cleaning feeders and waterers

[TheChickMan]

How do you clean your feeders and waterers. Do you use bleach. How often do you give them a really good scrubbing?

 

[BairleaFarm]

New chicks get the waters washed every other day in the dish washer. All other birds i just hose off when they get dirty. I dont bother with the duck waterers unless they are poopy for some reason.

 

[TheChickMan]

will bleach hurt them. if not how much could i use. ratios?

 

[CarolJ]

I would not put a chicken waterer or feeder in my dishwasher.

But that's just me. I handle all the feeders and waterers outside at a faucet. I rinse them out each time I fill them. If they get dirty I have a bristle-brush I use to scrub them. I use a bleach solution (maybe a tablespoon per gallon) if I feel they need it.

 

[mikecnorthwest]

I just rinse them when they look dirty. Sometimes I need to scrub off some stubborn dirt or poop. I've never used soap or bleach for the adult feeder/waterer but do use soap on the chick's feeder/waterer when I start a new flock.

 

[cafarmgirl]

will bleach hurt them. if not how much could i use. ratios?

Are you asking about adding bleach to their drinking water or using a bleach solution to clean with? Just using some in the wash water to clean then rinsing thoroughly won't hurt them at all.

I rinse out my waterer every day when I change it and give it a good scrub with dish soap and hot water maybe once a month. I generally don't use bleach at all unless I've had a sick bird.

.

 

[TheChickMan]

about bleach in the cleaning solution. I used soap and water to clean the quart jar i had but since i moved the 8 chicks to the new brooder i upgraded to a 1 gallon waterer.

 

[tlagnhoj]

I would not put a chicken waterer or feeder in my dishwasher.

But that's just me. I handle all the feeders and waterers outside at a faucet. I rinse them out each time I fill them. If they get dirty I have a bristle-brush I use to scrub them. I use a bleach solution (maybe a tablespoon per gallon) if I feel they need it.

Why is that?

I have two of each and rotate them every couple of days. They get washed in the dishwasher on their "off days." Or in the sink with hot soapy water if I'm not running the dishwasher or there's not enough room in it for them (they take up a lot of room). (FWIW, my feeders and waterers are plastic. I wouldn't put the galvanized in the dishwasher.) I don't use bleach unless I think there's a need to disinfect beyond the capabilities of the dishwasher. But given the heat treatment any bugs would get in there, I'm pretty confident things are dying.

 

[Maggie C]

I wash my plastic waterer every few days with hot soapy water just because I think they are yucky looking. The galvanized one I rinse out a couple of times a week but really only wash it thoroughly about once a month; it has copper on it to deter algae growth. Also

 

[mendocinosunris]

@david -
"Chickens? Ive got a couple or 50 plus 30 chicks plus peeps hatching ..."
Now that is awesome chicken math