glad we got home just afternoon.

 

[cybercat]

I had the same thing happen but mine was sitting instead of hanging. It was when the chicks were just 4 weeks and the new waterer empted over night. I slept late so when I went in to check they were very thristy. No worse for wear but mine were inside not outside. If they had been outside that would have been a whole nother situation.

I can not even leave my cats over a weekends without worring about them. They have a drop feeder and waterer. Things happen and it is no ones fault do not beat yourself up to hard.

 

[Mahonri]

I'm counting on my kids next month when I go to Illinios/ Iowa

 

[Judy]

I understand that those hanging plastic waterers tend to come apart after a while, also. Sooner if exposed to much sunlight.

 

[guesswhatchickenbutt]

If you've got a pet sitter, you're very lucky!! I only posted it because I have read numerous times on here where people have said they feel safe leaving their chickens for a day or two if they're in a safe run/coop and have plenty of food and water... I just wanted people to realize that a waterer can empty out - even if it's a hanging waterer - so they should have 2 so there's a backup in case anything bad happens to one.

 

[Dinkadoo]

that happened to my girls when they were still in the brooder box. scared me to death, dont know how long they were without water but they drank and drank when i filled it up.. so now they are outside in the coop & run they are checked on several times during the day. they also have water in the run and in the coop...

 

[NellaBean]

I have had my waterers empty out as well. With this horrible heat, I also put a big dog bowl in there full of water. It gets dirty as they go tromping through it sometimes, but it is better than nothing if their regular waterer should have an "accident". A bolt or clamp on dish would be best, so it could not be knocked over.

I also have a waterer hanging in their attached coop. They don't go in there during the day usually but if they were desperate for water, I bet they would.

 

[TriciaHowe]

I have a farm sitter that comes when we are going to be gone more than 48 hrs. This past weekend when Dh and I had an ALONE night away from home (no kids LOL!) I got a small kids wading pool for my inner coop laying hens so they wouldn't run out of water. My FIL checked on them and the horses to make sure they didn't run out of water while we gone. The inner coop is too hard for him to reach so that's why I got the pool - he has parkinsons so it's hard for him to walk. He lives on the property so rides the tractor over and turns the strategicaly placed hoses on to water the animals for me.

I would be worried too about them running out of water in this heat. We had a heat index of 117* the day we were gone!!

Glad your birds were ok

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Great advice !......thank you