Chickens and swimming pools

[muddipuppy]

Do I have to worry about my chickens falling in the pool and not surviving?

 

[Terri O]

If they fall in they will drown. I have had some that go to drink in a stock tank and I find them drowned. Little chicks will also drown in not too much water. I'd say keep them well away from the pool! Terri O

 

[HennyJenny]

I am sorry to tell you, chickens can not swim and will drown in a swimming pool if they were to fall in or be silly enough to get in.

 

[Mahonri]

I have had four or five different chickens go into the pool.

Every single one has gotten out. Lucky me... but I was there when it happened.

Coop and run is in the corner.

 

[Andora]

I have had four birds fall in. One drowned and died.

They love to stand on the edges of our plastic duck pool and drink the "chocolate" water. Some of them accidentally will slip in! Then they become water logged from their feathers and can't fly back out. It's tragic. It's especially bad if the weather is cold but the water isn't iced over...you will find yourself defrosting a frozen chicken.

Once one of my chickens fell in and my female Pekin duck apparently also got in the pool...I came out to find an injured half drowned chicken frantically clinging to a very P.O.ed duck.

That being said, all of the ones I've had fall in were younger, smaller birds. Not little chicks but not full grown either. Since our kiddie (duck) pool isn't that deep I think a larger chicken could easily keep its head above water until help arrived.

 

[chickenzoo]

Yes, be concerned and it would be best to only freerange them supervised or put a cover on the pool.

 

[TiredChildren]

Quote:
I'm a new member, and I'm just looking into the idea of a backyard chicken for the first time. We have an in-ground pool similar to yours - it's not screened-in. Ours has a small ledge going around it, though, about an inch and a half high. Would that ledge and the cement deck around the pool be enough to discourage the chickens from getting in?

 

[Godsgrl]

Quote:
Beautiful backyard, Mahonri. I wish my pool looked so pretty right now.

<---looks more like Shrek's swamp at the moment.

 

[valreegrl]

We have an inground pool also and this summer my chickens free-ranged without a problem.
We do have a safety summer cover but it isn't on at all times....

They mainly stayed away from it.

 

[mdbokc]

Codes here would not allow a chicken coop/run that close to a pool. Interesting.