Condy's Crystals ( Potassium Permanganate ). YES or NO!

[Misspolly57]

I have used this stuff before as an old chicken farmer said it was great.

I used it a couple of times in my chickens water. I made a "rough" estimate from what he told me and I made the water a nice dark purple. My chickens drank it. I had no problems with it in my flock, didn't see much benefit from it but then again I only used it every so often and only about 5 times.

I have recently been doing some research on ACV and the name Condy's Crystals came up so I did a search for that and found a heap of stuff on this subject.

But with all "old farmers tricks" there were extreme YES's and Extreme NO's for using this stuff.

So does any one have an opinion on this? Is it a YES or a NO?

A Parrot and Canary breeder I knew used it to worm his birds. He said.he had tested their poops before and after and swore by it.

 

[Kimmyh51]

I have used it with my ducks, when I have had spring outbreaks of mycoplasma in my large flock of adult birds. It has bern successful with no observed side effects.

However it is a STRONG oxidiser and in my opinion enough to color drinking water dark purple, or purple at all, is far too much. You only need enoughto color the water a pale lilac, only enough to see a slight colour change.

You also don't want to treat the water for more than a few days at a time, as most studies showing harm from it refer specifically to chronic exposure over a longer term.

With the ducks i put just a few grains in a clean plastic bottle or similar to dissolve in a few hundred ml of water, then put a 1-5 capfuls of the disdolved solution into the ducks water when refilling their plasticponds which hold around 100-110 litres of water. I wait till the pond is mostly full before I add it and i kick out ducks trying to get in early for a swim while the pond is refilling, and keep them out and away while i mix it in thoroughly. I put in enough to get a slight colour change in clean fresh water.

Having used this stuff at uni (chemistry and biochemistry at pre med level) for loads of reactions, trust me it is VERY strong stuff.


I read somewhere the fatal dose for a human is 20 of those small grains it comes in as crystals.

So in my opinion it definitely works and good to use if you have any health/disease issues in your flock, or during spring and warm weather, (and to help reduce any bacteria load from the fact ducks like to shit where they eat, swim and drink, lol), but PLEASE don't put it in so strong its dark purple, you don't need that much!

And only use for a few days at most, in all their drinking water at the pale lilac colour. I dont see any benefit in mixing it stronger, only risk to weaker birds.

For me it saves me hundreds in buying oxytetracycline in amounts large enough to treat my adult flock for respiratory infection and seems to be as effective as using veterinary prescribed oxytetracycline has been in the past (in fact my vet saud they would be interested to hear more about the results i have had with it). So now I keep the Oxytet or Tylosin for prophylactic use in ducklings, particularly those hatched in the warmer weather during later spring.

And on that note has anybody used potassium permangenate in the water for Ducklings?

I cant find any research on it in ducklings, or any personal experience, but this spring am having ducklings with some pasty poop issues (ducklings on no meds at all) which might be fungal so looking for an alternative to antibiotics as a mycoplasma prophylactic, given if any ducklings have any fungal issues, giving oxytetracycline will worsen the fungal infection.

If anyone has given it to chicks or ducklings id love to hear your experience?

 

[Altairsky]

I use it as fish emergency medicine. I had to buy it from Asia because it is forbidden in my country due to how poisonous it is. I've read it was forbidden because some kids mistaken the purple water for fruit juice, drank it, and died. I would never give it to my chickens because it is very toxic and it's too easy to mess up the dosage. Good disinfectant for external wounds, but internal use is a big no.

 

[Kimmyh51]

I use it as fish emergency medicine. I had to buy it from Asia because it is forbidden in my country due to how poisonous it is. I've read it was forbidden because some kids mistaken the purple water for fruit juice, drank it, and died. I would never give it to my chickens because it is very toxic and it's too easy to mess up the dosage. Good disinfectant for external wounds, but internal use is a big no.

You realise if you put it in your fish tank your fish will be taking it internally? (As well as bathing in it) and unlike ducks who could go find a muddy puddle to swim and drink in, your fish cant do that?

Anyway my real life experience with hundreds of ducks is they are fine and never had any issues. I have also never read or seen any studies or even heard any anecdotal stories of any poultry ever being harmed by it or becoming sick after their water was dosed with it (if anyone has heard of this, please post a url - I would like to read about anything like that)

But i certainly would never ever put in the water at any strength higher than what turns the water a pale lilac at most. In my opinion if it turns the water dark purple its at a too high dose, which is a potential risk to your birds.

 

[Altairsky]

You realise if you put it in your fish tank your fish will be taking it internally?

That is not how you use permanganate on fish, inform yourself before criticizing. Nobody sane would ever drop permanganate directly in a fish tank.

 

[Lauren86]

Just came across this thread. Condys crystals or pottassium permanganate has been used to treat botulism and prevent botulism in water sources historically.