Apple cider vinegar

[Donna et]

I don't. They've never had mites.
My birds bathe in dirt and broken down wood chips.
DE isn't going to prevent or treat mites either ...

Mine havnt had them,I just didn't want to buy stuff that actually isn't needed I have dust baths with sand de powder and wood Ash but they prefer to roll around in the dirt.

 

[AGeese]

I'm praying I don't see mites. My first hatch of day olds got a little bit of ACV in their water I changed out each morning. I also gave them just a smidge of garlic power, they didn't care about the ACV, I think they weren't real fans of the garlic, and I'm no so sure about using that further or again.

But I saw no adverse reactions, although I used very little of each and not for long. I stuck with the probiotics from Meyer and then finally just stopped using anything, but until they were pullets I changed out their water daily. Now I have drinkers that don't back fill and dump the gunk easily until they get low.

They seems to be picky drinkers, they prefer fresh water. Maybe that's why or maybe I babied them heh.

 

[Lizzy733]

De does work well for mites, but they do need to be 'covered' (as in your white chicken looks grey now covered) and it only works dry. I had one recently passed my way with a heavy mite load. She got a bath with flea shampoo, a blowdry, and when she still had mites after that, I made sure she was bone dry and caked on the DE. She needed a light touch up the next day and then, no more mites. Been mite free for a week now. Always use this in the nest box at the first sign with my super broody too, safe to have around hatching eggs as well.

ACV is a 'scoby' product, like kombucha, which stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. It forms a 'pancake' of rubbery or 'boogery' cells which break down the natural sugars in the apple and essentially unlocks the vitamins in the fruit, leaving it in an easily digestible form, so think of it like a splash of vitamins. It being vinegar also provides a few health benefits by itself and can kill some other yeasts and bacteria, like the kind that causes sour crop, though I would use white vinegar for that if I didn't have any other fungicide available.

The 'with mother' is unpasteurized and will contain traces of the scoby, which make the mixture look dirty. It'll still be alive and may grow over time. This can even be used to start off your own culture if you ever wanted. Scobys are easy to keep alive and DIY your own in a cupboard, like homemade kombucha and only need a bit if a top-up of sugars once a week to keep going.

The bacteria in a scoby are considered 'good' bacteria, which is where the probiotic effect comes in, though with a bird in distress, I'd lean towards using an avian-specific probiotic like polyaid. Yogurt in a pinch, but yogurt is dairy and they are not mammals, so this can be a bit harder on their digestive system. Essentially, acv is more something you use on a healthy bird or add to give the flock a bit of a boost, like in extra hot weather.

When I do it, I put in a splash or a capful depending on the size of the waterer, but am loose with the measurements. Please note you should 'never' add acv to waterers that contain any metal, including spring-style autofill cups. It reacts badly with the metal and causes it to leach into the water, which you do not want. Try a capful in a glass of ice water yourself. It's quite refreshing, especially on a hot day.

 

[CarolynD13]

Lizzy733, thank you for this! I am a 100% believer in DE because it kills soft bodied insects, including mites and lice. DE looks like shards of glass under a microscope and it cuts them to death. But yes, the animal has to be completely dry.

 

[amanda wilson]

Hi does anyone know the ratio of apple cider vinegar to water as directions for use is so conflicting, I just want to add some to there water as a)A treat and b) for good health. Thanks everyone

1 to 2 Table Spoons per Gallon of fresh water. But don't use plain apple cider vinegar! You have to use the one with the 'Mother' in it. That's where all the good probiotics live. They are good for the Crop and the Gizzard.
I have read recently that putting in less than 1 TBS per Gallon can be worse than not adding any. Not sure why. They didn't explain.

 

[DobieLover]

1 to 2 Table Spoons per Gallon of fresh water. But don't use plain apple cider vinegar! You have to use the one with the 'Mother' in it. That's where all the good probiotics live. They are good for the Crop and the Gizzard.
I have read recently that putting in less than 1 TBS per Gallon can be worse than not adding any. Not sure why. They didn't explain.

Where did you read this? There is no data the supports these claims about the supposed health benefits of adding ACV to a chicken's diet.
It can be useful for treating sour crop and to reduce/slow algae build up in waterers and that's about where the benefits end. I wouldn't want to add anything to the birds' water source that may inhibit consumption.

 

[eng6trk]

I believe I read this same thing (about ACV w Mother) in a book called Fresh Eggs Daily by Lisa Steele