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Discussion on Frequency of washing feed buckets
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Member:
wgillmor
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Posted on Sunday, Jan 9, 2011 - 12:13 pm:
I was wondering what the typical practice is for frequency of washing feed buckets. I know if I were going to eat of of it, I'd want it washed between every meal, but I've never seen that done. The barn I board at washes twice a week. I've been at others where they were washed when they got around to it.
Are there significant health risks in not washing between every meal?
Thanks,
Wiley
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Member:
ekaufman
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Posted on Sunday, Jan 9, 2011 - 6:07 pm:
Hi Wiley,
Guess the necessity to wash them might depend on what they were feeding, whether the buckets were shared among horses, and the weather. Not sure if there's a right answer to this question, though there may be plenty of wrong ones!
- elk
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Member:
wgillmor
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Posted on Sunday, Jan 9, 2011 - 6:13 pm:
To be specific, the horses are feed beet pulp and various commercial feeds from Progressive and the buckets are not shared among horses. Hay is feed separately. The weather is what it is on the Colorado Front Range(cold this time of year but hot in the summer.)
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Sunday, Jan 9, 2011 - 6:37 pm:
Hi Wiley, I think Elk is right it probably depends on how the owner feels. I do not clean mine in the winter mos. They do seem to collect "gunk" on the sides even tho mine lick theirs clean. I do clean them about every 2 weeks in the summer, they will definitely draw flies if not cleaned in the warmer mos. I keep mine in the basement between feeding so flies really aren't a problem for me, but it is nice to have a clean feed bucket.
Do the horses clean the feed up? If so I wouldn't be too worried, if not I wouldn't want uneaten feed sitting around for too long.
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Member:
wgillmor
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Posted on Sunday, Jan 9, 2011 - 7:05 pm:
This is a boarding barn of 23 horses only three of which are mine. So I don't know if every horse cleans his or her bucket. All of mine do.
One person at the barn has been worrying that twice a week is not enough. I'm largely agnostic on the subject, but have pointed out that twice a week is more frequent than other boarding barns I know of. That doesn't say whether or not there is a significant risk, however.
I have never noticed flies around an empty bucket.
Wiley
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Sunday, Jan 9, 2011 - 7:21 pm:
I would think if their was a significant risk of something there would be alot of sick horses at boarding barns, my experience is the same as yours, that is at the bottom of the list of things to do at them When I worked at a boarding barn we cleaned them about once a month when we had extra time. I suppose it depends on the barn, but I personally don't think it offers up a big risk of anything.} but probably is a good thing to do.
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Member:
paul303
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Posted on Monday, Jan 10, 2011 - 12:53 am:
I have to wash mine almost everyday in the spring summer and into fall due to an awful problem with sparrows and starlings. They drive us nuts. In the winter, I rarely wash them because the birds are gone and they don't get dirty. If I didn't have the bird problem, I wouldn't wash them until I saw dirt or feed remains in them.
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Member:
ajudson1
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Posted on Monday, Jan 10, 2011 - 6:14 am:
I don't wash much of anything in the winter months unless I have a sick horse and am feeding some kind of medicine mixed with feed.
In the summer I soak buckets, feeders, clean the tank, (w/soap/bleach solution) wash blankets, etc., mostly to keep mold at bay, and also because it's a bit more fun playing with water in the summer heat! ;-)
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Member:
cometrdr
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 18, 2011 - 6:19 pm:
OK maybe I am obsessive but i clean mine very meal. even in the winter. but I feed in the small round black plastic (rubber?) feed pans. My horses get Lakin Lite pellets the size of my little pinkey and Rice Bran Powder then water over it. so its a wet mash - they generally lick it clean but there is residue - I don't like it dirty so i rinse them out each time. I bring warm water in a container down to add to the feed and extra for when their done I just rinse it around in the pans then toss it on the grass. (grass looks great in the summer but frozen stiff now)
I also sweep their matts every day of dirt where I feed them hay. but don't think i went way over the top I also feed them hay all over their arena - on the ground not on mats. I make them walk around to eat.
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