Consolidated Kansas

[jhammett]

WOO HOO got my first egg yesterday and another today. I have 13 hens so one egg each day must be from an early bloomer???

 

[sharol]

WOO HOO got my first egg yesterday and another today. I have 13 hens so one egg each day must be from an early bloomer???

Exciting, isn't it? When my first chicks started laying, I hung out at the coop window watching to see who was laying. Each of them lays a unique egg so it was just a matter of figuring out who lays what color and shape. congrats.

 

[chicken danz]

Jhammett congrats on the eggs. How old are your birds and what breeds are they?
Okay guys here is some more information on that. This article says you should and you shouldn't. I think if you put ACV in their water every day you should reduce it some. Makes me wonder if my fermented feed is helping or hurting in this weather. This actually came from a pigeon book but I am sure it would apply here as well. They have virtually the same systems.
What is less well-known is that apple cider vinegar can be life-saving. Many have found that in hot weather the rate of breathing can increase, dramatically if it is very hot, and birds breathe rapidly with their beaks open. On such occasions the increased exchange of air causes more carbon dioxide to leave the blood than normal. This leads to acid deficiency, and so the blood becomes increasingly alkaline (breathing alkalosis). Initially this process generates bad disposition, dizziness, then nausea, and, if it becomes more extreme, death. In hot weather we pine for soft drinks with lemon and carbon dioxide in order to compensate for the acid deficiency. If at such times we give our birds water with apple cider vinegar, we can save their lives.
In prolonged heat we can achieve even more with a little apple cider vinegar than this. For in addition to the changing pH of the blood, potentially fatal processes are taking place in the digestive system.
Heat is a powerful stressor, but is bad for digestion in and of itself, as the vessels in the skin, lungs, etc. expand, while the vessels supplying the digestive system contract. Thus in hot weather consumption of food declines, meaning that good intestinal bacteria do not have adequate nutrition, and so the acid they produce also decreases. Meanwhile, as we have seen, the alkalinity of the blood grows, which is life-threatening. Simply put, the body attempts to compensate for this by taking acid away from the digestive system, further increasing its alkalinity. As the heat stress has already reduced the resistance of the digestive system, all these factors mean that conditions are ideal for the fast proliferation of bacteria lurking in the intestines.
Thus in hot weather there is every chance that a illness epidemic will flare up. In most cases, all this can be prevented by a simple acidification of drinking water with apple cider vinegar.
Like anything else, apple cider vinegar can be overdosed. In too great a quantity it can even damage good intestinal bacteria. The high quantity of acid absorbs calcium (lime) and removes it from the system, which results in motor and reproductive problems. So overdoses of apple vinegar should be avoided. The dose for 5% apple cider vinegar is 4-8ml per litre of drinking water, 1-3 times a week. If we administer it more regularly, e.g. in prolonged hot weather, we should choose a lower level of concentration.
If I were putting ACV in water I would probably reduce it. I am kind of wondering how much acidity my fermented food has. I put very little vinegar in accordingly to get it going but I am sure it produces some of it's own. I'd sure hate to do something to make things worse for them. I had some young turkeys get sick the other day in the brooder throwing up when it was 105. I am assuming that was this situation described. The babies haven't been getting fermented feed. I was giving it to them for a while but it is hard to judge how much to mix and I had some go sour on me. So I've just been feeding it to birds that have graduated from there.

 

[RoosterLew]

I was wondering the same thing about the FF Danz??

But so now...we have some saying NO ACV in heat and others saying yes?

 

[RoosterLew]

I think Im going to listen to Danz and go with reduced ACV

 

[chicken danz]

I'm thinking a lower concentration might be a good thing and not every day. If I read it right. I don't think I'll quit feeding the fermented feed. I think the benefits out weigh the side effects from excessive heat. I don't normally put ACV in the water anyway. The way I read it I would think a low concentration maybe every 2-3 days might still be a good thing. I can't find any university studies on the use of ACV in chickens in hot weather. I am sure they would be very informative.
The birds don't eat as well when it is hot so I doubt they are going to get an over dose of ACV in the fermented feed. Speeking of which it's time to go care for critters.

 

[Ralph Moyer]

I think that is pretty high and expensive! I was told by someone they'd sell $5/adult rabbit..

The last time I was at the Afton, OK Swap Meet someone was selling processed rabbits for $8.00 each.

 

[zigzag45]

Hi Guys,
I've been lurking for quite some and enjoying learning from you'all. I'm on my first attempt at back yard chickens and loving it so far. I have five brahamas (from Cackle) and three buffs (purchased when they were 12-14 weeks old).

I look forward to becoming more knowledgeable and being able to contribute.

My question for today is about bugs. My 5 year old girl loves carrying the chickies around, but she's getting eaten alive. My two year, who roams all the same areas of the yard, isn't getting bitten. That makes me think there is something on the chickens. Based on where she's getting bit (panty lines...), I'm thinking chiggars.

My birds roam my back yard most of the day right now, there is an unkept area behind the shed they might pick something up.

My mother-in-law is a big diatomaceous earth fan. I need to get a tub of sand for them. Should I try powdering them in D/E? Is there something stronger I should use?

Thanks!

 

[sharol]

I have 2 waterers for my 9 hens. One is a larger 4 gallon one in the coop that I refill every couple of days and the other is a smaller one that is in the run (in the shade). I put some ACV (a teaspoon or so) in the one in the run when I take out fresh water first thing in the morning. I usually replace it with a new one mid-afternoon if it is hot. The one in the coop gets about a teaspoon of ACV for every gallon I put in it. The only time I don't use it is in the heat of summer when it can get smelly by the end of the 2nd day. In that situation, I just don't put any in the coop waterer.

This summer is different. My broody has made her nest right next to the waterer on the floor. Smart bird can reach the water without leaving the eggs. While she is working on the eggs, I'm changing that one every afternoon and using the ACV again.

I understand the concern about shells, but my vet says that the ACV can discourage internal parasites and improves the general welfare of the hens, so I guess the shells will suffer a bit in the summer.

This discussion seems to be a little like the one about humidity in incubators. Many opinions, no definitive answers. I'm going with Danz, too. (just like I am with the humidity issue)

I think Im going to listen to Danz and go with reduced ACV

 

[sharol]

If they are lice, try Sevin. DE is fine as a preventative, but it isn't effective to get rid of an infestation already there. There is lots of info out there about finding lice if they exist, and I'm not the expert.

I'm not sure chiggers bother chickens. Anyone? Is she sitting down in the grass or on something in the run? In my experience, panty line bites come from the ground. I really hate chiggers. If you aren't averse to using bug repellent, it might help.

Hi Guys,
I've been lurking for quite some and enjoying learning from you'all. I'm on my first attempt at back yard chickens and loving it so far. I have five brahamas (from Cackle) and three buffs (purchased when they were 12-14 weeks old).

I look forward to becoming more knowledgeable and being able to contribute.

My question for today is about bugs. My 5 year old girl loves carrying the chickies around, but she's getting eaten alive. My two year, who roams all the same areas of the yard, isn't getting bitten. That makes me think there is something on the chickens. Based on where she's getting bit (panty lines...), I'm thinking chiggars.

My birds roam my back yard most of the day right now, there is an unkept area behind the shed they might pick something up.

My mother-in-law is a big diatomaceous earth fan. I need to get a tub of sand for them. Should I try powdering them in D/E? Is there something stronger I should use?

Thanks!