Odor coming from heated waterer

[earl1704]

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

 

[MissChick@dee]

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.

 

[PirateGirl]

Do you put ACV in your water? This can react with the metal and should only be used in a plastic or ceramic waterer.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If the water fount is plastic or glass, you can put ACV in it which should help tremendously. If it is metal, try using hydrogen peroxide for disinfecting rather than bleach.

 

[earl1704]

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.

 

[MissChick@dee]

My bad.

Smelly water is kinda scary.
Might need to test that.

 

[Celeste Cannon]

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.

 

[SueT]

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.

 

[ChickNanny13]

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.

 

[JDGreene]

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.