Water
How much water do my chickens drink a day?
About a pint per bird per day, doubling above 85F, and roughly half that for bantams.
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How this works
A layer drinks about a pint a day in mild weather and roughly double once it passes 85 °F; bantams about half. An egg is 70% water — a dry afternoon shows up as a missed egg two days later.
Questions people ask
How much water do 12 chickens need?
Around 1.5 gallons a day in mild weather and 3 or more in a heatwave. Size the waterer so you are not refilling twice on the hottest day.
How do I stop the water freezing?
A heated base, or a deep rubber bowl you can knock the ice out of. Birds cannot eat without drinking, so frozen water in winter stops laying quickly.
Do chickens drink more when laying?
Yes. An egg is about 75 percent water, so a laying flock in summer is the peak demand case this calculator is sized around.