Friday, February 16, 2018

Chicken waterers, how often should you clean them?

Chicken waterers, how often should you clean them?
How often do you clean your chickens waterers? If you're anything like me you try to do it fairly often, but sometimes it doesn't get done as often as it should. Especially the big drinkers that hold enough water to last a week. I mean really, am I supposed to empty it every day just to clean it and refill it? 

If you've ever gone to change the waterer and noticed a slimy sort of substance on the inside of it, you're not cleaning it often enough! I used to think it was just some sort of harmless water residue or debris accumulation and I would clean it out and not worry about it. It's actually something called biofilm and it's a slimy film of bacteria that stick together to adhere to a surface. 

how often to clean chicken water

There can be many different bacteria in this biofilm including (but not limited to) E coli, salmonella or even bordetellaIf the color of the slime is slightly pink or light rust colored, that indicates the presence of a nasty bacteria called Serratia Marcescens aka pink slime and yes, it's as gross as it sounds! 

Since most commercially available waterers are red, it's not always easy to see. These bacteria can accumulate in the threads that screw the two pieces together, inside the water container, or inside the base of the waterer. You'll notice a slightly red tinged film. You may also feel a slimy sort of coating if you run your fingers inside the water container.  I have good news though, all you have to do is clean it!
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Chicken waterers, how often should you clean them?was originally posted by Favorite Chicken Blogs

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