How Do You Keep Water Troughs Clean?
Keeping a water trough clean for your livestock and horses is more important than just making sure they have clean water. Livestock who have to drink dirty water may drink less water and as a result, may eat less. Dirty water can also harbor bacteria that can make your livestock ill. Livestock don’t need to drink pure water, and may find it unpalatable. Instead, focus on keeping your water trough clean. Add 8 ounces of household bleach per 1,000 gallons of water in the water trough. This will kill any bacteria that grows within the trough, but keeps bleach at safe drinking levels for livestock. Place your trough on a slightly elevated surface so that livestock must climb up it slightly to drink. Livestock are less likely to have their back legs on this elevated surface, and less likely to defecate in the water. Isolate sick animals from the rest of the herd so that they cannot drink from the same water troughs. This will prevent sick animals from contaminating the troughs with diseases
