Do Chickens drown themselves?

8577 Views 9 Replies 8 Participants Last post by Red, Mar 4, 2008

MommaShark

Discussion Starter · Feb 28, 2008

Do chickens really need to be kept away from a watering trough to prevent drowning? I just read that and it ruined my plans to keep chickens and goats together since the goats will have a 50 gallon watering trough..........

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reeseccup

· #2 · Feb 29, 2008

I have tubs of water in my yard for the geese and ducks, that the chickens will perch on the edge and drink out of. I've not had one fall in yet, but the breed I have is pretty nimble. I'm not sure how a heavier breed would do with water tubs out and I don't worry over much about it.

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Shahbazin

· #3 · Feb 29, 2008

Yes. They tend to fly up, perch on the edge, try to drink, tip over, & fall in. They are non-swimmers. Can you fix the tank so thet it's covered, except for a little spot the goats can stick their noses in to drink? Or hook an automatic waterer to the tank, so the tank feeds it, but the goats only have a shallow pan? If they're milk goats, I don't know as I'd have chickens (think sticky bird poop) in w/them in a really enclosed space anyhow, although incidental overlap if the birds were free ranged, & the goats on pasture would be OK.

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MommaShark

Discussion Starter · #4 · Feb 29, 2008

Goats and chickens would be free range to the extend of the fence - which I'm not sure the chickens would fly over - but I figured they'd roost in the goat house - still in the thinking about it stage - no animals yet - want to get it right - don't want any casualties!!!! I can figure out a shallow pan that's fed by the larger one..... If anyone wants to tell me how they do it great (about anything with goats and chickens) - goats will be for vegetation management only. Chickens for eggs.

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annethcz

· #5 · Mar 2, 2008

My chickens drink out of an ice cream pail filled with water. I haven't had any problems with this, but I will admit that I didn't start using this set-up until my chickens were full-gown. I have read that open water is more dangerous for chicks.

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blastomom

· #6 · Mar 2, 2008

I have twice seen drowned chickens pulled out of livestock watering troughs, plus a few chicks that met their demise in smaller tubs of water. Probably not a common occurrence, but still something that might happen with your set up.

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Twwly

· #7 · Mar 2, 2008

I would think it could be a possibility. As a PP mentioned, they don't swim and in my experience, chickens are easy... ya just have to keep them from killing themselves!

I would set up a different watering system personally, but if it's already a go, let them loose and see what happens. Worse thing, you lose a chicken and make a change.

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BunnySlippers

· #8 · Mar 3, 2008

The chickens have never fallen into my horses water trough. I do provide a smaller drinking basin for them though.

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MommaShark

Discussion Starter · #9 · Mar 3, 2008

I dread the thought of finding a dead chicken in the goat water - I'll find a way to keep the chickens from falling in!!!! I haven't gotten them yet so I can tinker around - thanks!!!1

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Red

· #10 · Mar 4, 2008

I've kept chickens and goats. The goats will eat ALL the chicken feed, and it isn't good for them. It's best to have them seperated a bit, though as a pp mentioned, any overlap is ok.

In other words, you need a place to keep the goat at night so that it can't eat teh chicken food, or keep teh chicken food where teh goat can't get at it.

Chickens can drown. And they die. You WILL have to clean up the dead at some point, no matter what. No matter what size goat waterer you keep, you'll find the occassional dead mouse.

You learn to think "Oh, you poor wee thing" and just get on wth it.

The goats and chickens will be fine, just put teh food in an enclosure the goats can't get into.

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