[tizaala]

I suppose the danger of roof water is the wild bird population crapping on the roof might pass on avian flu or psittacosis to your hens, ours prefer to drink from dirty , oily,  puddles  and stagnant pools , they never come to much harm from it.

[Bionic]

Mine will drink from anywhere but rarely their own drinker 

[doganjo]

I have numerous metal dog bowls scattered around so there's nearly always rain water in them - chooks drink from that except when inside.  I occasionally top up from the hosepipe.

[happygolucky]

    Water meters? I use gallons of the stuff, cannot see that rain water is  bad for chickens,  but then I do not know...I would almost suspect that high chlorinated water from taps could be worse.....birds seem to do OK on dirty stuff!!
I guess water meters are beneficial if you pay water rates that are based on the rateable value of your property, if you have a family or loads of animals, its going to be more expensive but if its one person or a couple, living in a large highly rated house, then you would save money, I think that was the idea at one point.....I know if we had a water meter I would certainly bath with a friend!

[ellied]

Most farms in this area (and presumably businesses) have metered supplies.  One local farm has had a major problem following the development of several cottages and new builds and conversions in the vicinity as originally all the cottages and buildings were part of the farm when the meter was installed - he just got a bill for £12k and it turns out he is paying for all the 10-12 properties in the "new village".. Scottish Water insist it goes through the meter and thus he is liable, and if he (or probably his family or lawyers) at the time of sale wanted to benefit from the development they should have installed or contractually stipulated the installment of sub-meters to all new properties.  Folk that now live in said properties with mains water free are strangely unwilling to pay for new sub-meters and start paying for what they've had free since purchase/build since none of the paperwork mentioned it when they arrived or since..

When I owned the field and building a few miles away (before moving here) the water came through a farm supply it had previously belonged to which had been sold and divided - the neighbour kept threatening to cut my water supply off completely if she ever had to get a meter installed, and occasionally she or her father did so just for the sake of upsetting me..

So yes, meters have been alive and causing problems in Central Scotland for many years..  I'm on a mains domestic supply and no drainage charges as I have a septic tank, thankfully, which reduces my council tax charges a little as does single occupancy now I have that back.  My hens drink from any puddle, bowl, bucket, container, drum or occasionally from the water container I fill for them from the mains supply to 3 of my 4 paddocks.  The 4th gets run off through and/or a 5 hose extension from the garden tap when it isn't being used as an extension to the 3rd with an open gate..