Well, here are my thoughts... A bird that gets sick in conditions other birds tolerate is the very definition of unthrifty. Surviving illness does not make you thrifty. Never contracting it in the first place does.
Fresh things aren't always better. Living is the real key. FF is alive, like kefir and yogurt are alive. Also the FF contains not just bacteria and yeast which is what probiotics ARE but also PREbiotics, which feed the existing flora in the gut.
Let me post what is on my probiotic powder;
"Contains a source of live (viable) naturally occurring microorganisms.
GUARANTEE
Lactic Acid Bacteria* not less than 10 million CFU (colony forming units)/g
*enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus cassia, lactobacillus plantarum"
Now that sounds like... Lacto fermenting acid forming bacteria. Yep. Probiotics are the exact same thing in acid forming FF and UP/ACV. Which is the whole point of FF. Aside from that the ingredients contain surcrose (sugar) and dried whey... Yep. Exciting. I don't think sugar and whey wil reset the gut flora in your bird. But maybe?
It is another sign of untriftyness that it cant get better. Its immune system could be permanently compromised by this incident and you could have to work to keep acid levels down forever. Like someone with acid reflux or GERD, they will need their special low acid diet. Just because you can easilly provide a lower acid diet doesn't mean it is the right feed for the majority of healthy birds.
Now maybe you can give probiotics and be feeding the exact same thing that occurs naturally in FF, and maybe it will fix it and maybe if you never feed FF again it will stay healthy. But your bird cant get healthy on the same food all your other birds have to problems with, and it gets sick in the same environment other birds can handle... I am afraid that is the very definition of an unthrifty bird. And that is the music you will have to face whether you go back to dry feed for your now known to be special needs bird or not! Someday you may find the bird cant handle yet another thing that the other birds can. You alreadyknow it cant handle the same coop environment and the same feed... What next? No offence, mind. These are just the facts. If you wanna keep it, your call, just know what you have on your hands.
Fresh things aren't always better. Living is the real key. FF is alive, like kefir and yogurt are alive. Also the FF contains not just bacteria and yeast which is what probiotics ARE but also PREbiotics, which feed the existing flora in the gut.
Let me post what is on my probiotic powder;
"Contains a source of live (viable) naturally occurring microorganisms.
GUARANTEE
Lactic Acid Bacteria* not less than 10 million CFU (colony forming units)/g
*enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus cassia, lactobacillus plantarum"
Now that sounds like... Lacto fermenting acid forming bacteria. Yep. Probiotics are the exact same thing in acid forming FF and UP/ACV. Which is the whole point of FF. Aside from that the ingredients contain surcrose (sugar) and dried whey... Yep. Exciting. I don't think sugar and whey wil reset the gut flora in your bird. But maybe?
It is another sign of untriftyness that it cant get better. Its immune system could be permanently compromised by this incident and you could have to work to keep acid levels down forever. Like someone with acid reflux or GERD, they will need their special low acid diet. Just because you can easilly provide a lower acid diet doesn't mean it is the right feed for the majority of healthy birds.
Now maybe you can give probiotics and be feeding the exact same thing that occurs naturally in FF, and maybe it will fix it and maybe if you never feed FF again it will stay healthy. But your bird cant get healthy on the same food all your other birds have to problems with, and it gets sick in the same environment other birds can handle... I am afraid that is the very definition of an unthrifty bird. And that is the music you will have to face whether you go back to dry feed for your now known to be special needs bird or not! Someday you may find the bird cant handle yet another thing that the other birds can. You alreadyknow it cant handle the same coop environment and the same feed... What next? No offence, mind. These are just the facts. If you wanna keep it, your call, just know what you have on your hands.
