chickens and water features....

[Emma]

I was just wondering if anyone had chickens that have claimed water features for themselves.

I'm toying with the idea of a cheap and cheerful container, filled with water and a solar powered fountain. I would need it to be high, to keep frogs out.

Will the chickens be interested?
Can they swim?

Thanks, Emma

[Mo]

Why do you want to keep frogs out?

[PetHeaven]

Hello Emma
As far as I know, chickens cant swim and they dont have waterproof feathers, but I'm sure some of the more experienced chicken keepers here will be able to provide a better reply!

[Emma]

:( scared of them. It's not a full blown phobia or anything, but definately don't want them about.

:roll: The frog chorus was, I think, number one in the charts when I was born. ohhh the irony :wink:

[Richard]

The important thing is to make sure they have a way out should they fall in.

A few years back I was going to put a couple of ducks in with mine and I dug a hole and put a bath in. The next day I found a drowned chicken in it.
I really cursed myself for weeks, it was as if I had killed her.

Otherwise, they love water, especially the really muddy puddles from the hose you've just filled their nice clean water drinker with!!
Bit like cats, nice clean bowl in the kitchen, but the pond water is much nicer!

Richard

[Mo]

Yes, our cat is always drinking outside.
After th last downpour we had a full bucket under a leakiy gutter and Pat was seen stretching to get his head over the edge.

[wendy]

Hi.
I think you need to keep it covered in some way. I have heard, one in the last couple of days, of chickens drowning in ponds, water features even a full bucket. I have a net over my pond.
Wendy

[keelan]

if its just a small water feature you could try and place a few pebbles, stones or something simular which chickens can not drown in maybe a couple of inches depending on if you have chicks or not.