Rusty Galvinized waterer

[ladybug99]

I started this hobby of Chickens about a year ago.. when the girls got big enough I bought a nice little galvinized waterer for them. I went to clean it out this weekend and found it to be completely rusted on the inside. The chickens don't seem to mind that it is rusty but I do!!! Are these things suppose to rust in under one year....or at all??? I paid a good penny for it and would like to complain to the company.. but I don't want them to think I am a total ass if it is common for these things to rust out like that. When moving dirt around on our property we found galvinized buckets buried under three feet of soil with out a speck of rust on them.. they had been there over 30 years we were told. I have only put water in it and nothing else.. why would it rust like that??? Any one else have issues with rust???

 

[Stacykins]

I just bought a galvanized waterer, so I'll tell you in a year!

But rust itself is unsightly, but not harmful to your birds. Though it'll eventually corrode all the way through. Your girls are getting a bit of an iron supplement when they drink the water coming into contact with the rust. Not enough to OD them. Kind of like cooking in cast iron can add a bit of iron to food.

 

[quintinp]

i have a galvanized feeder, and it was left in the ground for almost a year, and it hasn't got rusted, and it was way old when i bought it

 

[ErinG]

I don't think it should have rusted that fast. Do you clean it with bleach? That can cause it to corrode. If not, maybe there is something in your water that is eating away at the metal. I would not use a rusty waterer, I don't think iron is the problem so much as zinc. It can cause toxicity issues for chickens. I am going off what I have read on other posts, but I was given a rusty waterer, was all ready to use it, but after doing some research on here decided it wasn't worth it and tossed it in the garbage. Lame, because they are expensive!

 

[ladybug99]

It actually rusted from one water change to another.. about two days... we do have well water here so maybe there is something going on with our water but I don't see rust anywhere else. I have never cleaned it with bleach either. I am going to contact Little Giant, the maker of it and see what they have to say... I did pay a lot of money for it because I expected it to last for a long time. I just bought them a three gallon waterer.. and they love it.

 

[33yardbirds]

I had one 25yrs ago and it never rusted, I bought one last year and with in a month it started to rust. As much as I don't like plastic I changed all the waters to plastic. The Galvo one now resides at the Twp Dump.

 

[Cadjien_De_Louisiane]

Hm yea I learned the hard way I used bleach in my water in a galvanized pan and it rusted in a couple days.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

we do have well water here so maybe there is something going on with our water

Galvanized metal won't rust unless the zinc coating is penetrated.

If you can wipe off the "rust" and see zinc underneath, you've probably got a lot of iron in your water that is leaving the reddish deposits.

If it IS really rusting, you can paint it​

 

[A.T. Hagan]

It could be that it had a defective galvanizing job on the inside that led to the rust. I use LG waterers and can generally get four or five years before I have to do anything about rust. I'd contact them about it.

You didn't perchance use vinegar in the waterer did you?

 

[ladybug99]

No vinager in the water and the rust doesn't wipe off... chickens won't drink from it now that they have thier plastic waterer....LOL....maybe I can get Little giant to send me a coupon for another 3 gallon waterer for my new flock of ladies and I can make a planter out of my galvinized one....