Stored Rain Water for Drinking?

[Lozoyafam]

We are BRAND NEW to chickens. We have our very first batch of chicks coming in 2 days. I have been doing all I can the last little while on raising and what not, but... Can I feed my chickens (when they are in the coop) stored rain water.

I want to use a system that is like this pic below but with better screens, that then feed into a 3/4 pvc pipe into my coop to nipples for the chickens.

I am just wondering since I will have 2- 55 Gallon Food grade barrels (not trash cans) will the water go bad or hurt the chickens?

 

[Mountain Peeps]

WELCOME TO BYC!!!

We collect rain water also. But it's the nastiest water I've ever seen. I would be scared for you birds that they would get sick from drinking water that sits and has bacteria growing in it. I would say no.

 

[CrazyTalk]

A lot of people still live off of rain water collected in cisterns.


If your rain water is nasty, there's probably something else getting in - leaves, crud from the roof, whatever.


The only problem I see with that design, is that while a good chunk of the plumbing is removable, there's no real good way to clean that section behind the ball valves without getting into snaking things. I think that section is overly complicated.

 

[Lozoyafam]

Thanks y'all. I was concerned about the rain water sitting still to collect bacteria, but I was not sure how long that takes. I planned on sealing and using plenty of screens to keep objects out, but it still may not be good enough. It may be cheaper just to run a hose out that way to water them. I did not think about winters and that some of the pipe would freeze, so the automatic watering would be out of the question now anyways. :-(

 

[RJSorensen]

I have a small creek nearby, and irrigation water from the dam around the place as well. I only use house water for my birds. Now I can't stop them from drinking from a mud puddle… but for their main source of water, it is cool, clean house water (from an outside tap). Birds get into enough, unsuitable things, that I just won't add to this with dirty and or unhealthy water.

I eat the eggs, perhaps a bird or two as well, and I want only, or as much as possible clean water for the hens.

Best to you and your birds,

RJ

 

[Lozoyafam]

Thanks RJSorensen!

We plan to eat eggs and some meat too, so it is best to keep them as clean as possible! I will be surely abandoning this idea, lol. I am sure some rain puddles won't be as bad a long time stored rain water.

 

[tiho_prskalo]

We are BRAND NEW to chickens. We have our very first batch of chicks coming in 2 days. I have been doing all I can the last little while on raising and what not, but... Can I feed my chickens (when they are in the coop) stored rain water.

I want to use a system that is like this pic below but with better screens, that then feed into a 3/4 pvc pipe into my coop to nipples for the chickens.

I am just wondering since I will have 2- 55 Gallon Food grade barrels (not trash cans) will the water go bad or hurt the chickens?

Make sure your trash garbage cans are cleaned for drinking, since if you do not use for trashs XD