Maine

[MEMama3]

Thoughts on Apple cider vinegar added to their water??

Beautiful day here and cleaning the coop apparently they only use their nesting boxes for pooping. Still no eggs They are 26 weeks old now.

I add it. I can't say as that it makes any marked difference, but it doesn't hurt and it keeps algae from growing...

 

[buckabucka]

Thoughts on Apple cider vinegar added to their water??

Beautiful day here and cleaning the coop apparently they only use their nesting boxes for pooping. Still no eggs They are 26 weeks old now.

I occasionally add ACV. At first, I tried using the very pricey kind with "the mother". But if the point is to acidify the water, I don't see why any vinegar wouldn't work. Maybe there is another purpose besides acidification, but that was my goal, since I had a rooster with gout and read that it might help him. He is gone now, at any rate. In the summer, I sometimes add a tiny bit of oxine.

Sorry for your lack of eggs. The days are so short now. They may start late, or they may hold off until February. My egg counts are still dropping each week.

 

[MEMama3]

I occasionally add ACV. At first, I tried using the very pricey kind with "the mother". But if the point is to acidify the water, I don't see why any vinegar wouldn't work. Maybe there is another purpose besides acidification, but that was my goal, since I had a rooster with gout and read that it might help him. He is gone now, at any rate. In the summer, I sometimes add a tiny bit of oxine.

The stuff with the mother promotes healthy bacteria. Hint: skim the mother from the expensive stuff and put it in cheap stuff. Let it sit for awhile and the cheap stuff will offer the good bacteria too.

 

[quailtrail]

Thanks!!!!!

 

[CoopChick719]

The stuff with the mother promotes healthy bacteria. Hint: skim the mother from the expensive stuff and put it in cheap stuff. Let it sit for awhile and the cheap stuff will offer the good bacteria too.

This is what I do. I bought a bottle of the good stuff then split the bottle in 2 with the cheap stuff, put it under the cupboard for a couple weeks.

 

[buckabucka]

Can you add the premium ACV to apple cider, or are you better off just adding it to other vinegar? I'm thinking the cheap apple cider vinegar is probably pasturized and "dead", so if you add the "mother" doesn't it have nothing to feed on? I'm not really sure how this works.

Does fermented feed offer the same bacteria? I have done fermented feed successfully, but I haven't done it for a while. I was getting tired of the mess, neglected the bucket for quite some time, and then it turned really nasty!

So, a long time ago I posted photos of a homemade nest box that I made out of corn stalks. Unfortunately, the chickens thought it was a giant snack and spent all their time trying to destroy it. Since I am stubborn, I insisted on trying again, this time with sticks, in hopes they won't find it so tasty. It was today's project:

I hope they'll use it!

 

[MEMama3]

So, a long time ago I posted photos of a homemade nest box that I made out of corn stalks. Unfortunately, the chickens thought it was a giant snack and spent all their time trying to destroy it. Since I am stubborn, I insisted on trying again, this time with sticks, in hopes they won't find it so tasty. It was today's project:

I hope they'll use it!

That is the coolest nest box I've ever seen!!!!

 

[lazy gardener]

If I was a chicken, I'd surely use it! I spent the morning working on the sun room addition to the coop. The girls helped me by running off with one of my drill bits. I'm having a hard time finding more than an hour or two to work on any outdoor tasks. Also mowed up some nice mulch leaves. The girls were delighted with them. I'm thankful for the nice weather this weekend. I have yet to put up their winter run, hoping the warm weather holds for a few more days. Have yet to pull their electric net fencing. Had a new yellow lab neighbor come through the yard today. Not impressed! Next project after the sun room: put up a chicken swing in the green house. I'm wondering if the extra vestibular stimulation provided by a swing will make my chickens extra smart!!

 

[buckabucka]

Thanks MEMama! The original inspiration was from a photo from Liberia, posted on a blog, "scratch cradle".

My first attempt looked like this:

Apparently, this looks like candy to a chicken!

I'm really hoping they'll use this new "box" without eating it! It does not have practical easy-to-clean features, but I just like looking at it.

 

[buckabucka]

Lazygardener, I've always thought about a chicken swing but never tried it! Have you had one before and did the chickens use it? Maybe that should be my next project.