EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

So… I decided to conduct an experiment after all the debates I’ve read over the past few years regarding clean vs dirty (mainly green algae) water bowls.
A little background… I have 11 grown dogs, a few pups (around 10 months old) and now some 2 month old pups. All my water bowls are 5 gallon white buckets. During these tests I let all my buckets develop a hefty layer of green, sometimes brown layer of slime on the inside of the bucket. Keep in mind that even though a 5 gallon bucket of water would keep each dog for over a week I still emptied each bucket every couple of days and refilled leaving the stinking algae on the sides. Who knows what a difference it would have made with stagnate water on top of the algae.
Both times I tested this gave me the same results with the exception of two dogs (these two catch dogs consumed a lot of water no matter what). During the month I let the algae build up I noticed a tremendous decline in water consumption thus requiring more feed to keep the dogs looking like I want. As soon as I cleaned the buckets water consumption doubled sometimes more. I did this “test” during December and January, again in February and March.
We all know dogs will drink some nasty stuff but when it comes down to everyday life at the house I found it makes a big difference in the health of my dogs. With that being said I think I will continue keeping clean water available.

I read somewhere last year about putting a small chunk off a chlorine pool tablet in each bucket. I started doing it, and have no algae issues at all anymore. Stay clean, and it's cheap.

how big of a chunk and how big are your buckets, 5gal?

i use the 50gal rubbermaid troughs for my dogs and it takes about a wk for the bottoms to turn green. i will dump the water, pressure wash them and sometimes add a half pint of chlorine bleach and fill the trough and let the water overflow till i have just bare hint of bleach smell in the water and move onto the next trough.

the trough with my red cur and blue tick pup doesn't algae as fast as the 1 with 1 of my other curs, which I'm sure it stems from him pissing in it regularly, plus he will jump in it (even in the colder winter months and no matter where i put the trough) if I'm in the pig pen tending the hogs or working a pup, so I'm sure with all his jumping around and tracking poo on his feet.
any thoughts as to keeping him from jumping it? iv thought about screwing a sheet of plywood and cutting a hole in just big enough for him to get his head in to drink (cheaper in cost) or a sheet of expanded steel (still allows for rain to fill it up and ease of washing it out but costly). also, any thoughts on how to keep him from pissing it? ( the plywood would prevent most of it from getting in the water, but not all

I too, use the five gallon buckets, but I buy the orange ones from Home Depot. Once a week, usually on the weekend, I gather up all the buckets and use a garden sprayer to spray chlorox inside and out, let them set for about five minutes, then take a brush to them. Rinse and fill and they are like brand new. I do believe that the dogs consume more water when it is clean, cool water. It has to be better for them than the ole stinky algae water, but on the other side of the coin, I know people that have very good dogs, in excellent shape that never clean their waters. I only have five dogs to tend to, If I had 15 or 20 dogs to tend to, I don't know that I would do this as often. When I was much younger and more energetic, back in my Game Fowl days. I would have as many as 100 cocks and stags on tie outs and 50 or so cocks and hens in brood pens and would give fresh water daily, bleaching their water buckets once a week. But on the other side of the coin again, I knew some of the top fighters around, some of them were meticulous about clean water and some of them never cleaned them. I do think it makes a difference, however small it may be. You can give clean water daily, but if you don't do all the other things, that are so much more important than fresh water daily, your dogs will not be all that they can be. At the end of the day, and this is just my opinion,  there is not only one right way to do things for your animals. Do what works for you, and what you thinks is right for you and your dogs. Mike Starling

I forgot, one teaspoonful of chlorox per gallon of water, when you refill, will keep the algae down between cleanings. Mike Starling

Some 5 gallons, some one  gallons. I put a decent chunk, 1/2"x1/2", in the 5 gallon, and it lasts a couple weeks. Put a smaller piece, 1/4"x1/4" in the smaller buckets and it lasts about the same. Not exact measurements, just depends in how the tablet chunks up when broken. Just don't put it in galvanized buckets, it rusts them bad.

I used to fight this issue, best move I made was throwing the buckets away and installing automatic waterers.

I was just telling my son this the other day,, a person doesn't realize the importance of clean water for a dog.  It will definatly make a big difference in over all health in the long term.  One cap full of bleach in 5 gallons is what I always did.  bucket stays clean in the summer not allowing algae to grow.  White buckets are the worlds worst to try and keep clean if you don't put the bleach in em.  

I went to all black buckets a few years back... you can go quite a while without scrubbing them.

I would take clean water over dirty water so why would my dogs be any different I clean them every week there are trucks to clean water but nothing beats checking it daily and change as needed clean as needed lol

We have rural water so its already chlorinated. We use blue barrels and cut the top and bottom 3rd for water bowls. They cant tip them over and can get in to cool down in summer. But your right, dumping the stagnant water on a regular basis and scrubbing the sides is very important. I don't think enough people realize how important.

