Water gets stinky quick!?

[cbehr]

Hello everyone, pretty new to chickens here.. They are about 9 weeks old and were moved outside a few weeks back. All 4 are doing well but I need some solution to keeping water for a few days when we go away.

I use a water system like the one below and it is in their coop. It doesn't appear they are pooping in it but it seems within 24-36 hours it stinks when I take it inside to wash with soap and water and refill. I need some sort of watering system that lasts a few days as we go away for the weekend quite often during the summer.

Do I buy/build a bucket type system with the drinking cups, will that stay cleaner longer for them? Also read today about adding ACV to the water so I'll grab some at lunch(does it really have to be organic/unfiltered?)

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Also read today about adding ACV to the water so I'll grab some at lunch(does it really have to be organic/unfiltered?)

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

If you want the probiotic benefit of acv... YES it really has to be RAW with Mother... which is unfiltered... organic is irrelevant. I don't buy all the hype though!

Raising it to the level of their back might help keep it cleaner longer if they are scratching muck into it by chance.

Hope you have a nice get away.

 

[getaclue]

When mine get big enough that I'm sure they won't drown, I switch over to a bucket. It stays cleaner, and is easier to keep clean.

 

[danceswithronin]

When mine get big enough that I'm sure they won't drown, I switch over to a bucket. It stays cleaner, and is easier to keep clean.

I use a gravity waterer with a high lip on the bowl for the same reason - it's hard for them to kick stuff into, and I can quickly pick it up and dump the water in the bottom of the bowl if it gets dirty while still leaving the water in the gravity well clean. So it just refills with clean water.

 

[SueT]

Nipple waterers keep water clean at all times. No more stinky water! you can buy the nipples and a bucket and do it yourself fairly easily and cheaply.

 

[Acre4Me]

Nipples on a 5gallon bucket always a good idea. Keep it out of sunlight to minimize growth of certain things. Keep it cool (out of sun at least).

My neighbor adds a bit of bleach (chlorine) to his bucket. Stays clean and birds still drink well. For my flock, We have a fair amount of shade, but one waterer is in the sun in the earlier morning time, but it seems to stay clean (it is a large, open galvanized dish). The waterer like you have pictured and own, we have also just purchased. It’s so new I can’t comment on how clean it will stay.

We had quail and added small amounts of ACV to the water to try to keep the bottles and water trays (think parrot style waterer) cleaner. It didn’t seem to help much, and the quail didn’t drink the water as well. So we stopped using ACV and just rotated out the bottles and trays so one set would fully dry out before re-use. If they started to get a bio-film quicker, then into a mild bleach solution they went, then allowed to fully dry out. That was the most helpful method for the quail waterers.

Overall, I would try out nipple waterers (or the cups) on a 5-gallon bucket. Make sure they all know how to use it and that they are drinking adequately. Make sure you add a vent hole so air will be allowed in and the chickens can continue to drink and a vacuum is not created. If I had to choose between ACV or a touch of bleach, then I would choose bleach in a 5 gallon waterer. However, I would see if I could get away without any addition.

Always provide more water than you think they will drink during whatever timeframe you are away.

Good luck and enjoy your weekends away!

 

[cbehr]

Thanks everyone! I think I'll try the nipples and a bucket inside their run instead of in the coup. Thanks for the suggestions!

How much bleach are you adding, I didn't know that was an option? I did grab some Raw unfiltered ACV today and will start using a TBS per gallon.

 

[sourland]

Raising the waterer up on blocks can help in minimizing the contamination from scratching.

 

[Fairview01]

Chickens don't like to drink clean water - or so it seems in my flock.

 

[Acre4Me]

How much bleach are you adding, I didn't know that was an option? I did grab some Raw unfiltered ACV today and will start using a TBS per gallon.

I think my neighbor eyeballs his bleach addition. However, for a more exact figure, here is a link to CDC on making drinking water (for humans) safe to drink. It is a pretty small amount of bleach that gets added. Had to laugh at the repeated comment on the CDC flyer: "Use bleach that doe not have an added scent (like lemon)". Not sure if chickens would care, but humans would.

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/pdf/emergency/09_202278-B_Make_Water_Safe_Flyer_508.pdf