Water at night?

[Leisa1968]

My chicks are 9 weeks old and I am still working on getting them to go into the coop to lock them up at night (I have to force them) So I give them a little bit of treat at night and I was giving them water but they fill it with bedding so they are not able to drink it anyway so is it ok to just NOT give them water at night in their coop even though I am giving them treat?

 

[chickenmadnessainmind]

Quote:
I Never put water in the coop to messy! But they have water in there run full time when i let them out. when they free range they come back to the run for water.

 

[SteveBaz]

At night when it starts to turn dark they just go lay down in the coop and do not go up the ladder into the brooder box to sleep?
Do you put them up before it gets dark?
Just keep doing it they will get it. I put a little flashlight in the brooder box from the side entrance and they can see going up. They have poor night vision.
Treats are fun. You give every night? just a bit they finish or not finish?
I think if they drink before going to sleep drink if not its available in the morning they wont dehydrate before 8am at 9 weeks.
No water in the sleeper or food.

Good luck and

 

[Leisa1968]

Yes when it is just starting to get dark they start to chirp a little louder and they pile up in the corner of the run. The ladder is right in front of them but they won't go up! Thanks for the help

 

[kjfrogster41]

Aren't chickens fascinating? Every one a bit different. My girls have been roosting in their secure hen house putting themselves in at sun down/early twilight since they were about 6 weeks. However, even though they LOVE eating meal worms, they will not touch earth worms, go figure. They love being out in their chicken tractor (play pen) during the day. They can not free range, as we have way too many potential dangers here in town. But, they do get around the property in their tractor, which means one of us has to move them around. They turn 14 weeks this Monday, their combs are still pretty small. I guess this is normal? They are clucking now, with real hen voices, rather than their baby peeps. This is my first time as a mother hen. I love it! Producing eggs come Spring will just be an extra bonus.

 

[tlagnhoj]

I stopped giving water at night when they got big and started tipping it over and spilling it every morning before I let them out. They have a constant supply of water outside the coop in the run.

 

[JodyJo]

I have a metal, 2 gal waterer, sitting on a base heater, we are already near 0* at night here...I ALWAYS have water for my chickens in the coop, the door is open, and the food is outside in the run. If I cannot get to them in the AM, they at least have water that isn't frozen.

Raise it up, hang it, whatever you need to do, but water should always be available...

Maybe you can lay a trail of scratch or treats up the ramp, that will train them to go in, or put a small light inside, sometimes this helps lure them inside to sleep.

 

[Sassafras]

I put a non-tip dog bowl up on a concrete block and it works great. BUT I did have to put a layer of hay in the coop over the shavings to keep the shavings from flying up in there when they jump off the roost or laying boxes. It is so much easier to clean than a waterer too.

 

[jeepguy982001]

i use a cheap automatic water sitting on top a cinder block and it never been knocked over in the coup.

 

[KDK1]

I always kept an automatic waterer in the 'Florida room' of my coop. While doing some remodeling of the coop a couple of weeks ago, I injured myself and couldn't get the waterer reinstalled. My GF usually lets them out in the AM but apparently she does't pay attention and "read" the birds. Two days after my injury, I was able to let them out and they high-tailed it out to the waterer in the run and drank to beat all. I then pulled the old vacuum waterer out of retirement and put it back in the coop. They have never rushed to the water source in the run since. My point is, they obviously get down to drink some at night. I know I have two hens that get down and lay priodically at night.