How often to change water?

[Eggcessive]

I change my water once a day. I put out multiple water stations inside and outside the coop for 50 birds, and then wash and refill will cool water in the afternoon when their water has gotten warm. I use a lot of flat wide pans plus the usual waterers so they can cool their feet in hot weather, and they are in the shade.

 

[Yellowcoop1]

I don't have my coop built and I don't have chickens yet. After reading a lot on here and much more to go, the opinion, for my own self, I have been forming is:

I will be getting a nipple system. Yes it will hold water cleanly, but I plan on replacing it everyday. But if I can't get to it at least I know it's not blocked with a bunch of dirt/hay/pine, etc...

I too was questioning in my mind how water is good after being kept in a bucket for a length of time? Am I missing something? If I change it frequently (once a day) I probably don't need more than 5 gallons for 10-15 hens.

Does that sound right to you guys?

 

[ChaoSS]

I'm by no means opposed to using the nipple watering system. At this point I'm still using the traditional waterers. I still have to carry water to the coop, so in the end what is the difference? My coop is in a temporary spot for now. Once the final landscaping is done in the back yard the coop will have a waterline supplied to it from underground supplying fresh water on a continual basis. Then I will go to the nipple system.

Just an added input here as general comment and not aimed at anyone in particular. If you have water sitting in your nipple system for many days that doesn't mean its fresh even if its cold. Water gets stale. Try tasting your water after 3 days in your waterer compared to water that has just been added. I think theres a big difference.

Thanks for everyones input

Alex

Water is water. So long as isn't getting moldy or getting algae or whatnot in it, it's fine.


Actually, "stale" water may be better, since chlorine tends to evaporate out after sitting for awhile. Not sure what your water is like, but that may well be what you are tasting in your "fresh" water, the chemicals they use to process it.

On the other hand, if you aren't using the right plastics, you may be tasting plastics leaching into it. But that's not "stale" water, it's plastics.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It depends on the system you are using and where it is. If you are using a black bowl in the sun, yeah, that’s going to get really hot. A white bowl in the shade or inside can go a lot longer.

If the water gets dirty from their poop or just from them scratching things in it, that becomes a disease outbreak waiting to happen. The lifecycle of Coccidiosis-causing bugs requires a couple of days to go through the phase where it becomes infective, but other things may not. If it gets dirty change it absolutely every two days and every day is so much better. Don’t just add more water to the bowl, dump it out. They need clean water.

Mosquitoes will lay eggs in any water they can get to. Even if your water is pristine, if mosquitoes can get to it they can lay eggs in it. Different types of mosquito wigglers have different times for developing and that depends on water temperature too, but no matter how clean it is I’d change it every few days to stop from breeding mosquitoes.

 

[Alex41]

Water is water. So long as isn't getting moldy or getting algae or whatnot in it, it's fine.


Actually, "stale" water may be better, since chlorine tends to evaporate out after sitting for awhile. Not sure what your water is like, but that may well be what you are tasting in your "fresh" water, the chemicals they use to process it.

On the other hand, if you aren't using the right plastics, you may be tasting plastics leaching into it. But that's not "stale" water, it's plastics.

I can't agree that water is water. Fresh water from the faucet is as good as water that has sat for days in warm temperatures?

I have a well so no chlorine is in the water.

I keep hearing over and over how chickens need FRESH water. If you wouldn't drink it then you should change it. Hence the reason for beginning this thread.

 

[ChaoSS]

If it isn't growing anything and isn't leaching plastics I'd drink it happily. Your well doesn't magically create water, that water has been sitting around for quite some time in the ground.