Wildlife netting, but not roofed

[cavemanrich]

Do chickens ever take water baths like wild birds do?

Others above already answered that one. They will wade thru shallow pans to cool off, but do not immerse their bodies in water.
You may have heard the term.

 

[DrFyl]

Others above already answered that one. They will wade thru shallow pans to cool off, but do not immerse their bodies in water.
You may have heard the term.
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Yes, have heard that adage, but didn't think of it when I asked the question. All year, even in winter, I watch wild birds enjoy the bird baths. I have raised many wild birds and they love taking baths in pie plates set in the kitchen sink under a dripping faucet. I wonder why chickens don't enjoy water baths.

 

[gtaus]

My chickens stay outside in a light rain. If we get a heavy rain, they all run into the coop. They seem to know how much rain they can tolerate.

 

[Lor]

Cool! Good idea. Will have to find room in my upright freezer, though.

We have used empty juice bottles for blocks of ice. Fill with water leaving enough space for expansion and put in the freezer. The gallon sized ones that are thick. It was easy to just pick the warm one up and replace with another frozen one.

 

[aart]

We have used empty juice bottles for blocks of ice. Fill with water leaving enough space for expansion and put in the freezer. The gallon sized ones that are thick. It was easy to just pick the warm one up and replace with another frozen one.

I tried the frozen bottles, but putting it back in freezer turned me off of that.
Not going to wash chicken fouled bottles.

 

[Lor]

I tried the frozen bottles, but putting it back in freezer turned me off of that.
Not going to wash chicken fouled bottles.

We used an older freezer for that. Nothing in it but frozen water bottles. The newer freezer is where our food is. But it sure is yucky!

 

[gtaus]

Not going to wash chicken fouled bottles.

We used an older freezer for that. Nothing in it but frozen water bottles. ... But it sure is yucky!

I have never needed to make frozen water bottles for my chickens. Certainly, would not want to put chicken fouled bottles anywhere near my people food. Just wondering if a person could put the chicken fouled bottle in a clean plastic grocery bag, and then put the clean bag in the freezer? I don't think I would want to do it with a freezer full of people food, but it might help keep the old freezer without people food a lot cleaner.

Another thought comes to mind is using those good rubber feeder pans for livestock. You could have some clean rubber pans making ice blocks in the freezer - like a giant ice cube tray - and simply pop out the block of ice to take out to the chickens. I bought three rubber feeder pans at our local Fleet store (small, medium, large sizes) and they would probably last years, especially if only used as ice block makers in a freezer. Living in northern Minnesota, I have had to turn over my rubber pans and beat a block of ice out of them empty them. They were made for that. Just a thought.

 

[DrFyl]

My chickens stay outside in a light rain. If we get a heavy rain, they all run into the coop. They seem to know how much rain they can tolerate.

Wise chickens. I hope my chickens have wise genes, too.

 

[DrFyl]

We used an older freezer for that. Nothing in it but frozen water bottles. The newer freezer is where our food is. But it sure is yucky!

 

[DrFyl]

I have never needed to make frozen water bottles for my chickens. Certainly, would not want to put chicken fouled bottles anywhere near my people food. Just wondering if a person could put the chicken fouled bottle in a clean plastic grocery bag, and then put the clean bag in the freezer? I don't think I would want to do it with a freezer full of people food, but it might help keep the old freezer without people food a lot cleaner.

Another thought comes to mind is using those good rubber feeder pans for livestock. You could have some clean rubber pans making ice blocks in the freezer - like a giant ice cube tray - and simply pop out the block of ice to take out to the chickens. I bought three rubber feeder pans at our local Fleet store (small, medium, large sizes) and they would probably last years, especially if only used as ice block makers in a freezer. Living in northern Minnesota, I have had to turn over my rubber pans and beat a block of ice out of them empty them. They were made for that. Just a thought.

The old Fortex buckets were thick and seemed to have string imbedded in the rubber. I hammered solid ice out of many and never made a hole in an old one. Felt bad that I ruined it. The new rubber pans don't seem as sturdy as the old ones.