How to keep large barrel of water for the chickens sanitized?

[Rowsdower]

My understanding is, if the container is sealed, the chlorine has no place to go. an open container will dissipate, but a closed system will retain it. For example, I chlorinate my water when storing it, but even a year plus later don't re-chlorinate it before drinking.

x2 Chlorine will generally evaporate out in 24 hours in an open system. In a closed system, it should stay put.

 

[WthrLady]

I'm on a well, and in a closed bucket I can still grow slime. I use oxine in my chicken waterer now instead of bleach.

 

[porters4]

Hi well its not entirely sealed I have the lid very loosely on to allow air to go into the barrel... I could be wrong but if it was sealed off wouldn't it stop feeding the nipples kinda like putting your finger on the end of a straw if that makes since? So I guess my next question would be if the chlorine would stay in the water or "gas off" through the vent? Thanks for your time and input!

 

[porters4]

I haven't heard of Oxine what dosage do you use for your chicken drinking water? I kinda wonder how much chlorine is in my city water since my plastic chicken waterers get real slimy also and those are sealed off...

 

[pdirt]

Since you are city water, your container is stored in the shade and the water is not sitting in there for months, I would say you should be good to go without additional treatments. You might consider cleaning out and swishing some diluted bleach around inside and rinse out each time you fill up with fresh water.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Copper Sulfate, the active ingredient in most alga-cides is highly dangerous to the livers and kidneys of all animals, but especially to the livers of chickens. Copper-sulfate is one of those big bad chemicals that is used in the electroplating of chrome bumpers. Don't put it into your chickens H2O. I know that a goldfish and that a white leghorn physiologically are radically different, but 0.1 ppm of copper sulfate is enough to turn a goldfish belly up.

To be an effective algacide vinegar must be used at somewhere approaching 2.5% of total water volume or about as acidic as a jar of sauerkraut or dill pickles. On one hand we read about vinegar being useful to prevent the growth of micro organisms like alga, and in the next sentence vinegar is touted as a sure fired way to start or inoculate the growth of some of the same one celled micro-organisms. What is a poor boy or girl to believe? This vinegar stuff must truly be a miracle material because it seems to me that vinegar is capable of reading the chicken keepers mind and then acting according to the keeper's needs and wishes without input from the keeper.

This is before we consider the corrosive effect that that both Copper Sulfate and vinegar has on steel, the stuff that the springs in nipple and cup waters are made from.

http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9923597

 

[Egg lady cheryl]

I like your setup... my son made me something similar but water catchment off the roof with gutters. I'm going to use ACV. Good luck!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I like your setup... my son made me something similar but water catchment off the roof with gutters. I'm going to use ACV. Good luck!

The only thing using ACV does is alter the pH, to select for different bacteria, slimes, molds, etc. It is NOT an effective sanitizer.

I use a water catch off a roof as well, to fill a 275 gallon tote. Doesn't make the chickens sick. Once a year I empty, bleach, scrub, refill. That said, my roof is located where leaves don't accumulate on it, so the water entering is mostly water, a bit of dust, some pollen. And I use (mechanical) filtration.

Also, this thread is roughly 7 years old, unlikely you your comment will be seen by the original posters.

 

[Lizzy733]

Make sure you're not using acv in any waterers that come in contact with metal. You may want to look into water purification tablets for livestock troughs. We haven't gotten too deep into it yet, but our whole farm is on roof collection.

With it being protected from sun exposure though, you shouldn't have much of an issue. Our only sources that go green are those that have some level of sun exposure.