Cleaning a Stock Tank to use as a Brooder?

[centrarchid]

Here we have Northern Black Widows, Southern Black Widows, Brown Recluse and the related Hobo Spider. Brown Recluse Spiders live in the house under couch and dressors. My sister as a child had a bad time with a Brown Recluse bite but only once despite the abundance of the spiders. We have actual tarantulas but they are just scary.

 

[donrae]

I find it interesting how insects vary from region to region. I'm on the west side of the Cascades, my Mom is on the east side. About 250 miles apart. I have tons of the daddy longlegs spiders, black widows, and fleas abound. She has very, very few of those things to deal with.

course, she was snowed in recently, and I was just rained in

 

[sunflour]

Here we have Northern Black Widows, Southern Black Widows, Brown Recluse and the related Hobo Spider. Brown Recluse Spiders live in the house under couch and dressors. My sister as a child had a bad time with a Brown Recluse bite but only once despite the abundance of the spiders. We have actual tarantulas but they are just scary.

I didn't know there was a difference in Northern and Southern BWS

.

 

[centrarchid]

I didn't know there was a difference in Northern and Southern BWS .

Two discrete species. Northerns glossier black with red on bottom of abdomen only. Southerns have red patches on dorsal side of abdomen. Northerns seem more sequestered in hard to reach places while southerns make webs in better lit locations like under picnic tables and leaf piles. My chickens do not seem to like eating them but they do not like eating anything that is strongly contrasting red and black.

 

[That One Guy]

What if my stock tank is rusty? I got one from a family member and it's super rusty. Would it be unsafe for chicks? We have 6 of them in a 20 gallon tote. They're about 2 weeks old.

 

[donrae]

What if my stock tank is rusty? I got one from a family member and it's super rusty. Would it be unsafe for chicks? We have 6 of them in a 20 gallon tote. They're about 2 weeks old.

One of mine has a rusted bottom, won't hold water anymore. I've used it for years. This rust is mostly on the bottom and covered by the bedding, not really where the chicks can get to it. I imagine they'd peck at the rust? But I'm not sure it would hurt them. I'd clean it the best I could, and give it a try. That tote's going to get cramped before long.

 

[aart]

Quote: Ditto Dat^^^

As long as there are no sharp points sticking up/out or lose pieces they could ingest, it should be fine.

 

[donrae]

I pulled my tanks out yesterday for my first batch of chicks for the season, and yep, my one tank has a nice band of rust around the inside. I just hosed it out and used it. Chicks are still alive and kicking this morning--all 15

. So far, so good.

Maybe I could raise a small batch of broilers in there, get them to eat the rust, then market them to folks with anemia as "Iron fortified chicken"