Pigeon poo in water trug

pistolpete

pistolpete

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My pony is in a pen within the main field. I have to collect water from the trough and carry it to a couple of trugs in his paddock. This is a pain but doesn’t take long. (No tap)
Problem is every day the local pigeons poop in the water! I change it every day but they sit there using the edge of the trug as a perch! Anything I can do?
 
pistolpete said:
My pony is in a pen within the main field. I have to collect water from the trough and carry it to a couple of trugs in his paddock. This is a pain but doesn’t take long. (No tap)
Problem is every day the local pigeons poop in the water! I change it every day but they sit there using the edge of the trug as a perch! Anything I can do?
Click to expand...
Some of us have installed pigeon spikes on our stable tops and in top of our light fittings.

I trialled some pigeon tape across the water tub in the washbox and it was quite successful, one came to land but decided against it and flew off. A couple others wouldn't go near it, so if you covered the perimeter of the trough with tape it might work well. It was only a quick trial - the tape needed glueing or sellotaping properly on the tub really as it soon fell in the water as it was just quickly applied. They don't like the way the light reflects on the holgram and it scares and confuses them and because it shimmers and shines it disorientates them so they don't land.

It did deter them quite well. I never bothered replacing it though. I don't think a horse would be worried about the tape, I'm sure if you wrapped it around it's food bucket it would soon get used to it!
 

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If that doesn,t work, you can buy bird repellant paste, I inherited a shed full of pigeons when bought my present property. I put it around where they were roosting and it seemed to help. It wasn't nasty and is harmless so your horse wouldn't we poisoned or anything. You would only need to use it for a short while to make them break the habit.
 
I give the birds their own shallow water trays near the horse waters. Means they can drink whilst it’s so dry out, and the horse waters stay cleaner. During drought periods I have found birds drowned in my big troughs if they are only partially full, as they are so desperate to drink but then can’t get out. So having their own water keeps everyone happy.
 
I give the birds their own water too, a shallow feed bucket filled right to the top
Then as nutjob says I don't fill the horse's water to the top - he has 2 big tubtrugs but only about 10'' of water in each
The birds do still crap in his water, but not so much!
 
I think the shape of the rim makes a difference too
My smalls have some of their water in one of these

Screenshot 2025-06-04 9.02.27 AM.png
and it doesn't get pooed in as often as their tub trugs, even if it's full and the others are half empty
 
nutjob said:
I have it a lot too. It's better if you can fill the trugs to just 2/3 full. If they can't reach the water they tend not to perch there.
Click to expand...

This is what I have been doing recently, as I get the same in my field trug, and the trough I fill it from! Have also put out a shallower bucket for them, it does help.
 
Some useful tips here - thanks! It is so annoying to see the crows using my precious boy's water as a bird bath/toilet!
 
pistolpete said:
My pony is in a pen within the main field. I have to collect water from the trough and carry it to a couple of trugs in his paddock. This is a pain but doesn’t take long. (No tap)
Problem is every day the local pigeons poop in the water! I change it every day but they sit there using the edge of the trug as a perch! Anything I can do?
Click to expand...
I tend to use these as holds more water and half fill they cannot reach. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Faithfull-BATH-Plasterers-Bath-4ft/dp/B001DZVHO4
 
I wonder if I can attach that tape to the horses’ drinkers , which the birds bath and cr@p in too.
They have a bird bath but apparently prefer the drinkers.
 
Reacher said:
I wonder if I can attach that tape to the horses’ drinkers , which the birds bath and cr@p in too.
They have a bird bath but apparently prefer the drinkers.
Click to expand...
It's not expensive at all.

Happy to post you put some if you want to try it.
 
In the past I've tried making a sort of barrier, putting a ring of pipe insulation inside the tub so that the crap doesn't reach the water

I wonder if @Red-1 's BF could come up with something as it seems to be a common problem, and is mightily annoying when you have to carry all the water and frequently find a newly scrubbed and filled tub with just one poo sat at the bottom
 
cauda equina said:
In the past I've tried making a sort of barrier, putting a ring of pipe insulation inside the tub so that the crap doesn't reach the water

I wonder if @Red-1 's BF could come up with something as it seems to be a common problem, and is mightily annoying when you have to carry all the water and frequently find a newly scrubbed and filled tub with just one poo sat at the bottom
Click to expand...
I have posed the question to him. It is an issue for us too!

He wonders if a conical shape edge would stop them sitting on the edge, as they would not be able to grip on with front and back claws? It would need testing!
 
One of the girls on my yard bought a garden ornament of an owl and fixed it to the post above the water trough, works a treat!
 
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