What are they doing???

[yelim]

I have a 12 X 10 coop raised off the ground to help provide additional shade and security. It is inside a 27 X 30' covered run. I also have a galvanized pig feeding pan filled with with water.
Whenever I refill this pan my chickens come from everywhere to get the overflowing water. Are they just getting the wet sand for grit or what? As soon as they hear the water here they come.

 

[GoldenCometLover]

Well - it sounds like you have to add another waterer or two...how many chickens and how many waterers?

 

[yelim]

I have 23 chickens. Two large waters, one inside and one outside. The waterer is not empty, they just go after the wet sand around the waterer when I let it overflow.

 

[GoldenCometLover]

Ohhhh....do you put down grit separately? I totally have no clue...I have 3 waterers for 4 birds and put grit down every day or so and mix it in with their feed and scratch

 

[CoopCrazy]

I dont why they do it but mine will do the same they always want to drink the water of the ground instead of the nice cold clean water... They're just silly birds

 

[karimw]

My flock likes over flow too, though I don't have sand. I dump the horses waterbuckets on the concrete so they can splash in the puddles. They scratch and sift through the muddy water with such excitement. I thought maybe they were looking for bugs chased to the surface. They certainly go nuts after a rain and the worms come up!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Mine do the same type of stuff. They prefer muddy water from under the spigot instead of water from a clean waterer. Especially a waterer that has just been cleaned. If I put a new waterer out where the baby chicks can get to it, the big chickens will drain that one first instead of drinking from their adult waterer. If I put food out where a chick can get it, the big chickens consider that a special treat and eat it first, even if it is the same grower they all get. And the 5 week olds will fly up to the big chicken feeder instead of eating out of the one I put at their level.

You are not doing anything wrong. Welcome to the world of birdbrains.