Apple cider vinegar

[Kiki]

FWIW these are the only two studies I have seen that "tests" ACV.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29379012
and
Strategies to improve performance and reduce preslaughter ...

 

[Backyard Bruce]

So if I'm reading this study correctly ACV at a dilution of 1/100 (aprox 2 tablespoons per gal) is fairly effective to combat the studied diseases.

Am I correct in that understanding.

 

[Folly's place]

In very controlled conditions, with broiler chicks who died very young. Notice that the best they did as pretty awful! For free ranging laying hens, I'd be horrified to have that % of hens infected, passing things on to their eggs. I eat them raw fairly often, while cooking, and have never been sick. Poor practice, I know, but there it is.
And I never put vinegar in their water!
Mary

 

[nancykay2kay]

In very controlled conditions, with broiler chicks who died very young. Notice that the best they did as pretty awful! For free ranging laying hens, I'd be horrified to have that % of hens infected, passing things on to their eggs. I eat them raw fairly often, while cooking, and have never been sick. Poor practice, I know, but there it is.
And I never put vinegar in their water!
Mary

Tractor Supply sells it with the poultry paraphernalia. They make it seem like it is a "must". I have been putting it in my chicks water since I got them. I was wondering if it should be illuminated due to the Texas heat. I really didn't know it was optional.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Nobody talks about the starting pH of the water, or what changes when adding some amount of vinegar to it. 'Fantasy information' is what we're talking about here, not actual facts. Vinegar is cheap, but not relevant to their health, IMO, unless there's an attempt to actually cause their drinking water to be very acid, which would be a bad thing.
Mary

 

[Backyard Bruce]

Nobody talks about the starting pH of the water, or what changes when adding some amount of vinegar to it. 'Fantasy information' is what we're talking about here, not actual facts. Vinegar is cheap, but not relevant to their health, IMO, unless there's an attempt to actually cause their drinking water to be very acid, which would be a bad thing.
Mary

The study does touch on this a bit here, found in the discussion portion.

"ACV efficacy could be evaluated by measuring microbial burden, serum cytokine levels, leukocyte counts and tissue pathology. Side effects could include acid reflux, nausea or delayed digestion as ACV has a pH of 4.2. However, the acidity could be neutralised by the addition of sodium bicarbonate to preparations. The results of this study could have clinical implications as ACV could be used as an additive component of an antimicrobial therapeutic regimen especially in immunocompromised patients presenting with infections of the aforementioned microbes."

I'm in the belief that the positives far outweigh the minor negatives as outlined in this study, I will continue use.

"We conclude that ACV can have multiple antimicrobial effects directly on E-coli, S. aureus and C. albicans. ACV addition can also decrease induced inflammatory cytokine release during mononuclear leukocyte infection and increases monocyte phagocytic capacity. Mechanisms include alteration of the microbial protein physiology destroying structural pathogenic proteins and metabolic enzymes. Collectively our results highlight the potent antimicrobial and therefore beneficial actions of ACV. This preliminary study encourages further work on dietary ACV supplementation investigating its antimicrobial role and the constituents which could be responsible for this activity."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5788933/

 

[RodNTN]

I have used Apple Cider Vinegar numerous times in my chickens water, and I have seen great effects on my flock!

 

[Lazy Farmer]

There is good bacteria and bad bacteria.
Killing good bacteria only weakens natural immunity. Slow exposure to bacteria strengthens immune systems gradually over time. Fine tuning white blood cells to fight off invaders.
I germ-a-phobe who goes thru life wiping down everything with antibacterial wipes and washes their hands 20 times a day with antibacterial lotions is more likely to become violently ill with a mild common cold versus someone who has a strong and strengthened immune system.

I am currently housing a staggering amount of over 300 healthy birds. Fresh water everyday is all they get.
Zero sickness comes from exposure to micro amounts of this and that to let their bodies do what mother nature and evolution engineered them to do, be bottom feeder scavengers.

If some become ill, then they will be treated accordingly. It will be highly unlikely the illness will be life threatening because of having boosted immune systems.

 

[Chris2018]

Bottom line is that if you chickens have free access to oyster shells then adding ACV to there water is a wast.
There just going to intake more oyster shells to neutralize the acid in there system. NOW, that brings up a whole new problem by them to a point overdosing there system with to much calcium.

 

[snow5164]

Everyone has a strong opinion, I have an aunt that drinks acv each day ? My chickens get it because I clean their water feeders with plain old white vinegar, don’t have to rinse and the mould doesn’t show up.

I’ve used acv for aflock in the spring and winter when respiratory issues arise , it’s a natural product that does have benefits , no matter what those who have never tried it say ... I add it to my fermented feed everyday