Bleach for scours

[devonian]

Is algae in water troughs a problem? Its never been a problem for me. l clean mine out now and again but I've never worried about algae, I'm more worried about dead birds n things.

 

[DNelson]

We put feeder goldfish in all the water tanks. 4-6 per 200-300 gal tanks... The herons here will get them sometimes... and some of them reproduce... have had a couple places where there were a BUNCH of little ones. Sometimes I will take them out for the winter, if I remember... some have survived the winter and were there next year. Most of these are existing tanks that are spring or well fed, so continuing running water. I don't often have them in tanks that do not have "in and out" water flow as they often get too hot in the summer.
The clorox in the scours formula I cannot comment on... but let's face it, all "city" water has chlorine in it and some places it is a noticeable smell/taste... but I can taste it because I drink well water and just can pick up on it. If it didn't kill bacteria and stuff, they would not use it in drinking water.

I lived in Fort Myers for six years 2012 to 2018 and the chlorine was so strong occasionally that you could smell it when someone ran water. Never drank it or made coffee with it and we got bottled water in gallon bottles. That was the first time in my life that I was on a city water system, hopefully never again. Thats nice you have flowing water to your stock tanks that should keep the water from freezing to thick. Minnesota where we live gets -30f or more so heat is easier than chipping ice with a hatch. I have been to my neighbors to put water in his unheated tanks and they are solid frozen except for a small area where he takes an axe to. Winter is a challenge for sure. I stock the tank with two River Reds, they look like sucker minnows and are bottom feeders.

 

[DNelson]

Is algae in water troughs a problem? Its never been a problem for me. l clean mine out now and again but I've never worried about algae, I'm more worried about dead birds n things.

the algae is filamentous algae, long stringy green growth if not controlled in the tank in the summer. I put a small length of 2x6 for birds to land on to get a drink. started that when I found one dead floating in the water tank, been no more since then.

 

[Ebenezer]

the algae is filamentous algae, long stringy green growth if not controlled in the tank in the summer. I put a small length of 2x6 for birds to land on to get a drink. started that when I found one dead floating in the water tank, been no more since then.

The filamentous algae is the worst to deal with. I had several tanks that the birds brought it in. I don't remember exactly but I did use a lot of bleach and got it gone but I didn't expect cows or sheep to use it for several weeks. Maybe I drained and refilled after a number of days.

 

[farmerjan]

I lived in Fort Myers for six years 2012 to 2018 and the chlorine was so strong occasionally that you could smell it when someone ran water. Never drank it or made coffee with it and we got bottled water in gallon bottles. That was the first time in my life that I was on a city water system, hopefully never again. Thats nice you have flowing water to your stock tanks that should keep the water from freezing to thick. Minnesota where we live gets -30f or more so heat is easier than chipping ice with a hatch. I have been to my neighbors to put water in his unheated tanks and they are solid frozen except for a small area where he takes an axe to. Winter is a challenge for sure. I stock the tank with two River Reds, they look like sucker minnows and are bottom feeders.

Most of those water tanks are at summer pastures. There are only 2 that are at winter pastures to have to keep open....the rest near the barn lots are the ones with the 1/2 ball that they push down and they usually don't freeze up unless we get severe cold. Nothing like what you get @DNelson ........ the one place it was a spring that came out of the ground that made a swampy area that fed out to the dirt road and the owner had it "developed" and then the overflow is diverted to a little "run off creek" so cleaned up a big mess and made the road crew happy too as it would cause ice over the road in the winter and a mess... it runs real fast and has not iced over that I can remember. The other will ice and I use a couple of dark colored gallon jugs with some salt water in and the cows "bob them" around and it helps to keep it open. It is a much slower spring, and right now is barely trickling with the dry conditions. This place is where I keep my nurse cows, and we usually run heifers or first calf heifers there. Got some spring calved first calf heifers there, and just pulled the bull from breeding them, and put the few that we kept for replacements in there for the winter. Whenever we wean those calves and preg check, they will go with the spring calving cows for next spring and then the bull will go in next May to breed these heifers. Plus my longhorn stays there and gets bred back....