Waterer While Free Ranging?

[Morgan7782]

WHEW! It is toasty here in Sacramento. Only 9:30 but it's almost 87 degrees! My girls are putzing around in the yard and I had a sudden question pop in my head. They have two waterers in their run, along with the feeder, but should I bring one of the waterer's to a spot in the yard they frequent often? My yard is NOT real big, so they will never be far from their run and water, but what does everybody here do? When your chickens free range, do you bring a waterer to a spot they usually stick around? Or will they know to go to the run for water? Their waterer's are put in the same place every day, but watching my Easter Egger Munk I have really come to realize.. They aren't the sharpest tools in the shed. At least not my Munk lol, though I love her

. They do drink in the run, but I want to make sure I am not putting them in the position of forgetting BOTH waterers are in the run or something..

 

[Whitewater]

We're like you -- our back yard is pretty small, and we don't have our chickens quite yet (another couple of days!) BUT . . .

In the summer time (we're in central Minnesota, we have very different weather from you guys in SF!) it can get very hot and very humid and our dogs want to be with us instead of hanging out in the shade, which they *would* do if they were smart. Shade is good! But the dogs, well . . .

So we cleaned out a Tidy Cats litter bucket and put water in it. We just leave it in the yard and put new water in every day (sometimes twice a day or more if there's a lot of bugs or dirt in it!), works great for the dogs and for us too. Since I'm out there working on the garden (or, more recently, on the chicken coop) daily anyhow, it's no big deal to keep an eye on the bucket.

I figure, when the chickens come home, they will share the dog's water (certainly the sparrows and robins have been!!), so they'll have water in their coop/run, and a big bucket outside in the yard.

I hope this works out!


Whitewater

 

[vstoltzfus]

My hens free range on 3 acres, and I always see them either return to the run for a drink, or go to the fish pond. I've even seen them drink water from the crotch of a tree.

 

[PhilErvin]

I have an automatic waterer (Plasson) in my run. I also have an old metal oil pan (for draining motor oil) that I have cleaned away any trace of motor oil from. I use this oil pan outside of my run for water while the girls are out and about. It's placed under a cherry tree close to a water faucet and I squirt water in it periodically. However, I do see them come back into their run now and again during the day for a drink from the waterer in the run, so go figure...

 

[Morgan7782]

Thank you for the responses! I totally forgot about dog water LOL! I have a HUGE bowl of water, always topped off, for my dog out in the shaded part of the yard. I was just out with the girls and both of them drank from that, right after I read these posts lol! I am glad to know they won't go without if they need it though. When I get my new chicks one of my waterer's will go to them, but throughout the morning and evening we have hoses on plants and such, and the chickens LOVE playing in the little homemade cricks.

 

[gryeyes]

I'm not sure my answer will be all that helpful, as I do not add waterers out in the yard whilst the chickens are free ranging. Most of them go back into the run to drink from the waterers in there, but a couple of smart girls take advantage of the 2 fish ponds I built before I got chickens.

The ducks have SEEN the ponds, but haven't figured out how to get into them, yet. (Which is a good thing.)

However, since it IS getting so much hotter around here, I have added an additional waterer in the shade in the run. The Littles haven't gotten out of the run yet, and I wanted to have extra water available for everybody when I'm at work and keep all the chickens in the run.

 

[babyblue]

mine go right back to the coop if they want water or pellets or a treat.

 

[Morgan7782]

Those are GREAT pictures of the ducks! I have never seen a duck close up, in person. I mean sure at the park and such but never as a pet. They are beautiful! Do they lay eggs you can eat like chickens or no? Sorry to go off topic

Thanks for the water tips everybody. I should trust my girls instincts. And like I said my yard is not huge, so they can't get lost or anything. The pen is dern near smack dab in the middle too and their run gate is always open when they are exploring outside. Thanks again for answering a newpeeps question

 

[teach1rusl]

I keep water around in various locations, for the chickens and dogs.