Supercharging Their Water

[Welsummer Rancher]

Does anyone here add vitamins or electrolytes to their chicken's water? If so, what do you use, and where do you buy it? Thanks in advance for any responses.
Mark

 

[sunflour]

I have only needed this recently for an ill hen who was stressed, had nothing on hand and used PowerAde instead. She really liked the Blueberry one. Some folks recommended this or Pedialyte. The only commercial product I have seen was at TSC for Chicks.

I do add ACV, although not every day, to their drinking water during summer months. Supposed to help with heat stress?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I've used the vitamin and electrolyte concentrate on the following link. I may try the Aviacharge next.
https://www.strombergschickens.com/prod_detail_list/Poultry-Vitamins-Supplements

It isn't for regular use though. Just for times of stress.

I also use the following probiotic powder occasionally, especially for baby chicks. It is formulated specifically for chickens.
http://www.gro2max.com/

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Your feed supply store will have vitamin and electrolyte powder mix. Usually I found it in yeast size packages and that worked great. Could buy it in strips of 3 packs and would be more than enough for newly hatched chicks and again used in heat of summer. In my new location it came in what's probably near half pound package. Let's face it, that's a bit much, as I looked for it just now in the cupboards to write down the name brand couldn't find it which is what I'm thinking is going to occur every time I need it. Was only $4-5 and with a long search to locate will probably last years.

I use it for less than first week of chicks life then fill a water fountain once or twice a week in dog days of August. You'll notice less feed intake during those few weeks when temps hit 90F, that's when I give some powder to water.

 

[Welsummer Rancher]

Thanks to all for the replies. I reckon I need to go to the feed store.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It might be valuable in the heat of Texas. But if the bulk of the diet is chicken feed, added vitamins aren't normally necessary.

 

[ladyearth]

I give mine everyday esp during these summer days "LIFE LYTE"
I take a tablet and break it in fourths... cause one of those tablets are supp to be for 1 gallon of water.. I use quart size containers like 4 or so around the runs and shelters etc on their big Fenced in area. Plus scatterd pint or so glasses held in "racks" etc tied to different fencing areas(in the shade of course) plain water, filtered like for us....
Plus I also use "egg booster" supplement . some are from "Duravet". expensive like 9.00 dollars a small bottle. BUT the bottle has a real small scoop. so its last a LONG time...
the products are supp to be electrolytes and vitamins etc....probiotics
I dont care if their feed has such.. I give it anyway. cause they also eat "fermented grains" and dry grains etc....Unfortunately they aren't finding a whole lot of bugs right now cause of this BLASTED dry spells....
I also have been fermenting their organic NON SOY feed now, too....
If I could trust them I would let them in the WOODS, well edges of anyway.... where it is whole lot moister.. but the edges are lots of wild Blackberry bushes and honeysuckle swallowed stuff plus who knows what is lurking in there. It is so thick now with underbrush ( from the earlier heavy rains) cant see inside to the creek...
Kitty KAT...drug up a frog or toad...and ate it from the woods. I told Kitty to bring up some crawdads for his chickens>>>>>(he just looked at me... he eats hard shell big bugs himself. since he is an outdoor only KAT......
just a sayin yall