Rusty waterer okay?

[willheveland]

Quote:
OK, on further reading I stand slightly corrected in that it seems the cadmium in galvanized coatings is more problematic than the zinc.

My main point stands, however. Both move from galvanized coatings into water when the pH is low, e.g. if you have naturally very acidic water or (as being discussed) if you use something real acidic in a galvanized waterer. Cadmium concentrations in water (also zinc, etcetera) can reach toxic concentrations this way (people have been poisoned, albeit nonfatally, by lemonade stored overnight in a galvanized container. Hence the perpetual warnings in animal science literature not to use acid additives (ACV, copper sulfate, etc) in combination with galvanized waterers.

I don't think anyone said rust was harmful in a nutritional sense -- however serious rusty areas can be sharp enough to cut.

Pat

good post,since ACV is good for your birds and copper sulfates are in many medications,I guess more reason to stay away from metal waterers. Will

 

[Chicken Salad]

Well, this is from a person who doesn't have her chickens yet...but no animal of mine is gonna eat/drink out of something I wouldn't eat or drink out of. My dog gets a clean bowl every day for both food and water - just pick up the bowls and give them a quick scrub in the sink, dry the food bowl and fill. It's all in what habit you get into.

My kids used to just dump food into the used food dish and top off the water when it had "backwash" in it...and I got on them - telling THEM to drink out of that dish since they thought it was okay for the dog to drink.

That's just me.

 

[Ellen T]

I chucked my chicken waterer when it got rusty.

That said, it was probably a stupid thing to do. We used galvanized waterline installed in the 50's for our domestic water for umpteen years, and it was quite rusted out when it was finally replaced. So I'm sure there was PLENTY of rust in the water.

And just look how I turned out. Yeah, chuck the waterer.