Trying the penny method...

[bobbi-j]

Has anyone heard of putting a penny (or pennies) in your waterer or stock tank to prevent algae growth? My mom read about it somewhere, tried it, and says it works. So, after scrubbing the algae out of my plastic 7-gal. waterer today, I put a few pennies in it to see if it works. With the heat and humidity, the algae sure does develop quickly.

 

[1shelby1]

Haven't heard of using a penny,but the best thing I've used is apple cider vinegar(ACV).If you can get some with the 'mother' in it(usually organic-it has the stuff that sits on the bottom until shaken up).Water stays clear,until fill up.This should be used only with non metalic waterers.

 

[hennyannie]

Gonna try this penny thing, sounds like a quick fix.
I may also get the vinegar.
Is it the kind you buy at the health food store that
is good for high blood pressure?

 

[clayhill]

But, my chickens don't have high-blood pressure.

lol

 

[ReikiStar]

Just a thought...back in the day pennies had more copper in them, now they are some nickel based alloy. I'm thinking today's pennies might now work in the same way older pennies did.

We use ACV as well.

 

[ninabeast]

I have been doing the penny thing for seven weeks and it works! I'm not going to say the water is fresh from the spring on day three, but it definitely has worked for me.

ETA: I read one should use pennies from 1965-1985, or thereabouts, as they have the highest copper content. I haven't changed my pennies in seven weeks, although they're looking a little worse for their service...

 

[IowaHeritage]

Yep, use them in a bird bath where it takes bout 20 pennies to work,, also in stock tankns where it takes many many more, but it sure does work.

 

[Mrs. K]

My husband will use a copper pipe in the stock tank. I had not thought of pennies. will start digging.

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Mrs. K :

My husband will use a copper pipe in the stock tank. I had not thought of pennies. will start digging.

The vinegar (we use white distilled) also helps with fly control. The animals that drink it put off an smell and taste that flies don't like. I can always tell when we haven't been putting the vinegar in the water because we have more flies.

My husband puts pennies, in water in a ziplock bag and hangs them in the barn. Supposedly, it controls flies but I hate to tell him, it doesn't!