What are my chickens thinking?

[peehead]

A while ago I got some ducks for the first time...Been learning a lot.
I was thinking that I would keep them with the chickens, and with that have had to make changes with the chicken's set up, trying to find what works best for both. I leave the waterer in the coop like I always have, where it remains clean. And I set a gallon waterer out for the ducks twice a day. The ducks have a pool in which they do their "thing" which turns perfectly good water into filth in no time. For some reason, I keep catching my chickens drinking from this dirty pool when they have clean water.
I don't clean the pool everyday, every couple of days.

I am worried that this will make them sick. This can't be good for them. Do I need to separate?

 

[d.k]

* Some of us were wondering WHY it is that chickens seem to haue a 'preferance' for dirty water. Mine trys very hard to muck hers up if there is anyway she can. Maybe they just like it 'flavored'??? All I can figure is maybe it's something from the tap or the hose they don't like-- or, they like water they can SEE as well as taste?? WHO KNOWS???

 

[peehead]

Perhaps its the flavor....I'm on a well, and our water is really good, at least I think so.... or perhaps they are simply lazy.
I have a feeling I'm not going to be keeping them together, It just doesn't seem healthy for them to drink dirty water. And I don't want to change the pool out everyday either. That seems like such a waste.
I've been thinking about catching the rain off the coop for the pool and using the dirty water for my shrubs and trees. It seems like it would be a good fertilizer.