Mystery; How Is My Chickens Water Disappearing?

[-Flash-]

Okay, so this has happened three times so far.
My chickens drink out of a 10 litre green (the colour isn't actually relevant) bucket. But, three times after I've fill it up the water has disappeared, I'll give a more... detailed description down below.

So each time, I would empty the chooks water to clean it, then I'd fill it back up, I would watch the water slowly rise and then I'd go turn the tap off. I wouldn't bother to take the hose out. Then a few hours later- today it was only two and half- it would be empty except for a few centimetres of water. It is winter, the temperatures- when it as happened- were in the 20ies- Celsius. What on earth is going on? And it has only happened three times, and I've cleaned the water bucket and it hasn't emptied.

 

[DobieLover]

Okay, so this has happened three times so far.
My chickens drink out of a 10 litre green (the colour isn't actually relevant) bucket. But, three times after I've fill it up the water has disappeared, I'll give a more... detailed description down below.

So each time, I would empty the chooks water to clean it, then I'd fill it back up, I would watch the water slowly rise and then I'd go turn the tap off. I wouldn't bother to take the hose out. Then a few hours later- today it was only two and half- it would be empty except for a few centimetres of water. It is winter, the temperatures- when it as happened- were in the 20ies- Celsius. What on earth is going on? And it has only happened three times, and I've cleaned the water bucket and it hasn't emptied.

Are you disconnecting the hose from the hose bib and just leaving the other end in the bucket?

 

[littledog]

If you're leaving the hose in the chickens' bucket, it could be as the temperature gets colder, the water volume in the hose is shrinking, and sucking water back into the hose from the bucket.

 

[DobieLover]

If you're leaving the hose in the chickens' bucket, it could be as the temperature gets colder, the water volume in the hose is shrinking, and sucking water back into the hose from the bucket.

That would be difficult to do if the other end was still connected to the hose bib.
A 50' long hose with an inner diameter of 0.75" will only hold 1.15 gallons of water. It can't shrink enough to pull back into a hose already full of water.
If the house end of the hose was either disconnected or loosened and that end was lower than the end in the bucket, it would create a syphon and drain the bucket.

 

[Geckolady]

Put a newspaper or piece of cardboard underneath it to check for a leak. There may be a small crack or hole there that you can't see.

 

[Swbertrand1]

Photos of your setup would be helpful. If you're using a nipple/drip type or even a cup delivery system for the water from the bucket to the birds, these have a check-valve in them that often gets dirt in it preventing the seal from stopping additional water flow.

We have had this issue from time to time, and all we have to do is pull the cup (we use a little drinking cups around a 5 gal bucket), clean the seals, then reinstall - it takes maybe 10 minutes to do all 7 cups.

Again, a photo of two of your setup would paint a better picture.

 

[-Flash-]

Photos of your setup would be helpful. If you're using a nipple/drip type or even a cup delivery system for the water from the bucket to the birds, these have a check-valve in them that often gets dirt in it preventing the seal from stopping additional water flow.

We have had this issue from time to time, and all we have to do is pull the cup (we use a little drinking cups around a 5 gal bucket), clean the seals, then reinstall - it takes maybe 10 minutes to do all 7 cups.

Again, a photo of two of your setup would paint a better picture.

It's just a bucket, nothing special. I'll try to get some photos.

 

[-Flash-]

Put a newspaper or piece of cardboard underneath it to check for a leak. There may be a small crack or hole there that you can't see.

Yeah, I thought so as well, but the problem about that, is that it is only happening occasionally.

 

[-Flash-]

Are you disconnecting the hose from the hose bib and just leaving the other end in the bucket?

If you're leaving the hose in the chickens' bucket, it could be as the temperature gets colder, the water volume in the hose is shrinking, and sucking water back into the hose from the bucket.

That would be difficult to do if the other end was still connected to the hose bib.

A 50' long hose with an inner diameter of 0.75" will only hold 1.15 gallons of water. It can't shrink enough to pull back into a hose already full of water.
If the house end of the hose was either disconnected or loosened and that end was lower than the end in the bucket, it would create a syphon and drain the bucket.

Nope, the hose was still connected to the tap. And the temperature stayed the same, didn't get colder, or warmer.
And the tap end of the hose isn't lower than the end in the bucket, it is higher.

 

[Swbertrand1]

Yeah, I thought so as well, but the problem about that, is that it is only happening occasionally.

With a hairline crack in a flexible material, you run the risk of opening that crack more or less each time the bucket is moved, filled, emptied, etc.
Maybe you should just try a new bucket with no known issues...