those of you who put out large amounts of stored water

[Mrs. K]

How do you keep it from getting green and scummy? I have got a 3-4 gallon container with nipples. I like this cause in the summer, they are never without water. Very important in the heat. But today, I looked and it is beginning to bubble and has green chunks in it.

Mrs K

 

[ezeo]

does it have a lid? you can also add a capful of ACV or oxine to prevent green scum.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I've never had algae/moss/scum growth in my waterers. My waterers are covered and kept in the shade, and the waterer walls are also fully opaque (surprisingly hard to find), so no light getting in = no algae growth.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I find shade helps a lot. And additives, like ACV.

I have white bucket waterers, but I plan to switch to black for this exact concern.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

How do you keep it from getting green and scummy? I have got a 3-4 gallon container with nipples. I like this cause in the summer, they are never without water. Very important in the heat. But today, I looked and it is beginning to bubble and has green chunks in it.

Mrs K

I have a rain barrel that is opaque and stays pretty clean. It helps that water goes in/out of that pretty fast and it sometimes empties completely. I also have two five gallon bucks with horizontal nipples for bigger birds, and a half gallon bucket with vertical nipples for chicks. I bought these preassembled, and they came with translucent plastic. These will grow algae, so even though they’re not empty, I dump them every 1-2 weeks, spray inside with a bleach/soap solution, especially the bottom that’s most likely to grow algae, let sit a few minutes, scrub with a dedicated brush, then rinse well. That keeps the algae to a minimum, never more than a little bit of green film around the bottom where the nipples are located.

 

[perchie.girl]

You can paint the containers and keep them in the shade. actually you should keep them in the shade any way because the water gets hot....

I dont use fountans or nipple waterers though.... I use black water tubs filled with water from the water source.... using Tank floats.... yep they walk in it they mess in it they scratch dirt in it... But Dumping it and scrubbing is an easy task. when done cleaning just lay it uprite to fill and off to the next waterer.

It gets 100+ here in the summer... ALL my waterers are in the shade... Except the horse and goats. They are deep water tanks and the first inch gets warm but under neath the next 90 gallons are cool.... yep there is algae... But no foam. I keep gold fish in each of those tanks for algae duty. Scrubbing and cleaning is a one or two month chore.... easy to do but a mess.

deb

 

[Cyprus]

Cover and keep in the shade. Or 1 drop per gal of oxine. Safe to drink. Kills everything.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Mine are orange home depot buckets horizontal nipples will never have others again buckets covered scrubbed once a year but never green and in the coop no direct sunlight

 

[Mosey2003]

Cover and keep in the shade. Or 1 drop per gal of oxine. Safe to drink. Kills everything.

This.

Don't add vinegar in the summer, it disrupts calcium intake and that's important when they're hot and panting.

 

[AmyJane725]

does it have a lid? you can also add a capful of ACV or oxine to prevent green scum.

Don't add ACV to nipple waterers. It's reacts with the metal in the nipples. (This is what I have been told)