bleach in mud puddles?

[DaniLovesChickens]

Quote:
That's what I want to do this Spring when everything finally thaws. I want to add gravel then sand inside then gravel outside. If I had the money I would dig down 18 - 24 inches and add sand and gravel so that it drains right. But WOW! That would be a whole lot of sand!

 

[elizabethbinary]

When my hens were drinking from an area I didn't like, I filledthe area with hay and some dirt and let it all dry up and then break down again - now puddles don't form there because the surface is even/dryer.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Bleaching puddles, sorry but ROFLMAO

If you really feel the need to do this here is some guidelines:

First estimate how much water is standing there: is it enough to fill a gallon sized milk jug, or only about 1/2 gallon? When poured out on to the ground a gallon of water will cover alot of area. Fill a gallon jug with water and pour it into your bathtub or kitchen sink to get an idea of volume.

To treat: for storing water for emergency drinking water, the rule is 16 drops (equals 1/4 teaspoon) for a gallon of water. Not much really, the water should smell very faintly like bleach to be safe for drinking.


As for bleaching wells, in Wisconsin they tend to bleach the wells in highly agricultural areas that have shallow wells. Not all areas in Wisconsin are built the same. If your well is in the middle of a forest in granite country, not so much contamination worry; but if your well is next to the cow yard, or even the lake, then probably not a bad idea. Also, shallow groundater wells are much more likely to need to be "Shocked" than a 120 foot well drilled into granite.

 

[annaraven]

Quote:
Great information here. As you can see, we're talking 1/4 tsp, NOT a couple tablespoons. Really, you're more likely to kill your chickens accidentally if you're not careful. If you think the chickens are getting something from the mud puddles, get a sample of it, bring it and a chicken (and their runny poop) to a vet and let the vet tell you what to use. Much more effective for the chickens.

 

[clairabean]

Ummm..... no. We don't bleach our wells either. In fact I have never heard of bleaching wells.


But is that how some chickens lay white eggs?

 

[GAchick]

Quote:
x2

 

[Chris09]

As for bleaching wells, in Wisconsin they tend to bleach the wells in highly agricultural areas that have shallow wells. Not all areas in Wisconsin are built the same. If your well is in the middle of a forest in granite country, not so much contamination worry; but if your well is next to the cow yard, or even the lake, then probably not a bad idea. Also, shallow groundater wells are much more likely to need to be "Shocked" than a 120 foot well drilled into granite.

It's not always were the well is drilled that you have to worry about, it is the vein that feeds your well and where it comes from.
The vein that feed your well may run for miles under streets, yards, homes, barns, pastures and also feeding creeks, ponds and lakes.
That vein may be 120' through granite at your location but could also be only 50' under sand and gravel in another location.

Chris​

 

[WoodlandWoman]

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WoodlandWoman,
Here is 5 links on shocking a well and the last 2 are from Wisconsin.

http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/eng/water/Templates/Sections/Field Services/wellshockingfactsheet.htm
http://www.inspectapedia.com/water/Well_Shock_Procedure.htm
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/wwg411
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/dwg/wellchlorination.pdf (Wisconsin)
http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/gndwater/privatewells/disnfect.htm (Wisconsin DNR)

Quote:
Have you had it tested for E. Coli?

Chris

I do know what shocking a well is. It's something that I've only known people to do when they have a problem with a well, not something they do as annual maintenance. The links from WI are on how to do it if your well is contaminated by bacteria for some reason. I haven't read of any recommendations to shock all wells here annually, even if they are testing negative for any bacteria. We do test for multiple things, including bacteria, as well as agricultural contaminants. I don't remember the whole list. I can have my husband check to see if he's got the last report filed away. We normally have an idea of what we want tested and also take advice from the lab on whatever new issues have started popping up in some people's wells.

I can see where someone with a chronic problem with well contamination might be doing it annually. Some people use an RO unit for their water, because their water is bad, too. We just haven't had those issues. I'm not saying other people don't. I just had never known anyone with that problem here. I do think where you live makes a big difference. We do have really heavy clay in a lot of Wisconsin, too.

 

[DaniLovesChickens]

Ok, well thanks for being jerks (not everyone).

Next time I have a question I guess I won't post it here. I had luck in the past with getting help and actually giving help as well since I am not a complete moron.

I'm just a cripple that can't go anywhere to get any other help and thought I would turn to the people here and see if an idea that popped into my diseased brain was ok or not.

Thanks for making feel like crap and making fun of me. Being a diseased, crippled young person doesn't get me made fun of enough!

 

[easttxchick]

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There actually are a lot of people that put a drop or two of Oxine(a less harsh version of bleach used for all kinds of good things) in their waterers for health purposes.
Off the top of my head I can't remember it, but there absolutely is a disease that can be transmitted through them drinking muddy, poo contaminated water.
The only stupid question is one that isn't asked, in my opinion.