Andrew Vlcek

That 4500 is split up over the season. 15 groups of 300 all staggered every other week. So at any given time we have 5 groups total of 300 all ranging in age. Each group is broken up into 2 processing weeks. First week we take half of the oldest group and leave smaller birds for another week of growout. Week 2 come back for the rest. Following week, on to the next batch as new baby chicks hit the brooder, and a group cycles out of the Brooder into pasture. That cycle continues until we run through 15 batches. So, no we don't need all that water all at once. I use about 100ish gallons a day just for the groups on pasture. 3 groups on pasture, 2 in the brooder. This allows us to offer fresh chicken at the markets every week... I feel like I should just make a video tour explaining our setup. Lol

I often refer to to all my chickens as my flock of tiny dinosaurs. So I'm right there with you on that thought. But yes, if a little effort on my part could give them better drinking water, why not?

Just for context, I am on the smaller end of large scale here. We raise 4,500 meat birds over the summer currently and next season adding another 1500 to that. The pool was my old childhood inground pool, so yes, earth filter still there and functional. The chickens are all in chicken tractors some fairly far away. I already have a barrel I put a spout on and the barrel I bought for $10, valve was a couple more dollars after that. So for pretty cheap I can haul 55 gallons at a time to the pasture. The hose just wouldn't be as cost effective given the distance. This is all to alleviate from using our wells so much.

I think what I may try, use our old earth filter and hose for the pool vacuum. Put the hose in the skimmer so it sucks and float the end of the hose a couple feet under water. Currently the water level is below the jets, so that will create a couple fountains spraying into the pool. Im this this will keep it a little on the safer/cleaner side for drinking, but not so much so that our tiny dinosaurs are missing out on some probiotics!

Thank you for all the advice!

Cécile Stelzer Johnson wrote:

Andrew Vlcek wrote:I have an old inground swimming pool which has not been used for years. The water just sits, but  I am looking for a way to clean that water naturally and without much expense enough to make it drinkable for livestock. Mostly to water chickens.  Would something as simple as a pump to aerate the water work?

As far as algae, could you get a bale of barley straw? I keep my barrels and pond free of mosquitoes that way too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9ceM5p1Wn0&t=38s

Interesting! I never knew that.

As for the chickens near the water, they will not be anywhere near it. They are all meat chickens out in chicken tractors in the pasture. I would use the "pool" water and pump it out into 55 gallon drums and transport it to the field to fill up all their waterers in their chicken tractors. I do have the old pool filter there, its an earth filter, so might be able to make use of that and maybe try that barley trick.

Honestly, I might be ok just using the water as is. a few ducks drink it and they seem fine. I would imagine it should be perfectly fine as is for chickens as I dont see a lot of scum or anything. But still, I would feel a little better if it were filtered/cleaned a bit just to be safe.

Here are some pic of the water as it sits now. We had a little bit of a freeze last night, so there is a small amount of ice at the moment. So what may at first glance look like surface scum, its just ice.

Rico Loma wrote:It would seem you already have aeration firmly in your mind.  

What if you do some water testing now, then start introducing oxygen by whatever means you deem fit.  Let your system work its magic for three weeks and then measure water quality again.  Please let us know about improvements or lack thereof

Aeration is just my best guess, but I am not even sure if that is what is needed, if it will work, or if I need to do anything at all. But for your test kit recommendation, I am not 100% sure what I should be looking for when testing. I found this on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Testing-Drinking-Strips-Hardness-Fluoride/dp/B0CQ1VLX88/ref=sxin_16_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.1ac62dee-1169-4bf4-91b9-84fe33c930b1%3Aamzn1.sym.1ac62dee-1169-4bf4-91b9-84fe33c930b1&crid=26JJFJPW1XT9H&cv_ct_cx=pond+water+test+kit&keywords=pond+water+test+kit&pd_rd_i=B0CQ1VLX88&pd_rd_r=a286321f-5e29-4b4f-a955-0823f7eb780e&pd_rd_w=QJEtd&pd_rd_wg=WOXLO&pf_rd_p=1ac62dee-1169-4bf4-91b9-84fe33c930b1&pf_rd_r=PC5EHWB3G8GKFCRX1E7R&qid=1742817894&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=pond+water+t%2Caps%2C205&sr=1-4-6024b2a3-78e4-4fed-8fed-e1613be3bcce-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1

Would that suffice?

William Bronson wrote:Focusing on simple, what contamination are trying to alleviate?

Since the water pretty much just sits in an old pool, my main worry would be anaerobic bacteria, hence my thinking I may be able to get away with just simply adding oxygen. However, my limited knowledge on this, I could be overlooking something else.

There is a lot of dirt that has accumulated over the years and do know some frogs have made there home there. It may be fine as is even, but I didn't want to just give it to the chickens without poking the minds of those who are better educated on this. Occasionally we do a have duck or 2 swimming around in there and I am sure they are drinking it. But just wanted to play it safe before I start filling up chicken waterers.

Keep in mind, I am looking at simple solutions, not the most creative and elaborate. That's why my mind just thinks, a simple fountain and throw it in... however I am unsure it that will work. I think it will, but not sure. But I want to stay away from making this a big project. The simplest and cheapest that gets the job done wins.

R. Han wrote:Actually stocking fish in a pond generally decreases quality of water, because you want to filter out nutrients (esp. phosphates and nitrates)
to keep the water clean/less habitable for bacteria.

Growing any type of plant (or algae) accumulates nutrients in the plant, which you can subsequently remove to also remove the nutrients.
Search for "Natural Swimming pond" or "Wetland filter" for more information on this.
If you prefer mechanical filters, search for "Slow sand filter".
I peronally think the best filter (because it can basically filter nuclear waste into drinking water) ist the mollison filter, but its complex to implement.

Anyway your chicken should not have direct access to the water, as they tend to pollute it.

Would a filter even be necessary if I did something as simple as a fountain or some sort of aeration?

And no, chickens will not have direct access. This is to fill up a tank which is then taken to our pastures.

I have an old inground swimming pool which has not been used for years. The water just sits, but  I am looking for a way to clean that water naturally and without much expense enough to make it drinkable for livestock. Mostly to water chickens.  Would something as simple as a pump to aerate the water work?

Jay Angler wrote:

Andrew Vlcek wrote:Looking for ideas for chick brooders that can hold 600+ chicks.

Things to consider:
1. All the same age, or at different stages of development?
2. All the same type, or different breeds?
3. Meat birds or layers?

2 different sets at once of meat birds. Each batch will be 600 chicks and a new batch of 600 comes every other week and we do 15 batches through the season. We do raise them on pasture, so they would be moving out as new groups come in and spend the rest of their time on pasture. Sometimes there is some overlap so we have different brooders set up that can support 2 groups in the brooders at once. Our current set up only handles 2 groups in the brooder at once and up to 300 per group.

I like the run idea. That is something I can make work too with how the unused barn is.