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chickens

Okay to give chickens rainwater?

Joy Hancock

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posted 2 years ago

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I'm not sure what's in the rainwater these days, but do you all think it's okay to give to the chickens? I have an automatic bucket watering system that I've been filling up from the rainwater barrel.

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thomas rubino

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posted 2 years ago

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Hi joy;
I'm no chicken expert, but I think it is fine for them.
If they were outside in a run they would be drinking from puddles possibly tainted with chicken poop.
Dogs, cats, and every other critter drink from puddles.
As long as you are not next door to a coal-fired plant or a high pollution area I see no problem.

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Opal-Lia Palmer

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posted 2 years ago

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I don't trust the rain water these days, My dad had a birki water filter outside for his chickens because he didn't trust the well water or rain in his area. Eggs are made up of about 70% water If I am remembering correctly. The egg white is the water. But I think its a personal question..... you could, ask yourself quietly and see what answer you get/ feel into. There are all sorts of DIY Biriki filters if your on a budget too. I found my dispenser Used ( marketplace or CL) and bought new filters from Birki. Youtube has lots of them, or maybe even someone on here. Good luck to you.

Joy Hancock wrote:I'm not sure what's in the rainwater these days, but do you all think it's okay to give to the chickens? I have an automatic bucket watering system that I've been filling up from the rainwater barrel.

Carla Burke

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posted 2 years ago

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I think it depends on where you are. If I were, as Thomas pointed out, next to a high pollution area, I'd be more concerned. But, my birds are watered from rain water, collected next to their housing, or a hose connected to our artesian well. I don't filter our own water, and am certainly not going to filter it for free-ranging livestock (a total of 40 chickens, ducks, muskovys & ducklings - both meat birds and laying), who eat bugs and who knows what else, while they're wandering around. When I put clean water down for them, side by side with the water they've been playing in, they'll take the dirty water, every time, lol.

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r ransom

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posted 2 years ago

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I give mine a choice of rainwater and tap water. They almost always choose rain water except in the warmer months. But they like having a choice.

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William Bronson

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posted 2 years ago

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Good luck getting them to choose filtered water over the funkiest puddle of murky effluent.
The dog is rhe same way.

If you are worried about it, I would suggest a diycharcoal filter.
Even floating charcoal in a water dish can soak up nutrients enough to prevent algae from growing.

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Carla Burke

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William Bronson said: "Good luck getting them to choose filtered water over the funkiest puddle of murky effluent.
The dog is rhe same way.

If you are worried about it, I would suggest a diycharcoal filter.
Even floating charcoal in a water dish can soak up nutrients enough to prevent algae from growing."

William, this reminds me about barley straw. I used to keep little bundles of it in my stock tanks, to keep the livestock water supplies clean and algea-free. I need to find some again, for this summer, while I (attempt to) grow it, for later!

Shookeli Riggs

Posts: 109

Location: Kentucky

posted 2 years ago

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My chicks i have now and dogs when i had them would drink both but they like natural water,not the liquid that comes from the hose,thats really just for showering and cleaning and toilet flushing.I wonder if your plants prefer what comes from the hose?If thats all they have then they will like it but the rain makes them grow much better.As polluted as i hear the rain is,you would think everything that drinks it will die, somehow everything that gets rained on thrives much better.

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Anthony Powell

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Location: NW England

posted 2 years ago

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I'd be concerned about bird 'flu. Plenty of wild birds visit the house roof. Not so many the shed roof - which seems to be the domain of the local cats.

Shookeli Riggs

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Location: Kentucky

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Is the bird flu widespread near you Anthony?

Im not sure how widespread it is here but i hear about it from time to time,its in the cowherd now i guess.

Where my chicks have roamed no grass grows!

Thomas Dean

pollinator

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Location: Michigan, USA

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Anthony Powell wrote:I'd be concerned about bird 'flu. Plenty of wild birds visit the house roof. Not so many the shed roof - which seems to be the domain of the local cats.

The MIDARD info (Michigan Dept of Ag) info being distributed due to the presence of HPAI says to only use municipal or well water for poultry. Biosecurity is key they say. But as my father-in-law pointed out, one of the cases of HPAI in MI was at a big producer that scrubs all trucks, etc in and out... if their biosecurity didn't save them, how is my choice of water going to save my free-ranging chickens?
I use rainwater when available.

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