water storage

[Hillsvale]

Quote:
The coop has a 36x48" window on the east side plus the door with a half window in it, a 60x48" window on the south side, and a 36x36" window on the west side so a solar contraption could work.... the only restriction to the sun is on the west side which backs onto the woods, but of course the sun is mostly gone at that time; I essentially put that in for cross ventilation especially for the summer and so they could watch the romantic sun sets prior to bed

. I also do intend on running electrics to the coop underground so I could potentially attach a regulated heater of some sort to keep the temperature just above freezing....

hummm, this is my winter project!

 

[wildorchid053]

if you go to a tractor supply place they have huge clear plastic containers for holding sprays or what ever.. we have one with a large hole on the top and and attachment at the bottom for a regular garden hose. it works great for collecting water and dispensing it..it is about 4' long and about 3' high and round.

 

[Hillsvale]

Quote:
We have one of those for the outdoor gardens etc but they are 250 gallons.... a gallon of water weights 8 pounds!! and I am pretty sure it would take up a bit too much room in the coop

I was thinking somewhere along the lines of 25 gallons and suspending it so it can operate an automatic waterer.

We don't have a tractor supply store here either... probably just as well!

 

[LynneP]

LeGay Fibreglass has several types of containers, and Swinemer's Hardware in Windsor, I would imagine other stores, too. Home Hardware carries rain barrels that hold up to 45 gal and have an overflow valve and a spigot at the base, also a screen to filter leaves and grit- but they are supposed to be emptied and stored for winter. The thing is, most use water tanks inside a heated home for a cistern because their wells are in gypsum or are low-flowing. If you have a storage tank in the coop and it freezes/cracks, it will be a tragedy for the birds. Keeping the coop warm enough to heat water is a daunting task. The rain water here is acidic and will need to be filtered and possibly treated, so the expenses are mounting up. If you get moss or lichen on the roof in years to come, the sprores can be toxic. Ask around, but generally those of us with wells will connect to outbuildings with underground plastic pipe 6' deep and we use heater tape on the far end to keep the uptake from freezing. I can show you in our barn if you like and the BYC web page has some photos of the heater tape an in-barn connections and water box.

 

[Hillsvale]

you guys....

Linda I think what will happen when all is said and done is come and have a peek at what you have going and perhaps persuade you to come by for a visit... I don't think we would be able to tap into our well at 6' because its a metal casing, unless what you meant was running it from the hose bib underground... but then there is the arsenic in the water?

Sounds like I might be better off just using the 5 gallon bottles of spring water! lol

 

[LynneP]

You are dealing with arsenic? Yeah we need to meet and talk. Our water comes up through slate so is acidic, but otherwise fine and very soft for washing. We do see some iron but we filter for that. I use a rain barrel outside the barn to get utility water occasionally- to wash the cat bowls and such but I've had a boar raccon get in and drown and other concerns.

 

[Hillsvale]

Yes, arsenic

... very common on this strip. We have a reverse osmosis system at the kitchen sink so running from the hose bib wouldn't help the birds.

 

[LynneP]

Our system is rather good- the water comes into the basement from the well, and enters the filter, then the line splits, one back out and underground to the barn and the other into the house. So rather than plumb a line under the bib you could thread it out from the house...

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Enh, if it's only 20-50 gallons, even a total spill would not be a "tragedy" under most circumstances (just a great big mess and a lot of work to clean up!). And in any case, the sensible way to set it up is to have a drain pan (pref. fairly deep) under it with an outlet to the outside of the coop, so that leaks go OUTdoors. Same as you would do with your washing machine, although of course a drain pan for a wash machine normally goes into a sump or drain not outdoors

The rain water here is acidic and will need to be filtered and possibly treated, so the expenses are mounting up. If you get moss or lichen on the roof in years to come, the sprores can be toxic.

As long as you don't store it in galvanized containers, acid rain is not usually a terrible problem for livestock watering (and you can put some chunks of concrete in the tank if you want, which helps with high pH).

Where are you reading that moss or lichen spores can be toxic??? I have *never* heard that before, and roof water is quite commonly used for drinking in places like New Zealand where moss and lichen are abundant. Really, it is not like using roof water for watering animals or even for human drinking purposes is such an unheard-of thing, it is fairly frequently done and the ins and outs are fairly well worked out. It does have its limitations and risks but so does water from ANY source.

Pat​

 

[LynneP]

Wolf lichen is high in lead and sulfur, and poisonous to all livestock. Leconora conoizoides is found on roofs and fences and is excessively high in lead and vulpinic acid- all mosses and lichens concentrate the acids that fall on them from rain and can be found in eavestroughs and roof shingles over time. Mosses and lichens also harbnour toxic bacteria in symbiotic relationships. This is why local farmers try scrupulously to keep trees away from roofs and to expose shingles to sunshine. Metal roofs are better, naturally, but more expensive and roof leachate is an issue over time. You won't see many farmers here using water from the roof except for utility water, it's seldom used for livestock. The aeration in streams and rivers is more acceptable, or water from drilled wells, often filtered. Because we get so much toxic air from the US and centra/western Canada, we have to be vigilant.

Perhaps I am more cautious after grad work in ecology and consultations with Dr. Maas of the National Research Council, but folk wisdom has proved to be as noteworthy over 400 years of farming here. Of even greater note is the possibility of contaminating your flock with wild bird droppings.

This is a rather general search on the topic- journals can be pay-only on the internet but there is a decent selection of information here-

http://www.google.ca/search?q=toxic...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a