Expensive trip to Tractor Supply

[nachoqtpie]

So... I'm getting conflicting opinions on BYC. In the duck section people are telling me that a stock tank with the ducks and chickens should be fine! The chicken section is telling me that I need to be able to prevent drowning and should cover even a kiddie pool! I'm just as confused as before. :-(

 

[lesa]

My understanding is that if the chickens feathers get wet- they will sink like a stone... If the water is not deep, and they can stand up- I sincerely doubt they would drown (making the kiddie pool idea, safe.) I can't imagine a full grown chicken having much interest in water (other than to take a drink).

 

[nachoqtpie]

Well my idea is to put a low long stock tank for the ducks, with a deck like structure around it, but I would also have other sources of water for both the ducks and the chickens.

 

[momofdrew]

the only thing you would have to watchout for would be baby chicks, they can drown in a few inches of water...if you have water for your chickens seprate from the duck tank I dont think there would be a problem...I put a kiddy pool out for my dogs in the summer and the adult chickens dont seem to be interested in it at all...

 

[SweetMissDaisy]

Whatever you decide to do for the ducks, you're going to want a way to clean out their water regularly.
The first thing a duck does when they hop in the water, is poop.

This is why I use the small $10 "kiddie" pool for our ducks. It's easy enough for me to dump, clean, and refill as often as needed. I do it each morning.
But I only fill it about half full (about 4 or so inches I guess) to make it easier on me when dumping.

I have never had a chicken drown in the duck pool. Probably because of the shallow depth of water. I have a combination of large, small bantams, and silkies in with the ducks. Never a problem.

I have had a couple chickens drown in the larger cattle water troughs in years past, and what those girls were doing up that high is beyond me. Hunting bugs, I suppose.

 

[nachoqtpie]

Well.... the very last thing that I want to happen is lil Miss Bugs pet chickens drowning... sooooooooooo.... I may wanna nix the idea. :/ That stinks cos it was such a great plan!!

Wonder if there's a way to rig a kiddie pool up to a hose so I could use it in my garden.....

 

[Jared77]

Non-waterfowl when you get them wet yes will not be able to fly. And if they can't touch the bottom they COULD drown. Does that mean they will? Absolutely not. You have a chance of getting hit by meteor, does that mean it will happen? Absolutely not. Thing is on BYC many of the chicken folks are a little different. They sit in the runs with their birds and spend hours talking to the birds, they bring birds inside, they put up heat lamps in their coops in places that may see 1 frosty morning on the coldest day of the year. They take their care to a very high level. Is it bad? Absolutely not. Its just how they feel about their poultry. That's why they suggested covering the kiddie pool.

However I don't think chickens would have any interest in the stock tank. Sure they may walk up the ramp, and may even hang out on the deck, but if they know they can get a drink at the waterer, I bet they'd go there and get one. I doubt they'd lean down and get a drink. I don't think they know they can drink from a stock tank, so they don't think to try it. They know there is water at the waterer so I would believe when they want water they go there. Friends of ours have horses and chickens. They free range the chickens and are often out amongst the pasture where the horses are pecking at road apples looking for bugs. They walk past the stock tank to go back into the run to get a drink and will return back to the pasture to hunt again. Sure they could fly up and get a drink but they totally ignore it.

If it was me Id do the big stock tank and a shelf. I think in the long run you'll be glad you did to save the work your creating by having to dump a pool or other water source you have for your ducks. If you opt to do the kiddie pool, Id get a small submersible pond pump and hook up a hose to it. Put the pump in the kiddie pool, and run the hose out to the garden. That way your not wasting any water. OR you could keep the duck run near the garden so you could bucket off the water and are not going far to dump it. I don't know your property lay out so maybe thats not realistic.

 

[nachoqtpie]

So... what' you're saying is... that as long as I keep other water options available for the chickens they *shouldn't* mess around with the stock tanks? I think the stock tank idea would make it SO much easier to use the water in the garden than a kiddie pool. The enclosure will be inside a fenced back yard. The only gate in the back yard is on the opposite side of the garden. It would be a GIANT PITA to lug the water out of the pool, out the gate, around the front of the house, then into the garden.

 

[Jared77]

I would think they'd go to the water sources they know and have used since they were days old. A drinker. Unless you put down a large deep dish for them to drink from like a dog dish or something big I don't think they'd even realize they could drink out of it.

Thats just my take on it. But then again if I lost 1 bird in the stock tank Id think it was a stupid bird and natural selection since it wouldn't pass on its lack of common sense or intelligence onto its chicks. Not to be rude thats just how Id see it. Others may not share that thought process. :/

 

[nachoqtpie]

I appreciate everybodies input into this. I just want to do what's right for the lil fellas!

Oh yes... and here is a new picture.