Hi there! I've been reading all over BYC for a little while, but finally decided to make my first post. We are starting our foray into keeping birds by getting a dozen guinea keets this weekend, and hoping some of our incubating eggs hatch into Buff Orpington's and Olive eggers next weekend. The well water at our place has a high fluoride content, which is not great for growing kids, and therefore we assume not great for growing chicks and other animals? So we have planned on feeding our birds rain water, as we do with the pup (and plants, when we can). But our latest batch of rain water has yellow pollen in it. Is that okay to feed to keets and/or chicks? And is it a good idea to avoid giving them well water with high fluoride content while they are growing? What about after they are grown? Thank you in advance for any responses, and thank you for everything I have already learned just from reading many threads.
Welcome to BYC. I don't think that pollen is a problem. Pollen when digested is rather benign. There was a fad a few years ago promoting the benefits of ingesting pollen in fact, That to my knowledge was never either proved or disproved, but no one ever said it would hurt you. When my chicks are out with their mother scratching around they come in contact with all sorts of things, pollen among them, without a problem. If you are concerned maybe filtering it with just something a simple as a coffee filter would cut the amount down. Fluoride Beside harding the chickens' teeth and darken them, I don't know. Maybe someone else will chime in on it.
