How do you keep your water trough clean???

[Ericasl]

I would like to know how everyone keeps there trough clean? We have I think it is a 50-gal trough we have sheep and goats, the chickens also jump up and drink out of it. Well I noticed it was getting dirty looking, so I dumped it out and cleaned it out. Yuck It was kind of gross, it turned quick the weather has been getting warmer so I wonder if that is why it seemed to get merky so quick. How do all of you keep them nice and clean??Or do you just have to clean the out more often??

 

[Kanchii]

You have to clean them more often when it gets warmer since more stuff will grow in it! I used lots of goldfish, but if you have goats jumping into them then maybe that's not such a good idea. You might just have to do a monthly cleaning!

 

[Ericasl]

I was wondering about goldfish, do they really work?? My goat do not jump in it the trough. It is the only thing they do not jump in or on.

 

[amystours]

I used to work at PetSmart, and there were several people who SWORE by the goldfish. Just those 29 cent fellas, they get about 20/25 of those, throw them in there, and let them do their thing. Goldfish are a cold water fish, and most survive the winter easily, even when the top of the trough is frozen.

Personally, I haven't tried it, so I don't know firsthand if they will keep the thing clean or not. My pond has goldfish, and it gets pretty icky at times. I completely dump it and scrub it and start over maybe three or four times a year.

 

[Davaroo]

I use hanging waterers. No dirt, no mess.
I got one, a self filling bell waterer, off ebay for $6.

Ooops wrong forum! Sorry

 

[momma's chickens]

My mom and dad used goldfish for years in my sister's horse trough, it definitely made a difference in the water.

 

[Skyesrocket]

I don't know about the sheep, but goats don't like dirty water. You might want to get a smaller water container and just dump it everyday.
Right now I'm using one of those plastic storage containers. The ones people make chicken brooders out of, for my 3 horses on pasture. It's big enough so the horses have water all day, but small enough to dump out and fill everyday.
For a 50 gallon trough you could probably put 1/2 cup of bleach...or more.. in it to keep algea from growing in it and to keep bacteria down.

 

[helmstead]

We house our goats, ducks and chickens together, and they share water containers. I keep a muck bucket along with a 5 gallon flat back for them...and we have to clean them out OFTEN. The flat back is mostly used by the ducks, so it's full of mud 5 mins after we clean it out - that one is a daily chore. The muck bucket is no less than a weekly job, sometimes more because the chickens are good at pooping in it.

 

[texaschickmama]

We got some tablets at TSC that are supposed to be all natural and help with the mosquitos. As far as cleaning them out, I just do it the old fashioned way. I might have to try the goldfish thing for our cows, my kids would love that.

 

[Bec]

The only think I do is scrub it with a toilet bowl brush and dump it

There is no other way for me to keep it clean and algea free. As sson as I notice it is getting yucky..time to dump it...it sucks, but someone has to do the dirty work