Honey water instead of sugar water?

[Fuzzy Moto]

Hi all. I am living a paleo/primal lifestyle so I do not keep regular table sugar around my house. I am wondering if it is ok to dissolve a teaspoon of honey into about a quart of water to start my chicks off with, to help with the travel stress? I am getting them later on today from my post office, Any responses are welcome, Thank you.

 

[BonRae67]

That is awesome that you live without sugar. We are trying to eliminate it as well. I don't see why you couldn't do the honey in their water. It is a natural sugar. I would think it wouldbe better than bleached processed sugar. Good luck with them.

 

[bumblebird]

Honey is not recommended for human infants, due to the risk of botulism. I imagine it may be risky in brand new chicks. I'd add some apple juice or some other sweet juice, perhaps maple syrup, to the water for the first day or two.

 

[dheltzel]

I would start them with plain water and not add anything. If you want to give them an energy boost, give them a small mount of chopped hard-boiled egg.

 

[3riverschick]

Here, try this product if you want to add something to their water. It is all natural.
Get a bottle of either Bovidr Labs Poultry Nutri-Drench; Pet Nutri-Drops ; or Goat Nutri-Drench. At your feed store or Tractor Supply Company. Give the chick one drop only by mouth. repeat as needed every 8-10 hours. Put 2 to 4 ml per gallon in its water. 4ml is for stress and 2ml is for maintenance. If the chick thinks the 4ml is too potent, back down to 2ml and that is ok. You can use the various formulas with the poultry usage and dosage instructions because... tho the Bovidr Labs formulas are species specific, they also meet the scientific standard for a universal dosage. Buy a 3 ml syringe when you are at the store. Safely dispose of the needle. Use the syringe to measure the formula. It's much easier than guessing, smile.
These Bovidr Labs products do not need to be digested. They mainline directly into the bloodstream. Measureable in the bloodstream in 30 minutes. with 99% utilization. I have used them on my collies and poultry for over a decade. Great stuff. I put 2 ml in my chicks' water every day for the 1st month of life to get them off to a strong start. I do not have sick or "sudden death" chicks. Bovidr Labs products were developed by a cattle breeder who was seeking an emergency nutritional supplement for farm animals. Here is where you can read more about them. http://www.nutridrench.com/
http://www.nutridrench.com/poultry-nutri-drench.html
Last season I raised all my chicks on Goat Nutri-Drench ( using the poultry formula dosage and usage instructions) and had good success. Never lost or had a sick chick. The formulas are very concentrated and the small bottle should be about all you need for the season. I have the usage and dosage instructions I stated above directly from a conversation with the science techs at Bovidr Labs. I did not make them up from my own experience.