Will copper in their watered hurt my hens?

[debdoodle]

My husband read that putting a copper tod in our water troughs would kill algae. He cut me off a small piece to put in my hemn’s watered. Will that hurry them?

 

[Lillith37]

One of my hens was recently tested for heavy metal toxicity and she came back with elevated copper and lead. The vet said not to worry about the copper and we could take it with a grain of salt.

That being said, I personally would not consciously expose my chickens to any sort of unnecessary heavy metal.

 

[jpalmatier83]

I’m keeping an eye on this one.

I know copper helps control algae.

I also know copper toxicity is a thing (in general).

I know when you’re dosing pools to control algae you’re using liquid copper sulfate or something similar.

I don’t know how much copper would leach from a piece of pipe or bar into water.

We use copper pipe in houses all the time and don’t experience significant detrimental effects to our health.

Would putting a piece of copper bar in a trough actually help with algae? Would it be like dropping a penny in a glass of water? How long/many times would you have to do it, either to effect algae or health?

I did some google research and didn’t get any definitive answers. I’m watching this thread in hopes someone has some knowledge.

 

[Perris]

Let this be your guide: would you drink it?

Imo the best way to ensure that your chickens' drinking water is good and healthy is to clean and refill the waterer(s) every day. If you do that, cleaning should need no more that a swish round with your hand under running water.

 

[nicolev70]

We painted the outside of their 3 self enclosed drinking containers black! Not 1 bit of algae in 2 weeks whereas I was having to scrub it every other day here in the blasting Texas sun and heat! In our smallish water trough, we just got a float.

You can, evidently, put COPPER SULFATE in their water not gonna be me but you do you

 

[KTL]

I’m keeping an eye on this one.

I know copper helps control algae.

I also know copper toxicity is a thing (in general).

I know when you’re dosing pools to control algae you’re using liquid copper sulfate or something similar.

I don’t know how much copper would leach from a piece of pipe or bar into water.

We use copper pipe in houses all the time and don’t experience significant detrimental effects to our health.

Would putting a piece of copper bar in a trough actually help with algae? Would it be like dropping a penny in a glass of water? How long/many times would you have to do it, either to effect algae or health?

I did some google research and didn’t get any definitive answers. I’m watching this thread in hopes someone has some knowledge.

100% I put a 8 inch copper pipe in my chickens water container and I have no algae at all it’s absolutely amazing. I’ve been doing this for more than six months and the chickens seem happy

 

[Al Gerhart]

It depends on the definition of heavy metal. Technically that is with a specific gravity of 5.0 and heavier.

But not all heavy metals are toxic, many are essential elements needed to stay alive. Copper is one of those essential elements or minerals.

What you need to avoid is the toxic heavy metals, look at the RoHS list. Lead, Mercury, Cadium, Chromium (hexavalent), there there are some plastics.

Your chickens will be fine with a bit of copper in the water bowl.