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Red "stuff" in the water

Discussion in 'Feeding & Watering Your Flock' started by PaPa Charlie, Dec 12, 2012.

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  1. Dec 12, 2012 #1
    PaPa Charlie

    PaPa Charlie Out Of The Brooder

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    I have been noticing some red stuff in the chickens water fount for a few weeks now. We use a plastic 5 gallon water fount that hangs. Our water comes from well water that is filtered and runs through a softener. At first I thought that the red stuff was some sort of algae, but the red stuff kind of collects at the bottom of the water reservoir like a cloud. I now think that the red stuff could be iron separating from the water. Is this a problem for the chickens? I want to put a few drops of bleach in the water. Can chickens handle the weak bleach?

    Charlie
     
  3. Dec 12, 2012 #2
    ChickensAreSweet

    ChickensAreSweet Heavenly Grains for Hens

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    Last edited: Dec 12, 2012
  5. Dec 12, 2012 #3
    triplepurpose

    triplepurpose Chillin' With My Peeps

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    I'd skip the bleach. Especially if you don't know that it's algae. Besides, bleach is going to do more harm than any algae would anyway IMHO, so why go there? :)
     
  7. Dec 13, 2012 #4
    ChickensAreSweet

    ChickensAreSweet Heavenly Grains for Hens

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    Pacific NW- where the Douglas Firs grow
    Oh I forgot to mention that rust iron isn't digestible by people. I'd assume it was the same for chickens???
     

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