Apple Cider Vinegar

I'm chuckling because you must be in the southern hemisphere.  We're all in a deep freeze in the north.

But apple cider vinegar is useful in many ways- it's antibacterial so it does let water become manky and attract flies.

Some people say that when fed to dogs and livestock that it changes the pH of the animals' blood and sweat but I have never noticed it acting as a repellent.

I  like it in the hens' water because when I dump it out and wipe the bowl, the surface is squeaky clean. 

Same for DE....I feed it to my flocks, mix it in there food, and I also put some in there water containers...I also feed it to my dogs, and I dust my dogs with DE also and all there bedding...ITS VERY SAFE, EVEN HUMANS CAN TAKE A 1TEASPOON OF IT FOR BACTERIAL PARASITES....

I HAVE NO FLEAS!!! AND my flocks have no lice either...and are very healthy. I do not have electricity in my coops and we are having a hard freeze for SOUTH TEXAS, HOUSTON AREA....down to 18 degrees....and my chickens are STILL LAYING EGGS!!!

Hawaii, and the orchids are blooming. Sigh...(envy).


Yes, it will help and if you can get a Vapona pest strip you will find it good for 3 months at a time.
And as mentioned, food-grade DE is great in bedding and/or stall products designed for horses and other livestock- they dry the droppings and neutralize odors, discouraging flies.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=7693-Coop_Hygiene

There's a pic half-way down this page.

I'm wondering if you need to post asking other members from Hawaii to give advice too.
I feel like I'm from another planet with our snow and harsh winds. 

A spoon of ACV in a gallon of water is good for keeping algae out of water bowls.  I am not aware of it being a preventative for flies.  Exposed poop will attract them regardless.  Extra-wide strips of fly paper in coop would help as long as chooks cannot reach it.

ACV is an acid.  Taken before a meal, it boosts stomach acidity and will reduce to eliminate heartburn.  Just the opposite of what you might think.  The increase of acid causes the stomach-esophagal valve to close more tightly.  So, a couple of spoonfuls of that before eating and cutting back on caffeine are two sure-fire ways to reduce or eliminate heartburn and reflux.  It also helps the body to burn fat instead of muscle tissue.  If you buy the murky kind that is cold processed, it also has valuable enzymes to aid in digestion and to make a person feel full for a longer time between meals.

   hi 2tx Havent seen you on in a while
          we too are freezin cold. oh when will it end
                           Hawaii here i come  dont i wish.
           no eggs here
        Except One  but thats from 26 ladies. they really are on a vacation.
       I too have have been using ACV in  drinking water and find it cleans
bowls  really nice. Also use it for wiping up my kitchen deluted with water.

hey sissy, yeah been kind of busy...son left for his third tour in Iraq in nov...my daug. is pregnant...lol sitll out on medical just been busy...and of course trying to keep my flocks warm!!!! and dry....our area in back floods good and gets muddy bad...slipping and sliding to the coops and boots wanting to come off in the mud...lol....

Im not a carpenter and DH was at work for a 24hr shift...I was worried about my flocks...especially my 4mo and 5mo....so I was struggling
"trying to enclose them" the best I came up with did KEEP THEM SAFE LAST night when it dropped to 17


I pulled privacy fence panels I had in the back yard...and used a sheet where it didnt cover as I can do much lifting...

This is what I had to cover up for the freeze!

I have two small coops like this behind the main big coop...

DH was suppose to as I requested...make an opening on that back wall that leads to the main coop, but also put a divider wall inside the main coop so that all the flocks can share this nice size coop...since the main flock doesnt use all of it I thought a divider in side it, to seperate the flocks...and then make an opening on each side of the mini coops then they could also get in and use the back part of the coop.

Well I was told thats too much work...and would take too long....this was about 3mos ago...so here we are hard freeze...and no place for my babies to get shelter...other than a dog plastic house in one, and a 6 chest draw with roost in each opening for them to go in and get some shelter...and a board leaning up in front to block some wind....

So ok, DH was gone and I had to do something for my babies. took me all day long as I can move too much without pain...but this is what I did...lol, Im wondering if I can put a divider wall and opening for my babies...lol, gotten to that point. They did do good, water froze in the bowls....

...ITS VERY SAFE, EVEN HUMANS CAN TAKE A 1TEASPOON OF IT FOR BACTERIAL PARASITES....

DE is NOT an antibiotic, and has never been proven to have any effect on internal parasites.

If you dilute the ACV with water in a spray bottle and spray it inside your coop, it is supposed to help repell flies and is safe for your birds.  I haven't personally tried it since I switched to sand instead of deep litter method in my coop and now have a minamal fly issue, but I read an article on it in Backyard Poultry magazine.