Question about red mold forming in waterer in the summer?

[Smiling Angel]

Greetings! We’ve been keeping chickens since 2013. Once our flock began to grow, we purchased a six gallon plastic waterer for our eleven girls for the summer. Whenever I go to add water, I have to take the thing apart and clean the red mold out of it. Is there anything that can be done to eliminate this mold? When I take the waterer out to clean, I only use white vinegar and water. Is there anything that can be done to keep this mold from forming? This problem seems to get worse in the extreme heat of our New Jersey summers.

Just today, we purchased a different type of plastic waterer which is easier to take apart and clean, and also to refill. Not sure if this will make any difference, though. Also wondering if using a metal waterer would be better; we use that one in the winter on top of a heater to keep the water from freezing. Any ideas would be appreciated!

 

[cooingdove]

how often do you change the water?

 

[Qwerty3159]

Is the waterer in the sun by any chance?
That sounds like algae or bacteria buildup, nothing you can really do to prevent it other than clean it or get one that’s easier to clean as you suggested.

 

[Smiling Angel]

The water is refilled every five days or so. Should it be changed before it is emptied?

Also, the waterer is NOT in the sun.

 

[Qwerty3159]

I think the problem is when it’s refilled small amounts of the algae (less likely IMO because you said it isn’t in the sun) or bacteria are still in the waterer which allows it to grow back by the next time you refill it. If the waterer allows it I’d suggest wiping the inside out with a cloth or paper towel even when you refill and see if that helps. Changing the water more frequently could also help but I can see why this would be wasteful if it holds a great deal of water.
Maybe run an experiment and use both waterers at once and see which gets dirty faster

 

[rosemarythyme]

Photos of waterer?

If it's algae having a fully opaque waterer in a shady spot will help immensely with stopping algae formation.

 

[Morrigan]

If it makes you feel any better, I've battled red and green algae in waterers ever since I've been started raising chickens about 8 years ago. I'm on well water and live in a sunny location. A lot of stuff grows in those conditions, and I've learned that there is no reasonable way to keep my waterers free of algae. I've also learned that it doesn't seem to be detrimental to my chickens' health.

I change out the water every 3 days or so, or sooner if it looks dirty in terms of kicked up debris and droppings. Every few months I scrub the waterers pretty thoroughly. I found that even when there is a lot of growth on the inside of the plastic, the water smells OK, the chickens don't hesitate to drink from them and my flock's health is excellent. I've quit worrying about it.

 

[briteday]

I don't think algae would harm the chicks. If it's bacteria, then that's different. Because I'm a medical biochemist I would use a bit of bleach when washing out the waterer weekly. Even if a trace of bleach remains it would not hurt the birds. Just be sure to rinse well before filling with water.

 

[Smiling Angel]

I think the problem is when it’s refilled small amounts of the algae (less likely IMO because you said it isn’t in the sun) or bacteria are still in the waterer which allows it to grow back by the next time you refill it. If the waterer allows it I’d suggest wiping the inside out with a cloth or paper towel even when you refill and see if that helps. Changing the water more frequently could also help but I can see why this would be wasteful if it holds a great deal of water.
Maybe run an experiment and use both waterers at once and see which gets dirty faster

That's a good idea and worth a try! Thanks for the suggestion! How could I know whether the growth is mold or algae, or doesn't it matter?

 

[Smiling Angel]

This is a picture of the new one, but ours doesn't have legs. The other one is the one with the black top. It's a bit more opaque.