[Derek.laurence]

Hi folks,
A quick bit of advice re water please.
I keep two water sources for my three young hens.
I keep an old saucepan in the outside 'freeranging' run, and a water hopper on the small inside chicken run.
My problems are these:

1) The outside pot obviously collects rainwater, and all the muck of the day as they occasionally traipse through it.

2) the hens are insistent they want to fill the hopper with the sawdust i fill the bottom of the run with. (they previously did this with the straw that i was using)

I am slightly concerned because obviously i dont want them getting ill through dirty / contaminated water, but i am also concious that they are animals and do not require the same levels of cleanliness us humans do.

So....am i being over paranoid or is someone going to tell me the error of my ways?

Thanks in advance for your help

Derek

[themagicaltoad1]

I think you'll find most chickens prefer the taste of a dirty muddy puddle to the nice fresh water we offer them. Don't worry about it, so long as it's not stagnant it should be fine.

[Casey76]

Try standing the water feeder on a couple of bricks, so that the tray is at back height for the pullets.  this will ensure the water stays cleaner for longer, as it will be more difficult for the pullets to scratch the flooring into the water tray.

[wildwitchy]

I think you'll find most chickens prefer the taste of a dirty muddy puddle to the nice fresh water we offer them. Don't worry about it, so long as it's not stagnant it should be fine.

like other keepers, mine get fresh water every day & what do they do, drink out the duck pond full of well....you know.

[orchardlady]

I have roughly 40 free range hens and three ducks. I've found over the years that 'proper' water feeders tend to get mucky very quickly and get horrible problems with lime scale and green slime if not washed very carefully very regularly. The ducks have one half of a child's paddling pool/sandpit (£15 Argos) that's emptied every day, rinsed out and re filled to the brim. Once a week it's washed carefully with a normal kitchen nylon pot brush and some washing up liquid. Not aesthetically very pleasing but very practical and when the pool eventually cracks from one too many refills and tip outs there is the nice new one to use (the other half of the sandpit/paddling pool. The hens have three shallow plastic tub trug buckets (ebay) that I place on top of a mini wooden pallet. This raises the water off the ground so debris doesn't get kicked in and is still shallow enough for my 7 little Sablepoots to access with ease. These tub trug buckets are wonderful. In the freezing weather, if the water is frozen solid they can just be upended and the ice block can then be popped out like an ice cube in an ice tray. They are far far easier to wash than a conventional water dispenser which really makes the job more appealing and not to be put off until tomorrow.

The ducks have access to the hens water and merrily dabble their bills in it and then in the grass and earth of the field thus contaminating it and likewise the hens have access to the ducks paddling pool and reciprocally drink out of it. I really wouldn't worry too much about the 'dirt' as long as the water is changed daily and the containers are washed out often.

Orchardlady

[Derek.laurence]

Thanks for the advice guys,  this has put my mind at ease.  In am sure the little ladies will drink happily to there hearts content.
Derek

[devonbarmygardener]

Our water feeders get loads of mud in them each day - also poo (in the water feeder that hangs off their outdoor perching branch).
We wash the water feeders everyday and our birds have been ok.

They do like water with a bit of apple cider vinegar in - once a month for a week we give them this.

[wildwitchy]

When I remember I put poultry drink supplement (turns the water red) and a grated garlic glove into the drinking water for them or some apple cider vinegar.