What kind of water?

[Kezzie]

Hi, all!

I'm finally graduating my babies (8 weeks) to a 3.5 gallon waterer so I don't have to refill the chick waterer every two hours. So far, I have been giving them tap water filtered through a Brita filter which is fine for a quart at a time, but impractical for 3.5 gallons. What kind of water does everyone give their chicks and adults? Is chlorinated municipal water okay?

 

[mmtillman]

I have a rain barrel and have been using the water from it since I put my chicks in the coop at 2 weeks. They are 4 weeks now and still thriving. I did wonder about that city water,tho, but didnt figure it would matter that much.
Good question tho...

 

[mamaKate]

Our tap water is awful. I gave my chicks the bottled water I drink for 2 weeks, then switched to tap. Bottled water for my animals wouldn't work because of the amount they use. If you live in an area with reasonably drinkable water, I think tap water is fine from the beginning.

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

Tap water is fine for them.

 

[gritsar]

I agree with Indiana. Tap water is fine. Better if you can run it thru the filter, but still fine. My water comes from a deep well, but the chickens drink out of mud puddles when they get the chance.

 

[vtsarahb]

I also agree that tap water is fine. If you drink it and think it's ok, it's fine for them too.

 

[Tala]

All my pets drink tap, but I'll say they DO sometimes seem to prefer the Brita water.
It wasn't practical to use Brita when constantly changing the chick's water out, so tap is all they get.

 

[ranchhand]

Coastal South Carolina here- tap water works fine. Sometimes bottled water is nothing but tap water anyway!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree. Tap water is fine. It is required to be regularly tested so it will not have harmful amounts of anything in it.

I once had a water softener salesman point out that our municipal water sometimes had trace amounts of arsenic in it. He did not have a good response when I pointed out that you need trace amounts of arsenic to keep your bones from getting brittle.

I personally trust municipal water which is tested regularly more than I trust bottled water which is normally tested a lot less, especially after it has been bottled a while. But that is just me and I can be weird. Maybe my university classes in water treatment has something to do with that.

Oh, I don't know that you do actually need trace amounts of arsenic, but it seemed an appropriate thing to say at the time.

 

[wings]

Psh! I just give them tap and hose water! They are chickens, after all!