I have a 3 gallon waterer and only 12 chicks....that thing stays full for quite a while. Do i really need to empty out and give fresh water every day? it seems like a waste of water to me.
Fresh Water every day?
- Thread starter momofthree
- Start date
Officially, yes, you should give fresh water every day. Do I? No not usually. We have 4 different pens - 1 5 gal, 1 3 gal, and 2 smaller waterers. I will change them every other day or as soon as it is dirty. Have the waterers up to the height of their backs, it will reduce debris in them. In the summer/warm weather, fresh water is nicer for the birds.
They need access to clean water at all times. This does not necessarily mean you have to refill the drinker every day.
I use five gallon drinkers in my tractors. In the hot season such as now I refill them twice a week. Possibly three times if we're having a real heat wave. In the winter I only need fill them once a week.
Do make sure the water stays in the shade. Nothing likes drinking hot water. Also raise it up off the ground enough that they cannot scratch dirt and litter into it. You'll get at least a little dirt off their beaks but a little is tolerable. A lot needs correcting.
Check the drinker every day for a while to see how the water looks. If it's getting nasty then change it. If not then twice a week is plenty.
I use five gallon drinkers in my tractors. In the hot season such as now I refill them twice a week. Possibly three times if we're having a real heat wave. In the winter I only need fill them once a week.
Do make sure the water stays in the shade. Nothing likes drinking hot water. Also raise it up off the ground enough that they cannot scratch dirt and litter into it. You'll get at least a little dirt off their beaks but a little is tolerable. A lot needs correcting.
Check the drinker every day for a while to see how the water looks. If it's getting nasty then change it. If not then twice a week is plenty.
I stopped using the official chicken waterers and went to plastic dishpans. I keep them at the edge of the run so every day I can stick the hose in and refresh the water. Once a week I scrub them down thoroughly to keep algae and slime from growing. It's been working great for me!
Dishpans from the local dollar store last 3-4 years.
Dishpans from the local dollar store last 3-4 years.
Last edited:
Quote:
That is a great idea! Way cheaper than those big, HEAVY waterers.
That is a great idea! Way cheaper than those big, HEAVY waterers.
If they are outside I prefer fresh water as I don't want anything to start to grow in the heat.
You could just not fill it so full. Chickens back wash and the water gets slimy even though you can see it.
You could just not fill it so full. Chickens back wash and the water gets slimy even though you can see it.
You should ALWAYS give your chickens Clean Fresh Water everyday! I give fresh water to mine twice a day and clean with a brush their waters everytime. You should had a drop of bleach to each waterer in this heat to keep your chickens from getting diseases.
Quote:
That's great that you are able to do that for your birds, but not everyone has that kind of time...
That's great that you are able to do that for your birds, but not everyone has that kind of time...
I pretty much do what ranchhand does but I use big tubs which were 55gal drums cut down and not dishpans. I also have some of those tire rubber water pans. I generally change those once a day, but if and when I switch over to my 5 gal bucket waterers it's sometimes every 2-3 days.
Similar threads
New posts New threads Active threads
-
Latest threads
-
Unknown respiratory issue in chicken- Started by bibzybean
- Replies: 0
-
-
-
-
-
-
Threads with more replies in the last 15 days
-
