How often to change the water?

[Tikkijane]

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I have 14 out there and we're doing at least a gallon a day. I also don't like it getting nasty, although that is, from time to time, unavoidable. We'll probably change over to the nipples at some point, because most of the nasty comes from blowing dirt. (I know, I know

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[Rockerchic]

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replacing that with a nipple waterer sometime next week. The coop/run is completely under shade until about 1:00 PM, at which point I lower the roll-up slat shades (Lowes. $6.95 each) to keep out the direct sun.
The heat here has been in the 100 degree range the last three days with indexes around 105 and the chicks have shown no sign of heat related distress at all.

Add ice? You are kidding, aren't you? Of course I did shut off their steam room and sauna.

I made my watering system just like this, and it is so worth the little effort it took! The water stays clean, and all it takes to refill it is a quick visit with the hose. I do agree that during high heat days the chics will enjoy getting their feet cool, either in wet dirt or a shallow pan.Also, shade and the opportunity to enjoy a breeze make a big difference for any creature.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/86572_water_system_and_jake.jpg

 

[Rockerchic]

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hot isn't an issue. I'm not happy with the mechanics of the waterer I have, so would a large bowl make more sense?

My birds are very busy diggers and scratchers, so an open bowl rapidly turns into a dish of mud.

 

[classicsredone]

We have an automatic waterer that is covered, so they only can get their heads in. It stays poop free, but we still dump it daily. We also check during that day that it is full when we're out and about in the back yard.

 

[Clay Mudd]

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But they get so grumpy when the Perrier goes flat!

 

[BellevueOmlet]

One thing you can to prevent dirt and stuff getting into your water is to put gravel in the radius of your waterer. Then your chickens will not dust bath in that direct area. That is what I do and get almost no dirt or grime in my waterers. I also use chicken waterer cups, which have a much smaller area for dirt to get into so that might be the main reason.

 

[gritsar]

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I don't think it's absurd at all. I have the time, I have the inclination, and several sources of nice cold well water (there is a total of 4 wells on the farm, counting one at the other end of the farm). My DH encourages me to use the wells as often as I need to, since we are on rural water and the wells wouldn't get used otherwise. It's one of the few ways I "spoil" my chickens. The waterering system or routine I have works for me. I'm not one for fixin' what ain't broken.

In return I get great egg production, year-round, and have two flocks of healthy birds.

 

[EmtheFishLady]

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I don't think it's absurd at all. I have the time, I have the inclination, and several sources of nice cold well water (there is a total of 4 wells on the farm, counting one at the other end of the farm). My DH encourages me to use the wells as often as I need to, since we are on rural water and the wells wouldn't get used otherwise. It's one of the few ways I "spoil" my chickens. The waterering system or routine I have works for me. I'm not one for fixin' what ain't broken.

In return I get great egg production, year-round, and have two flocks of healthy birds.

X2

Frankly, I don't like to look at dirty water. I don't like to have dirty water containers, I don't like to see poop around either. I keep all this clean. I never told the OP that they HAD to do this, just that *I* do. does it take extra work that others might see as unnecessary? Yes. But, I have clean birds, and I don't generally have problems with sick ones.

 

[mons02035]

wow, not sure how else to phrase it. Chickens are not humans. Think if they were in the wild as mother nature intended. They may get cool water from a brook but in turn they get bacteria, worms and omebas (sp) and other wonderful things from the water. Changing the water multiple times a day is wastful unless of course you do have nasty gross exposed water but if your using a contained system, there is no need to change out your water. I am betting that te people that change out the water all the time are the same ones that beileve in global warming and recycling and all that stuff, but yet they don't think twice about wasting a few gallons of water on a daily basis.

I change my water and scrub it when the 3 gallons I give them runs low. It takes about 5-7 days. The water is in a sealed bucket so it stays clean. Would I drink the water? YES, even at 7 days old I would drink it. Also, I have 5 girls and they are healthy and happy. I get between 124-142 eggs PER MONTH from them. So, it's not a result of the routine, otherwise I would be getting about 12 eggs a month.......

 

[gritsar]

By the way, you don't have to waste the water coming out of the waterers at change time. Five gallon buckets (our Atwoods, similiar to a TSC, has sales on them regularly) are a very handy thing to have on a farm. The dirty water is dumped into them. The water can then be used to water plants or wherever it is needed.

The only water waste is the slightly dripping hose, but even it empties into a basin - actually an old feed tray from commercial chicken houses - that the chickens drink from and stand in to cool off. What spills from that creates cool, wet mud that they like to lay on to cool off. Great idea about the gravel BellevueOmlet! We are going to be attaching a outside water nipple system to one of the pump house walls this summer as an additional source of water and I'm going to keep that tip in mind.