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Post by collypod on Dec 20, 2005 13:03:29 GMT 1
Went out to see neddy this morning and found 2 dead owls floating face down in the water barrel!!
Apart from freaking me out (really can't handle dead things of any variety) and also feeling quite sad about it (cos they're beautiful animals) I'm now completely stumped about what to clean the water barrel out with. I've empty it and provided the neds with an alternative water bucket for the day but I'll have to scrub it and re-fill it tonight.
What can I use to sterilise the barrel that won't leave a nasty taste and put my fussy horse off drinking it? Someone at work suggested the stuff that people use to sterilise babies bottles with - is this a good idea?
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Post by jinks on Dec 22, 2005 10:09:03 GMT 1
either the baby stuff thats ok but you need to wash it well or a dilution of white vinegar thats less polutant and is a very good disenfectant too. you need to wash out weel what ever you use though. when you refill it dont take away teh water buckets they may not want to drink the fresh water straight away as it will have clorine in it, will take a while to evaporate from the water
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Post by lilaclomax on Dec 22, 2005 10:35:16 GMT 1
This is sad when it happens, I keep my ponies in an area which has lots of birds of prey which tend to like drinking from the troughs... If it is possible can you put a small drainpipe weighted down with gravel so one end sits at the bottom and the other creates a way out? Or something like that! We have now got troughs that have two sides to them and the center piece creates an area that birds could climb onto, we also put 3 bricks into each trough at the bottom so if the water level is lower then any wildlife can sit on the bricks!
Good luck with cleaning the barrel out.
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percypony
Grand Prix Poster
Horses are life.... the rest, just details!
Posts: 1,082
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Post by percypony on Dec 22, 2005 11:11:54 GMT 1
If they hadn't been in their dead for very long I doubt there would be much of a taste/smell. Have a clean and see what the horses tell you... Giev them another option just in case though. Poor birds... I do curse the ones we have round our troughs sometimes though as they do insist on pooing in them making me have to clean them out more often!!!  |
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Post by collypod on Dec 22, 2005 16:04:41 GMT 1
Thanks for the replies everyone - I gave it a really good scrub out yesterday and refilled it and the horses seem happy. Good tip about the white vinegar tho - I'll try that in the future.
It was really sad. The idea about the drainpipe too. I just could work out why they would want to get into the water barrel until someone at work pointed out that when everything is frozen, birds get very thirsty too! Poor things.
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