Thechickenchick2
Songster
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!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.