River Water

[nellynelly]

Is river water ok to give chickens? I am not talking about crystal clear mountain water, i am talking about brown sediment laden river water (which gets worse in high/low flows). the sediment is really fine clays, which seem to not settle out. I am sure that some sewage enters the river, but only farms and a small town upriver.

Thank you.

 

[aoxa]

No. Give them fresh water. Why would you want your chickens drinking sewage water?

 

[nellynelly]

it is a remote location in a 3rd world country, "fresh" water is hard to come by. the river is not sewage, but it is common practice to use either septic (poorly designed) or direct discharge of waste into the local water body. so there is waste in the river water. but remember the old saying, "dilution is the solution to pollution". the current system pumps river water into stock pond, which then gets pumped to feed the animals. algae (indication of high nutrients, ie sewage) only become an issue in the stock pond at the end of dry season.

my concern was more the sediment.

thank you for your 2 cents.

 

[aoxa]

it is a remote location in a 3rd world country,  "fresh"  water is hard to come by.  the river is not sewage, but it is common practice to use either septic (poorly designed) or direct discharge of waste into the local water body.  so there is waste in the river water.  but remember the old saying,  "dilution is the solution to pollution".   the current system pumps river water into  stock pond,  which then gets pumped to feed the animals.   algae (indication of high nutrients,  ie sewage)  only become an issue in the stock pond at the end of dry season.

my concern was more the sediment. 

thank you for your 2 cents.

 

You will have issues with E.Coli and many other bacteria that could possibly make your birds ill. If your birds are ill, especially with E.Coli, it can be passed on to you through their eggs or by handling them. Or in my experience, a dog eating their waste and spreading it on to me (bacteria was campylobacter).

If you cleaned the water somehow, yes. Why don't you set up some rain barrels? That would be safer.

If you wouldn't drink the water, the chickens shouldn't. That's my feeling on this situation.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What do wild birds and animals drink there? Do fish and other critters live in the water? I don't know how polluted that water really is. I would guess you are eating the chicken's eggs and maybe use them for meat.

Chickens eat barnyard dirt. Watch them when they are taking a dust bath. They eat dirt. Chickens scratch in and eat poop. A common rotation with pastured chickens is to pasture cattle first, then when they eat the grass down, follow up with chickens to scatter the cow poop and for them to pick nutrients and creepy crawlies out of it. Those chickens are used for eggs and meat.

My chickens prefer to drink from muddy puddles on the ground instead of from clean waterers.

On the farm I grew up on, the animal's water source was a farm pond. It was covered with algae much of the summer. Our milk cow drank that water. Our chickens, used for meat and eggs, drank that water. It did not have human sewage in it but the cattle and horses had access.

I don't know how polluted that water really is so I really can't say for sure one way or the other. I had some college classes in water purification and waste water treatment. I have a great respect for Mother Nature in how she can clean up water if given a chance, especially moving water. I'm not talking just about dilution. She will take care of many live pathogens and remove a lot of "nutrients" from that water if given just a little time. If you have mining activities upstream, that could add some nasty stuff, depending on what type of mine. Heavy metals from mining operations or certain chemicals from manufacturing plants are the ones I'd most be concerned with in the sediments.

That dry season algae bloom could be from dead vegetation in the water as much or more than anything from humans or animals. A big cause some places is from fertilizer runoff. Another cause is animal droppings wahing into the water, whether from pastures or especially feed lots of cattle or hogs or just the rat droppings washing out of storm sewers in cities. It sounds like whatever is there is getting concentrated during the dry season. Or maybe the water just slows down enough that it is stagnant, not getting enough oxygen. There are a whole lot of things I don't know about that specific river or your location on that river relative to other activities.

Without testing the water at different times of the year I don't think anyone can give you a definite accurate answer, but unless I knew of some specific hazard, I personally would not worry about it.

 

[nellynelly]

rainwater would only work in the wet season (and yes, we are installing a small catchment from the coop roof). but the dry season is when the river water quality is worse.

i would not eat out of the compost pile, or cow pie, horse manure, ect, but chickens do it with glee. yes i agree that the water should be "clean", but chickens (jungle fowl) have lived and evolved without the aid of man (or his chlorine).

E.coli is just one micro organism that is all ready present in a chickens digestive track. it is best to wash your hands after handing them anyway.

 

[7L Farm]

Aoxa is giving you good advice. Who knows what other property owners are putting on their land could be poison to kill weeds are god only knows & when it rains everything runs into the river. Water is an important ingredient to keep your chickens healthy & the eggs edible for human consumption. Personally, I wouldn't let my chickens drink your water.

 

[aoxa]

rainwater would only work in the wet season (and yes, we are installing a small catchment from the coop roof).   but the dry season is when the river water quality  is worse. 

i would not eat out of the compost pile, or cow pie, horse manure, ect,  but chickens do it with glee.    yes i agree that the water should be "clean",  but chickens (jungle fowl)  have lived and evolved without the aid of man (or his chlorine).

E.coli is just one micro organism that is all ready present in a chickens digestive track.   it is best to wash your hands after handing them anyway.  

You can do with them what you wish. I'd rather have their food/water clean and free of pollution. My water comes from a well.

You have to realize that we have domesticated the chicken. They are not as hardy as the junglefowl. They fall pray to disease far more than a wild jungle fowl.

E.Coli is present but not a risk in their bodies. Adding water with E.coli present could definitely create a problem.


My chickens drink my duck water, but they still drink mostly clean water.

The dirt in the river is not the problem. It's the sewage you say is a possibility. Chickens don't eat poop. They may pick through cow patty for undigested goods, but they don't gobble down the waste.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

 

[aoxa]

Aoxa is giving you good advice. Who knows what other property owners are putting on their land could be poison to kill weeds are god only knows & when it rains everything runs into the river. Water is an important ingredient to keep your chickens healthy & the eggs edible for human consumption. Personally, I wouldn't let my chickens drink your water.

Thank you. I feel like sanitation is very important in their feed/water. The healthier their diet, the healthier product they produce for us.

 

[JeffOeuf]

If your flock was free ranging, I can promise you that they would drink that water. In fact, I'm pretty confident in saying that they would walk around a dish of processed water to get there.