Does filtered water make a difference?

[GimmeCake]

I'm currently just using a regular garden hose to give my chickens water. I was wondering if I used fresh filtered water if that would help in any way.

 

[chfite]

It would make money for the filter sellers. I use plain tap water for the chickens, dogs, and people here.

Chickens are in the same league as dogs, they will drink from a puddle if they encountered one.

Chris

 

[GimmeCake]

Well, I'm worried about water additives. And I actually give my dogs fresh filtered water. The thing is that if chickens don't care at all, or what.

 

[lorain's fids]

I'm currently just using a regular garden hose to give my chickens water. I was wondering if I used fresh filtered water if that would help in any way.

Most garden hoses still contain lead which can leech into the water. I bought a garden hose that is lead free and it says safe for drinking.

 

[GimmeCake]

Most garden hoses still contain lead which can leech into the water. I bought a garden hose that is lead free and it says safe for drinking.

A drinking-safe hose is too expensive for me.

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

It would make money for the filter sellers. I use plain tap water for the chickens, dogs, and people here.

Chickens are in the same league as dogs, they will drink from a puddle if they encountered one.

Chris

I agree with Chris. I'm not going to offer special water to anything that will drink out of the toilet

I'm not "green" by any means and don't see the point unless your water is just really really bad. To each their own though!!

 

[donrae]

A drinking-safe hose is too expensive for me.

But filtered water isn't? Sorry, I just see some humor there.

The chickens don't care. Mine actually prefer to drink from puddles and overflow when I fill the waterer. They bypass the fresh clean stuff for the puddles in the run.

 

[GimmeCake]

But filtered water isn't? Sorry, I just see some humor there.

The chickens don't care. Mine actually prefer to drink from puddles and overflow when I fill the waterer. They bypass the fresh clean stuff for the puddles in the run.

A $20 filter will last 6 months. A $15 hose will last until a mow again.

 

[JohnnyxRex]

Well ultimately the point is that there is no real need for filtered water for the chickens. It's impossible to be totally "clean", and chickens will eat anything they can get to. Just search for stories here on BYC where chickens eat stuff they aren't supposed to. I remember laughing when one person said that one of their birds got into their house and ate an entire box of laundry soap.... and other chemicals.

No biggie, plus when you think about it the waterer is outside! Bacteria, germs, dirt, and other outside stuff will get in. It's not like it's going to kill someone.

 

[BellaCassels]

I searched to see if anyone was talking about this. I actually do think it makes sense to give your chickens filtered water. THe pesticides, flouride, lead, etc that tend to be in our water supply these days are gonna end up in the chicken's eggs. If you filter your own water supply, then you ought to make sure you aren't getting exposed to those chemicals through other sources such as the eggs you eat from your chickens. Yeah, chickens eat all kinds of nasty stuff anyway, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to minimize your exposure to nasty chemicals through their eggs. Just my opinion. It's not that hard to run their water through a cheap activated carbon filter, (like these water filters) so why not?