My 20 year old son was showing one of his friends the hens--which are on the west side of the house in back. He had locked the pool gate & bungie chorded around the gate, but not left the dogs inside (JRT, corgie, lab/pit mix). Selective listening and non-observance that we ALWAYS need to do this because the two 'new girls' are smaller and just pop through the pool fence to get to the rose garden. One of the little red hens got too close to the fence, the corgie joyfully barked and ran to the fence, chicken got alarmed and in turning to run to the coop --yes-- ran into the pool. This hen has not let my son pick her up (she follows me like a puppy), but as he ran to the pool to retrieve her he said she was swimming and got out right away on her own. Son has been told this never is to be repeated nor should I ever see/hear about this on YouTube. The hen is fine. Son says she puffed up like in a cartoon, shook it off. I sat with the girls for a field trip in the yard when I got home an hour or so later, would have never known.
Urban chickens are such an adventure!
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I had that happen twice, both times it was with a new hen that was being pecked by the top hen and in her hurry to get away ran into the pool by accident, but got out without too much trouble with a bunch of wing flapping. Anyway, they seem to know to stay out of the pool except when they're in a panic and not looking where they're going, and I think they could drown if they get too soaked before they're able to figure their way out, so it's definitely something to be aware of.
Back when my chickens were truly free range, one of them was startled by a hawk and ran in crazy circles. The chickens never went near the pool to my knowledge. His (I did not know that he was a rooster at the time) panic led him to the pool. He was going so fast that he ended up in the middle. I watched as he struggled, but he made it safely out. I lost my concern for their safety around the pool thinking that if they got too close and fell in, they would be fine.
I came home one day to find that he had drowned in the pool. Since then, I have built a large run for them that is too narrow for hawks or owls to feel comfortable swooping down into. But my hens have alot of room to run and play.