Untreated Dug Well Water

[Thechickenchick2]

We have the same issue, kind of.
And no, if the water has coliform bacteria in it, they can get very sick, and/or die.
This sickness can, and has wiped out entire chicken farms.
What has been recommended by the avian health labs, is to chlorinate the water. Any silt in it would not hurt them, but the coliform bacteria will.
The chlorination recipe I got from WSU avian health here in Washinton state, was to use 2 cups of unscented houshold bleach (pure bleach with no additives) in 1 gallon of water.
Save this & label it "solution".
From this "solution" you add 1 Tablespoon per gallon of drinking water for well birds...and 2 Tablespoons per gallon of drinking water, for sick birds.
So, in other words, mix the solution, set it some place no one will accidently use it as drinking water !
And add the required Tablespoons to the bird's water.
Try not to use it on galvinized metal, other than that, we add the amounts needed to the water fonts we have (plastic) or plastic pails and all is well.......but we did have birds get sick & die a few years ago, and necropsy showed they had died from coliform bacteria, and that is how I got this recipe.

We just got word that our well water has small traces of Caliform bacteria in it. We had a tree fall during a wind storm which cracked our well cap and let bacteria in it. We “shocked” our water so this won’t be an issue for much longer but is there a way we can treat the birds considering they have had plenty of it to drink while contaminated? Do we have to wait for signs? What are the signs? Thanks so much!

 

[Chickielady]

It depends, what kind of coliform bacteria did the test say ?
There are many kinds of coliform bacteria and most won't hurt the birds, after all they drink out of muddy pools on the ground all the time.
And remember, antibiotics will not help.
If they showed signs of getting ill, just make sure they have chlorinated water now. I but I don't think they will, Good Luck !

 

[Thechickenchick2]

It depends, what kind of coliform bacteria did the test say ?
There are many kinds of coliform bacteria and most won't hurt the birds, after all they drink out of muddy pools on the ground all the time.
And remember, antibiotics will not help.
If they showed signs of getting ill, just make sure they have chlorinated water now. I but I don't think they will, Good Luck !

I’m not sure what kind- I don’t remember at least. What would signs of illness be?

 

[lazy gardener]

They would act sick, perhaps ruffled feathers, not moving well, not eating well.

 

[Thechickenchick2]

They would act sick, perhaps ruffled feathers, not moving well, not eating well.

I have a chick that has been sick for a few weeks now. Constantly dilated pupils, sick looking and acting.. just the chlorinated water should help her if that’s the case?

 

[lazy gardener]

Not likely.

 

[Chickielady]

My birds with cholibacciliosis did not have any dialated pupils, what they had was "pump-handle" respiration and air sacculitis. It effected their nasal passages, snotty beaks & constantly whipping their heads to fling snot out would make brown droplets on each side of their heads, sneezing (due to the snot) and weakness, eventually blue combs (Cyanosis)
I think it due mainly to me going crazy trying one antibiotic after another to 'cure' the illness, when in fact the antibiotics sort of suppress the immunal system, and the choliform bacteria can then fliurish.
No antibiotic will help !
The best thing I did was to STOP giving them any antibacterials (it was hard !!) and chlorinated their water.
Recipe given to me by the Avian health Lab at WSU in Puyallup, WA:
2 cups household pure chloring bleach (no scented or "cleaning bleach which has soap !)
put the 2 cups of pure bleach in a 1 gallon container & LABEL in big letters !!!
It should say "SOLUTION"
Add water to fill, cap & keep in dark area, sunlight can kill off Bleach quickly.
From this "SOLUTION" jug, you add 1 Tablespoon per gallon of drinking water for WELL (Healthy) birds, and 2 Tablespoons per gallon of drinking water for ill birds.
Chlorine is mainly a gas...and will dissipate quickly.
It can also raise issues with galvinized drinking fonts, so I use plastic.
I still water my birds this way today.
We have a "Dosatron" that injects Chlorine into our well water as it pumps, and is stored in 1000 gal. tanks, so I add from my solution jug when I water the birds.
They can get a good glaze of "biofilm" on their fonts, too...a slime of micro organisms you may have noticed, this should be washed off on occasion.
Hope this helps.
I no longer give any of my birds antibiotics.