# The chicken swiming thing...



## GenFoe (Apr 3, 2013)

I follow Kiki from 2 llamas and a whole lotta drama on Facebook and she took this photo today. Just wanted to throw it out there since I don't remember what thread we were talking about chickens swimming in!


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## HerkNav (May 4, 2013)

There was a discussion of whether chickens float in my story about my porch rooster. It was tongue in cheek in reference to how to get rid of unwanted roosters. Ironically, Bock Bock -the porch rooster- walked around our pool for three weeks with five dogs in the yard and never fell or got pushed in, so I never got a definitive answer on whether chickens float. I know that my daughter found one in the bottom of a watering trough at her place. My guess is it panicked when it hit the water. Maybe if they are put in water as chicks they figure it out and don't panic.


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## Elfinworld (Jul 11, 2013)

HerkNav said:


> There was a discussion of whether chickens float in my story about my porch rooster. It was tongue in cheek in reference to how to get rid of unwanted roosters. Ironically, Bock Bock -the porch rooster- walked around our pool for three weeks with five dogs in the yard and never fell or got pushed in, so I never got a definitive answer on whether chickens float. I know that my daughter found one in the bottom of a watering trough at her place. My guess is it panicked when it hit the water. Maybe if they are put in water as chicks they figure it out and don't panic.


I dunk mine in water to wet them if its too hot out, and most f the chickens hop right out if the water bucket except the buff Orpington....she just sat right there, enjoying that cool water! Lol! I've always wondered if our Buff Orpington is extremely tame and friendly, or just plain stupid.


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## leviparker (Jun 13, 2013)

Elfinworld said:


> I dunk mine in water to wet them if its too hot out, and most f the chickens hop right out if the water bucket except the buff Orpington....she just sat right there, enjoying that cool water! Lol! I've always wondered if our Buff Orpington is extremely tame and friendly, or just plain stupid.


Dunk them how deep? If you cover the feathers they can get to hot


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## Elfinworld (Jul 11, 2013)

leviparker said:


> Dunk them how deep? If you cover the feathers they can get to hot


Just up to their legs. I use a little litter box and fill it about 2-3 inches full of water for them.


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## leviparker (Jun 13, 2013)

Elfinworld said:


> Just up to their legs. I use a little litter box and fill it about 2-3 inches full of water for them.


Good! It works?


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## Elfinworld (Jul 11, 2013)

leviparker said:


> Good! It works?


Seems to work. The others don't like the water too much. They just sort of tolerate me putting them in. The Orpington is the only one who seems to enjoy herself. Sometimes I put frozen veggies and fruits in, and they love that! Keeps them occupied for a good bit.


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## DanielleBoland (Nov 25, 2012)

My younger bro and sis threw my silkie roo in the horse trof  and said he floated... Needless to say i was steamed lol


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## leviparker (Jun 13, 2013)

DanielleBoland said:


> My younger bro and sis threw my silkie roo in the horse trof  and said he floated... Needless to say i was steamed lol


Understood


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## GenFoe (Apr 3, 2013)

I put the mister on my hose and spray my birds throughout the day if its over 95. They don't get really wet but it helps a bit. Some of them love it and others hate it. Mine have no interest in the kiddie pool though.


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## AuroraHawk (Aug 27, 2012)

We have an old cat litter pan, on 2 cinder blocks, in our run. The two cinder blocks put the pan high enough that they don't scratch straw and litter into it. It is kept full of water for our 17 week old Silver-laced Red Wyandottes (2) and Black Wyandotte (1), and 11 week old Araucana (3), Columbian Wyandotte (2), Black Australorp (2), Buff Cochin (1), and a Silver Leghorn(?), flock. All of the Wyandottes, except the Silver-laced hen, enjoy walking in the water. The Colombian Wyandottes will perch on the edge of the pan with their tushes in the water. The others will drink from the pan, and seem to prefer it to their clean water, but they don't get into the pan unless they are being chased and it happens to be in their way. 

When the temperature is high enough that they are panting, we turn on two misting systems and put a milk jug full of ice in the pan.


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## HerkNav (May 4, 2013)

Now that I've heard from others that have had chickens that enjoy the experience of being in water I think I might try a kiddie pool in the run with enough water in the bottom that they can sit in it, but not enough to drown. I'll report back on the experiment.


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## GenFoe (Apr 3, 2013)

More photo proof! No clue who this guy is!


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## leviparker (Jun 13, 2013)

The chickens don't even look real


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## bkenright (May 7, 2013)

That photo is too funny! And here my husband thinks I'm crazy. I think I have a ways to go before I swim with them (although he does look very happy).


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## shaneandkristy (Sep 2, 2013)

I put a kiddie pool in my yard with the chickens and put a board across the top and my pheonix ran right over and used it just like that


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## kjohnstone (Mar 30, 2013)

I have a small swampy place in my backyard. It was near, and now under, my weeping willow, to keep the willow watered. A few years back, all of the irrigation ditches got put into pipe by salinity control, and since then, the water table has dropped and all the weeping willow trees around have died, except mine. Anyway, after starting free ranging, they discovered the mini-swamp. They LOVE it. They wade in it, drink from it, look for earthworms in it, and spend the hottest part of the day in the water in the shade. No swimming, but they like the water!


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