Water is life for all plants and animals on earth, chickens included. And just like any plant or animal on earth, chickens need to be given clean quality water in order to maintain good health.
If you’re wondering whether your birds can drink well water this article is for you
Can chickens drink well water?
Chickens, just like any other animal, can only go a few days without water but giving your bird low-quality water won’t work, these birds need access to clean water.
Well water can be high in minerals. If your well water is high in minerals then giving this water to your bird to drink can be beneficial. Doing this can be beneficial to you as well if you eat the chickens that drink this well water.
Minerals present in well water can include calcium and magnesium.
Chickens can drink well water as long as it’s clean. These birds will usually not drink visibly unclean water but there may be microorganisms in the water that aren’t visible. Birds may drink this water, this is not safe.
A variety of contaminants can make well water unsafe to drink including natural and man-made contaminants. These water bodies can become contaminated with microorganisms, and runoffs from farms especially if they are shallow
If you’re letting your birds drink well water it is recommended that you periodically have your water tested by a certified state laboratory.
Testing your well water will let you know if there are any fungi, nitrates, heavy metals chemicals, microorganisms, or parasites in the water.
If you eat chickens who drink contaminated well water then your health will suffer as well.
The best water to give your bird is plain, simple, natural water. Give your birds water in a water bowl or in a water trough, giving your birds water this way ensures that your bird is drinking clean water with nothing else in it.
These tools are also easy to clean and sanitize on a regular basis.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other chicken related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Can Chickens Drink Chlorinated Water?, Multiple Broody Hens, Chickens Pecking Each Other To Death, Bullied Chicken Not Eating, Broody Hen Eggs Not Hatching
