Unsecure chicken perches

[Ginfiend]

Just a quickie - can you give chickens rainwater rather than tap water?

[jimnpaula]

'Course you can they would prefer to drink from a muddy puddle any day

 

The only time I might be worried is if the rainwater was collected off a lead roof...

 

P

[Lewis]

I wandered this too.

 

We're hopefully getting a water butt and guttering from the WIR roof, thought we'd just have to use it on plants + stuff, but maybe use it for the chooks then

[Redwing]

I do

 

A cover on the waterbutt and a pair of old tights stretched over the end of the drain pipe keeps lumpy nasties out

 

If the water has been standing for a while I siphon it in to a clean dustbin with a tight fitting lid and add a drop of Milton though

 

I never give it to chicks or sicks hens however

[The Dogmother]

'Technically' they are supposed to have fresh tap water to lessen the likelihood of coccidiosis, but I have given mine rainwater in the past. They love dirty puddles and rain on the top of drain covers, so I don't suppose it does them much harm.

[poachedegg]

We use water from a water butt and it hasn't done them any harm, though I would run off the water if it had been standing a while.

[docsquid]

When it isn't frozen, they much prefer water from the pond and drain covers. The cats are the same. I would be happy to give them rainwater, except the water butt is frozen at the moment!

[The Dogmother]

All three of mine are frozen too.

 

A friend has a down pipe from the gutter on their WIR, which drains into a water bowl for the chooks.

[Christian]

The down side to using water collected from your roof, is that wild birds could contaminate the water with their droppings.

 

I know it is only a slight risk though.

[Redwing]

true

 

If DEFRA or Trading standards come a knockin everything comes out the tap

[Laura & CTB]

Mine prefer the water feature

[Plum]

Sorry I wouldn't because pseudomonas grows in stagnant water.

[Redwing]

Thats a long word for so late in the day Plum

 

I had to Google it, thats actually quite scary reading

[Plum]

My reply has disappeared.

 

I think it was that its what grows in flower vases so why wards don't let you take flowers any more. Can cause infections like urine infections in humans and nasty green smelly infection in leg ulcers so guess it can cause infections in animals but maybe not anyroad my chooks love puddles.

[Saronne]

But chooks dig in the soil and eat all sorts of 'things' that are unclean. Surely they can manage a bit of rainwater?

[Sheilaz]

I use waterbutt water drained from the house roof all the time.

[dancing cloud]

My monsters much prefer water from the water butt, except Dandelion who likes hers from the birdbath after she's paddled in it

[sandyhas3chucks]

My water butts have gone stagnant very easily, I know it goes against what they are all about, but all winter I have been draining mine, and letting it refill with clean rainwater, as my girls like others love to drink as I am watering(clearly not right now )

I have emptied them by tipping out and OMG no one would dream of feeding THAT to their girls!

I think awareness, care & sensibilty is needed.

Clean muddy puddles are ok, but puddles that have got pooh in them would NOT be so grand

[Ginfiend]

I've got 2 very clean water butts - so I suppose that might be ok? They only drain from a small area of flat roof, with not much wild bird traffic, and they're against a north-facing wall so don't get warm and smelly.

 

My chickens have been vaccinated against coccidiosis - but i don't know if that means lifetime protection, or just a temporary immunity boost....

 

I don't want to make them ill, but it seems a shame to have all that water sitting there in the butts - especially as we're on a water meter in the house!

[Sheilaz]

Well, I'm happy that my lidded waterbutts are clean &, with water flowing in &/or out daily, they've never had stagnant water, it looks very clean.

 

Everyone has to make their own decision, I obviously wouldn't give them it if I wasn't happy about the purity but, every time I use some, I'm really pleased not to be running a tap, I hate water waste!