Drinking from Puddles

[Lemon-Drop]

So... sorry if this has already been discussed, but I notice my chickens are drinking from puddles of dirty, muddy water in their run. They'll drink from their fresh, clean waterers, but also from the puddles.

I have a few questions:
Is this safe?
With HPAI going around, is there a way I can/should stop them from doing this?
Why are they doing this? Is it just chicken-nature or something I'm doing wrong?


Thanks!

 

[HappyClucker7]

Chickens always drink from puddles. I'm not sure why. You could have the freshest, cleanest water standing right next to them, and they would still choose the muddy puddle. Maybe they get some kinds of minerals from the dirt or something? I have no clue. But it's definitely not something you're doing wrong.
It's not necessarily bad, unless the water has poop or something in it. But if you want them to stop, you could maybe lay down some mulch where the puddles are.

 

[BelovedBirds]

So... sorry if this has already been discussed, but I notice my chickens are drinking from puddles of dirty, muddy water in their run. They'll drink from their fresh, clean waterers, but also from the puddles.

I have a few questions:
Is this safe?
With HPAI going around, is there a way I can/should stop them from doing this?
Why are they doing this? Is it just chicken-nature or something I'm doing wrong?


Thanks!

As someone with ducks, this made me giggle- my girls are very good at making mud and eating it, lol.
I don't know much about chickens, but I imagine it's safe, unless its poopy water or its stagnating, and as long as there is clean water available, it should be okay for them!

 

[Isadora]

Only way to stop them is to get rid of the puddles.
Personally, it's not something I worry about because chickens are going to do what they do, regardless of whether we approve of it or not. Unless your puddles were the result of a leach field leaking or something, I wouldn't worry about it.
If it does bother you, you could always lay down extra mulch in the areas that collect rainwater. Also check your drainage.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Ok, thanks everyone!

 

[Weeg]

I think its perfectly safe. I find that my ducks prefer muddy water over clean.
Like mentioned above, as long as it is not poopy or stagnant, or green you should be fine.
The only thing I would be concerned about is wether or not those puddles are being fed from run off from your covered run, (your run is covered for HPAI right?) or from water from outside. I have that issue with my hoop coop, some of the water run off wad dripping in and making puddles in the run. I need to run plastic all the way to the bottom of the hoop coop to keep that from happening. I'm only concerned about that because of HPAI. Contaminated water running into the run.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

If you figure out how to stop them, let me know so I can get my dumb dogs to stop doing it too

 

[Felicityfarm]

A fellow chicken owner told me not to change water to often because the dirt and all is good for their immune system so puddles shouldn't be too dangerous!

 

[Lemon-Drop]

I think its perfectly safe. I find that my ducks prefer muddy water over clean.
Like mentioned above, as long as it is not poopy or stagnant, or green you should be fine.
The only thing I would be concerned about is wether or not those puddles are being fed from run off from your covered run, (your run is covered for HPAI right?) or from water from outside. I have that issue with my hoop coop, some of the water run off wad dripping in and making puddles in the run. I need to run plastic all the way to the bottom of the hoop coop to keep that from happening. I'm only concerned about that because of HPAI. Contaminated water running into the run.

It's covered partly, but the rest is covered with just bird netting. There's trees too which make it hard. It definitely is partially runoff from the lawn, though, because the coop is at the bottom of a hill.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

If you figure out how to stop them, let me know so I can get my dumb dogs to stop doing it too

Ok, I will! Doubt that's going to happen though.