water quality

[Poultra]

This may have been discussed before but I just can't find it using the search function.

How much does one's water quality affect chickens as far as mineral content? My husband keeps getting after me about giving them our well water to drink. It is hard water, had it tested once and it was 66 grains, negative for coliform bacteria. DH has shocked the well a couple of times, once last year and once the year before, in an attempt to kill off iron bacteria (which doesn't work for that kind of bacteria and he knows that but it didn't stop him from trying). He keeps saying something about the mineral content negatively affecting them. Is this really true? He makes it sound like I'm dooming them to early deaths. It's not practical to buy them spring water in a jug from the store - I have nearly 40 birds! I do start them out on the spring water and gradually switch over to the well water after they get to be a few weeks old.

Any insight is appreciated.
Thanks!
Katie

 

[BarkerChickens]

While your water is exceptionally hard, it should not affect the chickens provided that the water quality is of drinking quality (with the exception of hardness, of course). The chicken water will be higher in calcium and magnesium carbonate, but should not have adverse effects on their health. (in my opinion)

 

[PattiXmas]

Iron bacteria shouldn't harm your chickens. Has you hubby tried to "super chlorinate" and scrub the well? Also is your well a steel well or PVC? If it's a steel well that it is going to be harder to get rid of the iron bacteria and the well should definitely be scrubbed.

If you have tested your water and there is no coliform or e coli bacterias in your well, I wouldn't worry about it.

If he is really concerned and chlorinating the well in the past hasn't worked, maybe he should look into an iron curtain for his system. I honestly would contact a licensed well driller in your area and talk to them about pulling the pump out (I am assuming you have a submersible pump) and scrubbing the well casing with a scrub brush and pumping chlorinated water down it and then blow it all off with air.

(Can you tell hubby and I worked for a well drilling company for a long time?)

 

[Poultra]

Thank you both! I figured with variety of folks here at BYC, someone had to know something.

PattiXmas, thanks for letting me know about scrubbing the well - I didn't even know that was an option. I have no idea what the casing is, perhaps steel since the wellhead is steel? We had a Culligan lady come out one time to test the water and give us options for treatment and a system that would take care of the iron bacteria, softening, RO and something else (can't remember) would have cost $4000 - which was an amount we couldn't cough up at the time. I think we're going to have to look into doing something this year though.

DH wasn't so much concerned about the bacteria though, it was the mineral content or ions or something along those lines. Well, if we get the well cleaned and put a system in, maybe I'll stop hearing about.

Thanks!
Katie