Old timers?

[grizz78]

Can someone tell me what my father was doing when he added a cap of clorox bleach to a bucket of water for all his pigeons and chickens? Needless to say that is a question I should have asked him when he was still with me. I know he raised birds all the time mostly pigeons, but many chickens and pheasants and sometims turkeys. I can never remember him losing any birds to disease. I am starting my own chickens and I am putting the bleach in the water but I am wandering as to why he did it. Also he had a way of sexing pigeons with a cork on a copper wire and I can't remember how for sure that worked but one sex went round in circles and the other back and forth.

 

[ChickenToes]

I'm just guessing, but maybe he did that to sanitize the water, killing any germs/bacteria that might make a bird sick.

 

[pipermark]

paper about chlorine

 

[sewchick]

Quote:
The cork thing is like the needle and thread thing with women. I can't really remember but I think you take a needle and thread and run it through your hand lightly so it doesn't move and let it naturally swing back and forth or around circles over the pregnant womans belly. I think the up and down is a boy and circles is a girl. It's just an old tale. Doesn't do anything in my opinion. Old wives tale. Something to gossip with back in the day.

 

[CarlaRiggs]

I'm sure the bleach had something to do with keeping the water clean and varmint free. However, a capful to a bucketful of water seems like too much. Most water today has been 'cleaned' and has various levels of chlorine and what all in it already. Of course, if you're using well water, this might not be the case.

Instead of cleaning the water with bleach, I'd recommend a cleaning of the bucket periodically if you're concerned.

Carla

 

[russ_t]

The chlorine paper is a good reference. I can certainly see the need if you are using well water. I wonder about the necessity if you are public water.

 

[speckledhen]

They're right, he was killing germs in the water with the bleach. The sexing thing is an old myth. You always have a 50/50 chance of being right.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

deleted

 

[NYREDS]

He was doing the same thing most municipal water supplies are doing when they add chorine to water-killing bacteria.
The cork thing I can't help you with.

 

[grizz78]

I use well water as he did so I am going to keep using it as well.