Putting a piece of Copper in water to stop Algae growth?

[chickeman]

A friend recently told me that you can put a piece of copper in your water and it will help stop algae from growing. I tried looking it up on google but couldn't find anything specifically about it. Has anyone else heard of doing this? Does it work? Could it pose any health risks to chickens?

 

[dirtdoctor]

So what is the benefit to just washing your waterer? fresh water is better than slimey alge water. Just scrub it and refresh the water.

 

[WingingIt]

I've always put a few pennies in our birdbath to keep it from growing. It works.

 

[bwknight877]

if you put pennies in, be sure to use pennies dated 1962-1982, which are 95% copper

modern pennies are only 2.5% copper plated

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cent_(United_States_coin)#History_of_composition

 

[3goodeggs]

Years ago my dad threw a penny in the dogs water bucket. It didn't have algae, until the copper wore off the penny and it was just zinc. But then the dogs probably didn't get a sore throat. I do no know why we do not do it now. Read up on ACV (apple cider vinegar) there are a lot of posts on it for use in the water. Supposed to be good all around...I don't know why we don't do that either. (because the husband is a non believer, that's why.)

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I've heard of putting a Silver coin in a pitcher of milk stops it from souring when left out.

 

[natrgatr]

Bottom paint on boats contains copper to inhibit algae growth. Zinc anodes on boats are sacrificial and wear away from stray electric currents before more noble metals (like iron or steel). Zinc strips are also used on roofs to stop moss from growing. I would put a piece of scrap copper pipe in the water bowl. That should work.

 

[crooked stripe]

Quote:
It is funny that one go's to all the trouble to supply clean drinking water, chip free feed and clean grit and when you turn around they end up eating dirt, scooping water as it runs down hill through the dirt and prefers eating sand instead of the grit. Sometimes I wander why I go through all the trouble.

 

[marymac]

I doubt if the algae hurts them. the mosquito larva is protein for them but bad for us. Chickens probably eat any thing that won't eat them and I don't think they are very fussy about their water, although mine get clean water every day, they still drink crappy water when they find it.

 

[LVVCHAP]

Getting back to the copper - I just put a penny in the dog's outside water dish, two pennies in the birdbath and a copper fitting in the chickens water. I guess I'll have to wait and see now. Hope it works.