Definitely! I have seen a few debates on FB and a couple on here over the years so I had to test it. Test was very conclusive. Dogs will probably live on stagnant algea infested water but at what cost??? I'm sticking with clean water...

May have to break down and buy some of these. It's hard to beat these free white ones I get but if it cuts own on the scrubbing it may be well worth it.

Black and green work best for me. Wire and yellow are bad. I also find keeping the buckets on shade side keeps algae down.  Never used bleach. I live in the sticks on well water.


Shotgun
Arkansas

my rubbermaid tubs are black and them suckers get algaed fast no matter how well i pressure wash it. using the bleach will prevent the algae from going as fast no more than 2wks and its time to pressure it again. in my area, we have a high lime deposit, which may help feed the algae spores thrive and spread

Algae grows from the sun.

Why light colored buckets suck, because the sides let the sun through so shade and dark buckets make life easier. The bleach always worked good for me as well. But summertime I try and change as often as possible cuz of Mosquitos, algae, and nobody likes drinking hot water.

Just paint the exterior of the white buckets with black spray paint.

I went to some automatic waterers and some black goat troughs with floats.  It works really well.  If they get dirty a couple swipes with a sponge gets them cleaned out again and the dogs always have fresh water.

I clean mine in the morning and after the sun starts to set becuz it's when if clean my pens mine as well clean it all and that way I know they will always have water and it's away to get away for the ol ladie some times hahahah


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As said above I change my water twice a day but I got
A ???? I have green around every bucket and mine don't stink and the water is Bahamas  clear and not stinky all my buckets hang and can't be peed in or get dirt in them and I was always told if the green number 2 don't stink y clean it out and I'm very anal about the water and dirty pens


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I use to do the 5 gallon buckets.  Then I cut them off so that they could only hold about one gallon.  SOOOOOO much easier to clean and keep fresh water for dogs.  I can fill it every time I clean kennels (daily).  And I don't waste the water that I use to when I had to empty the algee buckets.

I also do a very small splash of bleach.

No issues, take little to no time.

Dogs like

Smaller water bowl = less cleaning and easier filling

I keep several grown dogs I cut 55 gallon barrels in half keep them full all the time to clean them I have around 4 extra ones that are clean I put them in the place of the dirty one s I fill the old ones with fresh water and put bleach or copper sulfate in them leave them for 3 or 4 days rinse out and go to the next dogs. Vet told me that the copper sulfate was bad on dogs so don't leave it were they can drink it


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like already said the translucent buckets or the white ones are bad about getting algae especially in the sunlight...I have been using auto watering assemblies for at least 20 years and it sure is the best way I know to minimize work...I do keep a five gallon bucket full of water in the back yard when I turn the dogs loose they can gulp it down...when I clean the bucket out if I don't kill the algae with Clorox it will be back in 2 or 3 days...if I wash it out with Clorox it will go almost a week before algae starts to grow...but when I wash it with Clorox and then fill it up with water and add a dash of Clorox it will last longer...I just add water as needed until it dilutes...usually gets dirty before it gets algae...

I remember as a kid my dogs and I would sometimes drink out of a slimey pond in the middle of August in the middle of the hot day...sometimes we got pretty thirsty running the countryside...only packing a gig for a spear or a slingshot and a pocket full of rocks...back then there was no such thing as clean water for the dogs...drink out of a canal or the slimey cow trough...that was normal...

This X 100!!  My only regret with the automatic waterers is that I didn't install them years back.

I'm with you Bryant, the day after I installed them I cussed myself for being so stupid to not put them in earlier.   I can't imagine having to clean out buckets anymore.

If You find cattle ranchers have the old molasses tubs, they are black and thick and hold  a boat load of water and will usualy give them away. they are big enough for dogs to get into also. I have the smaller half size I will be giving away to somebody needing some. holds about 4 gallons I think. text me and come get some in Navasota

for those of you who are thinking about running water lines and auto watering liksits  just make sure to put in a block valve to block in the system in case of a leak...and install a faucet at each auto water liksit as well...
if you are using a shovel make sure it is a sharp shooter...it makes the job quick and easy...that is if you wait and do the work right after a good rain...

I use apple cider vinegar in my dog and chicken water. It don't take much, about three table spoons per gallon. There are no side effects or over going and the benefits are many. It won't allow green stuff to grow in the waterers and it kills viruses plus it cuts gut fat and has lots of minerals in it. Works well for me.

I do the same thing with apple cider vinegar.      I've swapped to plastic buckets instead of the rubber ones.    I use the molasses tubs UglyDog mentioned since I'm away for work for two weeks at a time.    This way my wife only has to feed when I'm gone.    When I get back home I  scrub the water tubs out with a scrub brush, put a little apple cider vinegar in them and fill with water.    I repeat this a week later and then the day before I go back to work.    Tubs are pretty algae free but i scrub them with a hard bristled scrub brush anyway.     Some of the dogs like to cool themselves in the tubs by putting their front feet in them and standing in the water for a bit too.