Why bother keeping water clean?

[cookiesdaddy]

I made a simple waterer with a 2 gallon bucket upside-down on a pan. I place it 6-8 inches off the ground on a concrete block. The water gets dirty pretty quickly from the girls peaks. They would peck at all sort of things on the ground and then place their dirty mouths in the water. I read in this forum that people change the water every day to keep them clean. If so why bother with a large capacity waterer? I'm thinking the birds pick up all sort of dirty stuff on the ground anyway, what's the point of keeping your water super clean? Is changing the water every 3-4 days OK? How about a week?

For those with an automatic waterer (reversed bell shape), how do you keep the water clean? Or you don't?

 

[NewHopePoultry]

They really need clean water. I know its a chore. I have 3 ducks and I have to clean their pool 3 times day.But its for their own good.

 

[chrissieg]

In my humble opinion - I think you have to think of the temperature of the water. If it's warm, say in a brooder or just hot weather and likely to be an ideal environment for nasty things to grow perhaps change it more often.

My chickens will seek out the most foul water and drink it with relish ......... we're a great believer in the 'peck of dirt' theory!

 

[chickenwoods]

I dont think that it is the dirt and things that come off thier beak that make it dirty,although it makes it look dirty,but the fungis,mold and bacteria that grow
in the water makes it unsafe.

Same reason you dont want to feed moldy feed.It can kill them.

 

[Frozen Feathers]

I gave up on those bucket waters. They were always getting full of shavings even when I got a 5 gallon hanging waterer, and I ended up cleaning it out everyday anyway. So now I just use one of those rubber dishes (meant to give cattle grain) and just rinse it out every day and scrub it out once or twice a week. works well. Great in winter too, because when it gets frozen in winter I can just flip the dish upside down and pound out the ice. Plus it's easier to clean.

They do need clean water, and really it's not that much of a hassle when you consider other then the watering, chickens are a pretty easy pet to keep.

 

[Poison Ivy]

I have 3 - 5 gallon waters that sit up on concrete blocks. I fill them once a week and every other day I spray them with the garden hose to clean the dirt out of the pan. Done it that way for years never has hurt them to not do it everyday.

 

[cookiesdaddy]

Thanks everyone! It makes sense. So the dirty concern is more with mold and bacteria than the "dirt" in the water. But then what about those auto waterer with a reversed bell shape? Do you have to clean that one out every few days too?

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Yes the auto waterers need cleaned out too. Mine get the usual dirt from the hens drinking and will also grow a thin layer of algae, barely noticeable until you go to clean it out and realize there is a thin film there.

It doesn't take much to clean them out. The bowl is attached to the valve with a quick connect fitting. Take the bowl off, dump it out. You can press the bottom of valve with your finger to spray some water in the bowl and wipe it out. Connect the bowl again and it automatically fills.

 

[mom'sfolly]

Everyone here in Texas tells me they need fresh water at least daily during the summer because they don't like to drink warm water. Evidently even when overheated some birds will not drink enough if the water is too warm. Myth, I don't know. My girls haven't gone through a summer yet. My current problem is keeping them out of the puddles.

 

[allen wranch]

I have the founts like Mac and they get just as much stuff in them as the other waterers. Like PoisonIvy, I hose them off every few days then take them off about every two weeks, clean them good and spray with a bleach solution.