apple cider vinegar in metal waterers

[Irmasmom]

Hello! I have ready a lot about adding apple cider vinegar to the water for the chickens to help keep the bacteria growth down and that it is good for their digestive tract. I saw an occasional post that it was not good in metal waterers? I have a 5 gallon metal waterer that i change the water every 3-4 days. Is this a problem to use it in metal? Thanks

 

[limited25]

Yes, do not use ACV in metal containers.

 

[Irmasmom]

is there reasoning behind this? Thanks

 

[limited25]

It's acidic and can erode the metal .... which you don't want them drinking.

 

[Irmasmom]

ok! Thank you! That makes sense! Its ok in plastic waterers though?

 

[limited25]

Yes, it is fine in plastic.

 

[RobertPlamondon]

Hello! I have ready a lot about adding apple cider vinegar to the water for the chickens to help keep the bacteria growth down and that it is good for their digestive tract. I saw an occasional post that it was not good in metal waterers? I have a 5 gallon metal waterer that i change the water every 3-4 days. Is this a problem to use it in metal? Thanks

Vinegar is effective against food-borne pathogens at a 0.1% concentration (see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9713753). Heinz vinegar is apparently 5% concentration (http://www.heinzvinegar.com/faq.aspx), so by my calculations you'd need 13 oz of vinegar to sanitize five gallons of water. Seems like an expensive way of medicating chickens who aren't even sick...

What is the effect of water acidity in general and vinegar in particular on galvanized containers and the livestock that drink from them? I don't know. Galvanized waterers and stock tanks have been around for a century, and some areas have pretty acidic water, so the answers are no doubt known.

Personally, I recommend automatic watering systems. The best ones stay a lot cleaner than any hand-filled poultry waterer. I talk at some length about these in my book, Success With Baby Chicks, but it boils down to, "Use Little Giant automatic founts" if there's any chance that your waterers will freeze, or your choice of Little Giant founts or low-pressure cup or nipple waterers otherwise."


Robert