Vinegar in water

[Donette]

I keep seeing that people put vinegar in the chicken water: what kind? how much? …and why? Thanks!

 

[Sally PB]

Apple cider vinegar, with the "mother." That has the probiotics for their gut. A couple tablespoons per gallon is the amount I've heard. There is considerable debate on this topic.

Another reason is to keep water from growing algae in the warm weather.

DO NOT add vinegar (or any acid) to a metal waterer.

 

[nuthatched]

Always have a second source of fresh water available if you add anything to the water, so they aren't forced to drink the doctored water.
The amount of probiotics in so little amount of Vinegar are usually destroyed by the sanitizers in the water

 

[U_Stormcrow]

as to the rest of the science? Chicken's digestive systems work best with a certain acidity. If you happen to be from an area whose water is particularly basic, acidifying the water will help to adjust the pH to the desired range. How much to add? Depends on the pH of your water, and the pH of your vinegar.

That (and the potentially beneficial gut bacteria) is where this ancient recommed gets its start. But as @nuthatched correctly observes above, if you are using municple treated water, there's good chance you see 0 benefit from including some vinegar with live culture, and there's a good chance your pH isn't so far from target that adjusting it will result in benefit only in that you get extra exercise in walking out to the coop routinely adding measured amounts to the chicken water.

Effectively, its an old regional adage which is inapplicable to most people in most locations now. But it has staying power.

The desired pH, btw, is around 6.5 - its basically the same range desired by the vast majority of plant life we grow. I'm sure there's reason for that.

 

[Donette]

as to the rest of the science? Chicken's digestive systems work best with a certain acidity. If you happen to be from an area whose water is particularly basic, acidifying the water will help to adjust the pH to the desired range. How much to add? Depends on the pH of your water, and the pH of your vinegar.

That (and the potentially beneficial gut bacteria) is where this ancient recommed gets its start. But as @nuthatched correctly observes above, if you are using municple treated water, there's good chance you see 0 benefit from including some vinegar with live culture, and there's a good chance your pH isn't so far from target that adjusting it will result in benefit only in that you get extra exercise in walking out to the coop routinely adding measured amounts to the chicken water.

Effectively, its an old regional adage which is inapplicable to most people in most locations now. But it has staying power.

The desired pH, btw, is around 6.5 - its basically the same range desired by the vast majority of plant life we grow. I'm sure there's reason for that.

 

[Donette]

Thank you. I have well water and a pool test kit that will tell me ph. Thank you for the detailed informative answer.

 

[Cammo77]

Apple cider vinegar, with the "mother." That has the probiotics for their gut. A couple tablespoons per gallon is the amount I've heard. There is considerable debate on this topic.

Another reason is to keep water from growing algae in the warm weather.

DO NOT add vinegar (or any acid) to a metal waterer.

I'm guessing that's a no in even stainless steel waterers? We've been doing it for over a year but will stop immediately if it's bad for them.

 

[Debbie292d]

I'm guessing that's a no in even stainless steel waterers? We've been doing it for over a year but will stop immediately if it's bad for them.

Vinegar basically will corrode it. Stainless steel will take longer to corrode than metal will. If you aren't seeing anything in a year though I wouldn't worry about it. When using only a tablespoon or two of vinegar to a gallon, that's pretty diluted.

 

[Stravager]

I'm guessing that's a no in even stainless steel waterers? We've been doing it for over a year but will stop immediately if it's bad for them.

I think the biggest concern is in galvanized metal waterers because they can get zinc poisoning, but I wouldn't recommend stainless steel either...
A smaller plastic waterer with the ACV mix would be best if you wanted to keep the stainless steel one for regular water.

 

[Cammo77]

Vinegar basically will corrode it. Stainless steel will take longer to corrode than metal will. If you aren't seeing anything in a year though I wouldn't worry about it. When using only a tablespoon or two of vinegar to a gallon, that's pretty diluted.

Thank you. We have a stainless beer keg hooked up to a stainless bowl with a plastic float valve for a water supply, plus a small plastic one as well. I haven't noticed any corrosion but that's not to say it isn't happening. I have seen "stainless steel" rust when I was building trucks though. Depends on quality of manufacturing.