Electrolytes -- what kind, if any, best for chicks?

[Poppy Putentake]

Hi all,

I looked at the ingredients of two different kinds of commercial electrolytes, and noticed that they appeared to be quite different! "Sav-a-Chick" has Potassium Chloride as the first ingredient, while Durvet "Vitamins and Electrolytes" has Sodium Chloride first. Physiologically, Sodium and Potassium do different things physiologically, so these products don't appear to be interchangeable.

So, which of these products, if any, should I get; or should I use something different, or not even bother. I'm planning to get my chicks art a feed store that puts them in brooders with food and water until people (who order them in advance) pick them up, so they won't be getting their first drink from me anyway.

I have salt, sugar, and even Potassium Chloride (in the form of Morton "Lite Salt" in my kitchen and of course I could measure any of these out and add them to water.

What about stuff like Gatorade or kefir whey that also contain electrolytes, nutrients and (in the case of the whey) probiotics?

Friendly greetings to all,

Poppy

 

[Pork Pie]

Personally i would not worry too much about the contents, since they are designed for chicks. I have read that members use gatorade, but i would not suggest making your own concoction - I'd leave that to the companies that provide the electrolytes.

All the best
CT