Urgent - Has anyone on here successfully collected and used rainwater for their chickens/geese/guinea fowl/quail?

[Sono]

Collecting gutter water, use a screen at an angle as it will naturally wash/filter the water to keep debris out of the barrel. Set at a 45 degree angle, the water will filter through and as well wash the screen off as debris collects on it. Very simple and easy to do, then have an overflow from top of barrel to run access water away or into a secondary barrel.
This shows the screen flat which wont self clean.... put the screen on a 45 degree angle

 

[Lilbitsnpieces]

ALL my roofs collect rain...from house down to smallest pens..I've improved over the years depending on where it is. The.350 gallon totes by garage/garden have covers over gutters..as water is mainly for watering plants..gutters off chicken coop have covers..foam inserts,charcoal then sand before filtering into barrels..same setup as my main. Water can be used as is..or if necessary for human consumption I do boil...
I add appropriate amount of bleach..into barrels to sanitize..
Also of note..my barrels are on their SIDES..not standin..and TILTED at a sight angle forward to help with flow..I use them on sides as each barrel can be capped. For when I clean..so 3 stacked could run into one below ect...I've also ran them into barrel next too in a line..for much bigger system I had in Montana...10 in each row.. 4 rows high..yes you must built a framing but water collected was a life saver til well drilled...

 

[HenryNHenrietta]

I’ve had success using rain barrels as well. My dad rigged up some barrels behind my chicken coop, catching the rain from the gutters. He used food grade 300gallon barrels… I believe he paid $20-$50 for them. They do look nicer than the blue/white 300 gallon barrels( but the blue ones he got for free)He had screen catchers and filters on each. It was very convenient except when it got too cold and the water froze. But other than that they worked great.

My dad also installed 20 rain barrels for my moms garden. The water was collected off the garage roof. Once all the barrels were filled it was very rare that we had to use city water. And if you set the barrels up right you can easily water your garden/chickens with a hose.

 

[LoneOak]

I built my water system way back in 2013 and it works just as good now as it did then. It is not nearly as neat and clean as it was back then though. I very seldom have to add water and I have a drain in the bottom I flush it out with occasionally. Luckily here in Mid Ga we have very few freezing days but if we do I have left a couple pvc joints with just a push fit so if they freeze they just pop apart instead of busting. I tote water for a couple days and wait on everything to thaw out then put it back together.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

Property came with a 350g tank. at the lowest point. I add bleach when it gets icky but have used that water for chickens, plants, dogs, horses, cats, for 14y now? Take off my socks, count twice but think it's been 14y in March... Have new gutters so it fills faster. Remind myself to TURN THE SPIGOT OFF when I fill jugs. Thunderstorm replaced what I, uh, recently...uh, Y e a h....

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

How much do you add when you do? Thx,

Double check but I think they say 3 tsps per gallon? That may be a bit rich....Search for sterilizing water...

 

[WylieCoyote]

Our well is having trouble this summer and we need to find another way the water our garden and flock fast. I know you can use rainwater for the garden but has anyone had success on here with their flock? I can't find many people on here who do it, so I just want to make sure it's safe. And if you have had success, would you mind sharing how you collect/store the water and keep it clean? Thx,

Rain water is good for everything. We have three barrels and a 2000 liter water tank that is filled by rain water. Most of the time it is used for watering the plants. Because if you think about it your well water is filled by the rains as well. The chickens will drink water from a lot of places where water collects. There no need to filter water for the chickens, not unless you want to. If you use a rain barrel or some other type of barrel, make sure it blocks the UV rays from the sun, other wise you will get algae build up. And algae is bad for chickens. Our rains barrels are open on the top, so a lot of leaves and things do fall in it. But our 2000 liter water tank is pretty much concealed. I had to use an old nylon stocking to catch debris from the drain pipe of our rain gutters. There are you tube channels that shows different ways to catch rain water and how to store it.

 

[Banana01]

It is not an easy thing to count only on rainwater. Many of the replies here are oversimplifying by stating you just buy a barrel and catch water. It works really good but can you count on it as an urgent source for your flock? Maybe, but it takes time and depends on how much volume you can collect.

Filtered water is better than rainwater. But if you just want to have barrels filling up with roof run off, each barrell can supply enough water for a week. You only get into sanitizing issues if you store water a long time.

You may want to look into other solutions to your problem. You can consider a natural pond with a filter that collects rainwater. Or you can consider a water tank that either you have water delivered from the outside (expensive) or can use a pump to fill with clean water.

 

[Bonnieboo]

Best fresh water eva!

 

[BDutch]

A warning: a friend on a Dutch forum used a big barrel with collected water for her chickens. One day they got sick and many died after a stupidity.

Her story translated by google:
I want to share what I've had in the past 2 weeks: no matter how long you have chickens, mistakes happen and the consequences of that, well, they are not always pleasant.
I have lost a large number of chickens due to a botulism infection.
Symptoms: diarrhoea, lethargy, decreased leg, sometimes combined with respiratory infection or twisted neck.
Cause: standing water in combination with hot and humid weather. In my case, the contamination came from the concrete pit in which I collect rainwater.
My chickens drink rainwater for a large part of the year, without any problems.
It just had to work out that in my haste in the morning or by my helpful husband who saw that the drinking bucket was empty, the well was quickly refilled. The water passes through a pump, which also filters, but apparently not all.
With disastrous consequences.
A total of 23 animals died as a result of the disease or its complications.
Through the Ver I got antibiotics that mainly works on the intestines, which has prevented worse.
The remaining ladies are recovering well, are pooping normally again and are happily wandering around.
The hens are happy again with their foster offspring, as their own chicks unfortunately also fell victim to this mistake.
Did I make a mistake? Yes. I am a human. Unfortunately that happens.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that in hot weather it is important to check the drinking water quality and to regularly clean/disinfect the towers.
Especially for those who also depend on well water or rain barrels on the allotments.
It has been a hard lesson for me, that's why I share this with you.