Odor coming from heated waterer

earl1704

In the Brooder
Jul 14, 2015
2
1
32
Last year I noticed an odor coming from my heated 8 gal waterer. I have cleaned it every two or three days with bleach, bought a new waterer, and submerged the waterer in the bathtub with bleach in the tub water but the odor keeps coming back. Is there anything I can put in the water/waterer to kill the odor? It was 9 degrees here this morning so it's kind of hard to scrub the waterer every two days. I think it's something in the food I feed them is contaminating the water but it is great for getting them to lay during the winter. The waterers are galvanized any thoughts or solutions? Thanks .................Earl
 
I had a galvanized waterer, not a heated one, that developed an odor I couldn't get rid of, tried everything. A smell like something had died in it. It had rusted some and I figured the rust had allowed bacteria to permeate the surface. I quit using it.
 
Last edited:
What is smelling, the waterer or water?

Where do you get your water, well or piped?
If it's piped, call whomever you get your water from & ask if they add chemicals to it. Could be chemical reaction between the waterer vs heat.

Have you tried tasting the water?
Sounds gross but I'm on city water, got a new garden hose out back & notice the water smelled & was bubbly. I tasted it & it had a "new plastic" taste, never had that issue with the old hose. It's been a few months, still having to fill water at the utility sink in the garage & will continue until that smell/taste goes away.
 
Bleach will rust galvanized steal. It ruins the metal. A nylon brush or scrub pad and a little Dawn is good to use. I threw mine away after I ruined it. I now use plastic. I will not bleach these because they are a porris surface and it will ruin the seal of the surface.
 
Last edited:
What is smelling, the waterer or water?

Where do you get your water, well or piped?
If it's piped, call whomever you get your water from & ask if they add chemicals to it. Could be chemical reaction between the waterer vs heat.

Have you tried tasting the water?
Sounds gross but I'm on city water, got a new garden hose out back & notice the water smelled & was bubbly. I tasted it & it had a "new plastic" taste, never had that issue with the old hose. It's been a few months, still having to fill water at the utility sink in the garage & will continue until that smell/taste goes away.

I am on a well and drink the water I give to the chickens about everyday so Im sure its not the water. It also comes straight from the faucet (no hose) since we are freezing here now. Not sure I want to taste the water from the waterer although the chickens don't seem to mind, I'm just worried it may make them sick at some point. Thanks for you input.
 
I think it always happens unless you have a hose always filling it with new water. Its the same thing that happens to a pool with no chlorine, it'll grow algae/ mold stuff that smells when confined in the waterer. The chickens should be fine, but it sucks that it smells. If you end up finding a cure for the smell let me know.
 
What does it smell like?

You mean you bought a new waterer and it started smelling too? How long before it began to smell?

Put water into a plastic bowl and set it somewhere in your house where nothing can get in it then see if it too stinks later on.
 
What does it smell like?

You mean you bought a new waterer and it started smelling too? How long before it began to smell?

Put water into a plastic bowl and set it somewhere in your house where nothing can get in it then see if it too stinks later on.

Its just because the water is in a container and theres no where for air to come in. It wouldn't happen if its in a bowl because theres access to air. It happens, waterers stink.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom