Water Smell

[SAAVE853]

I have a 3 gal water jug that i fill about once every 3 days for my 7 hens but recently it has started to smell awful. I have cleaned the inside the last few times I've cleaned the jug with dish detergent but after 3 days its back to that horrible smell. I was wondering if anyone has any advice on what to do with this??

 

[33yardbirds]

I have 26 birds so I am filling a 3 1/2 Gal every day. I have to wipe out the trough because it gets slimy from bird spit and what ever they scratch up into it. Left till it was empty I'm sure it would smell. If you have well water there could be marel or iron, some water even has a rotten egg (sulfer) smell to it. That's about all I have. Some others may have other ideas. These are what I've come across in my area.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

My galvanized waterers smell fine, as far as I can tell.

Can you swish them out with dish soap and a brush every couple of days? I do that whenever they start to get that green algae look. I spray them out or swish the water out of the lip every day though.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

Do you have hard water? When my water softener is low on salt, the water starts to smell bad.

 

[moondog425]

I had the same problem and fixed it with help from BYC members. I put one teaspoon of Apple cider vinegar per gallon of water and no more stinky waterer !
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[NYREDS]

Try changing the water daily.

 

[Dora'smom]

Adding apple cider vinegar to the water at the ratio suggested should help keep down the slime, and hopefully the odor. It's a healthy thing to add, and my own birds like it.