A Chicken hot tub

[Wile E.]

I've been using a heated dog water dish for water. Problem is, one hen wants to roost on it. She started by standing on the edge, now she sits in it like its a nest. I don't know if she gets her feathers wet or not. Needless to say, the water gets poopy. I tried sticking a beer bottle in there to make it uncomfortable to sit on. The water was still dirty this morning. I am wondering if this is the one who has much yellower legs than the other hens.

I've got over 8 feet of 2x4 for 4 hens and a rooster for roosts. I have been meaning to rework this to try to get it higher. Right now they seem to want to use nest boxes. The water dish is just off the floor on a cement block.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

I put my water dish under the nest box, so there's no room for a hen to sit on it but they all can still drink. Is that possible for your situation?

 

[kari_dawn]

haha smart girl...its warm in there! Give her a heating pad in a nest box? lol

 

[Wile E.]

Its a possibility, but I would have to add cement blocks. They'd have to have one to stand on one to drink because it would be too high.

 

[OkChickens]

Quote:
Hens should roost not sleep in the nest boxes. This will make the eggs nasty and covered in poop. I would try to take the waterer out at night for a few days and out her on the roost.

Nate

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=401193
see post #7

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=593035