![]() Wash one and set it out to air dry while the chicks are using the other one.įor my adult birds I clean their waterers once or twice a week, depending how fast they go through water. I keep an extra drinker on hand and just switch them out every day so they always have fresh, clean water. With chicks this end up being a daily occurrence, but their delicate systems can't handle exposure to bacteria. The best way to keep chickens water clean is to thoroughly clean your poultry water containers every single time they need filled. In young birds their growth may be stunted. Mild dehydration can cause a dip in egg production or even a forced molt. If the water in your chickens drinkers is contaminated, they may choose to not drink as much as they need. Poultry diseases transmitted by water include : chronic respiratory disease, infectious bronchitis, fowl typhoid, Marek's disease, coccidiosis, and Newcastle disease.Īccess to clean water is necessary for proper digestion and for egg production. Let's say you just don't feel like cleaning the water containers out that often, what's the worst that can happen? Since one water source is often used for the whole flock, if any bacteria is present your entire flock would be exposed to it. Unfortunately, I needed to do a little more work than that. Give it a swipe with a sponge or brush and that's all it needed. I have good news though, all you have to do is clean it!īack when I first started raising chickens, I used to think that I could just rinse it out real good and the poultry drinker will be clean. ![]() You may also feel a slimy sort of coating if you run your fingers inside the water container. You'll notice a slightly red tinged film. These bacteria can also accumulate in the threads that screw the two pieces together, inside the water container, or inside the screw threads in the base of the waterer. Since most commercially available chicken drinker bases are red, it's not always easy to see. If the color of the slime is slightly pink or light rust colored, that indicates the presence of a nasty bacteria called Serratia Marcescens aka pink slime and yes, it's as gross as it sounds! There can be many different bacteria in this biofilm including (but not limited to) E coli, salmonella or even bordetella. It's actually something called biofilm and it's a slimy film of bacteria that stick together to adhere to a surface.īacteria that could be in a chickens water bowl/font If you've ever gone to change the waterer and noticed a slimy sort of substance on the inside of it, you're not cleaning it often enough! I used to think it was just some sort of harmless water residue or debris accumulation and I would clean it out and not worry about it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |