Using Apple Cider Vinegar for Chicks? + Breed Questions

[snow5164]

The benefits of acv are great but the proportions we give birds must be watched. A table spoon in a 5 gallon waterer is enough.I
had a breeder that used her garlic press and pressed cloves into her wet chicken feed, yikes that coop must have smelled delicious

 

[Barbs Girls]

We have 2 RIR and one is sweet the other likes to peck my toes but that’s what you get for weari flip flops in the coop. Otherwise they aren’t bad at all. Our 2 Sapphire Gems are beautiful, a little loud but sweet! Our 2 Astralorps are very busy but like to jump on the bench with me and looks for ways to escape their run. Our ISA Brown is very sweet and likes to think she’s a lap chicken.

 

[Kiki]

I add apple cider vinegar during the summer to help the flock drink more water. They like the taste of it which makes them drink more.

And the garlic is what I use as a natural wormer

Do not believe that garlic will prevent or rid worms.
It is a myth.


Plain fresh water is best.
Too much ACV and you will start having problems with calcium deficiencies in your birds.

 

[Taliasun]

According to Storey's Raising Chickens, chickens like the taste of ACV so it can act as a hydration aid. Chicks might benefit from that encouragement since they experience some trauma in transportation. Storey's also points to the fact that the good bacteria in a chicken's GI like acidic conditions so it might aid in beneficial gut flora without having to add in probiotics. Storey's recommended ratio is 1 tablespoon per gallon of water.

 

[samzoost]

Thank you all for sharing your wisdom and caring about my chicks!! I appreciate it so very much.

I picked up my girls a few days ago and they'll be one week old tomorrow! I ended up getting a Golden Laced Wyandotte instead of the Rhode Island Red/Salmon Faverolle. My partner had gone with me to pick up the chicks and he couldn't get over that breed- so I figured why not! We've named the Golden Laced Wyandotte "Pebbles", the Ameraucana "Charlotte" (she's all white!), the Sapphire Gem is named "Jazz", and the Buff Brahma is "Samoa", or "Mo" for short.

To my surprise, the GLW is the sweetest of all 4 babies. She walks onto my hand when I offer it, and whenever I'm changing the water/food she's the only one to run up to me and give me a couple love/curiosity pecks. She also falls asleep standing up, in THE funniest places. She'll be right in the middle of a feeding frenzy with the other chicks pecking away, and the next thing you know she's dead asleep, her eyes closed... standing straight up. It's so funny to watch her almost fall over, wake up, and fall back asleep again The others run away in horror at the sight of my hand, and make sure to let me know vocally that they don't like me being all up in their business.

The farm I purchased them from is an hour away from where I live, so when I picked up the chicks I made sure to get pine shavings, electrolytes, and all the other stuff I'd need in the future. Well...I was a little too overzealous, trying to get the chicks home and in their brooder. I forgot the electrolytes AND the probiotics sitting on the counter at the farm. Whoops!

The chicks are doing great now, though, despite their lack of vitamins. The Brahma had pasty butt, which I got rid of after the first night. Now all 4 chicks are healthy, happy and getting to know, love...and tease one another!!

The Sapphire Gem is the most nervous of all of them. The Buff Brahma and Ameraucana are fairly neutral when it comes to my hand being in the brooder, but the moment I even step foot in the room, I hear the Sapphire Gem protesting my arrival. I hope she'll become more people-friendly, so for now I'm leaving her alone and letting her figure me out herself. I've let my hand sit in the brooder for a couple minutes and she's walked up to me out of curiosity...but the moment I move she runs for the hills. Despite this, I love all of their personalities so much! I could watch them run around the brooder and interact with each other for hours!

Thanks again for your responses and support. I wouldn't have felt as confident about bringing them home and keeping them healthy if it weren't for all of you. I tried uploading videos but they are too large, so I'll be taking pictures within the next week.

Enjoy the rest of your week

 

[PachecoPeeps]

Thank you all for sharing your wisdom and caring about my chicks!! I appreciate it so very much.

I picked up my girls a few days ago and they'll be one week old tomorrow! I ended up getting a Golden Laced Wyandotte instead of the Rhode Island Red/Salmon Faverolle. My partner had gone with me to pick up the chicks and he couldn't get over that breed- so I figured why not! We've named the Golden Laced Wyandotte "Pebbles", the Ameraucana "Charlotte" (she's all white!), the Sapphire Gem is named "Jazz", and the Buff Brahma is "Samoa", or "Mo" for short.

To my surprise, the GLW is the sweetest of all 4 babies. She walks onto my hand when I offer it, and whenever I'm changing the water/food she's the only one to run up to me and give me a couple love/curiosity pecks. She also falls asleep standing up, in THE funniest places. She'll be right in the middle of a feeding frenzy with the other chicks pecking away, and the next thing you know she's dead asleep, her eyes closed... standing straight up. It's so funny to watch her almost fall over, wake up, and fall back asleep again The others run away in horror at the sight of my hand, and make sure to let me know vocally that they don't like me being all up in their business.

The farm I purchased them from is an hour away from where I live, so when I picked up the chicks I made sure to get pine shavings, electrolytes, and all the other stuff I'd need in the future. Well...I was a little too overzealous, trying to get the chicks home and in their brooder. I forgot the electrolytes AND the probiotics sitting on the counter at the farm. Whoops!

The chicks are doing great now, though, despite their lack of vitamins. The Brahma had pasty butt, which I got rid of after the first night. Now all 4 chicks are healthy, happy and getting to know, love...and tease one another!!

The Sapphire Gem is the most nervous of all of them. The Buff Brahma and Ameraucana are fairly neutral when it comes to my hand being in the brooder, but the moment I even step foot in the room, I hear the Sapphire Gem protesting my arrival. I hope she'll become more people-friendly, so for now I'm leaving her alone and letting her figure me out herself. I've let my hand sit in the brooder for a couple minutes and she's walked up to me out of curiosity...but the moment I move she runs for the hills. Despite this, I love all of their personalities so much! I could watch them run around the brooder and interact with each other for hours!

Thanks again for your responses and support. I wouldn't have felt as confident about bringing them home and keeping them healthy if it weren't for all of you. I tried uploading videos but they are too large, so I'll be taking pictures within the next week.

Enjoy the rest of your week

Ahhh I’m glad your chicks are doing well. Love the breed choices and names you picked! Your Sapphire Gem should get more friendly over time. Mine seemed to a lot friendlier around 12-14 weeks.

Enjoy your babies and take lots of pictures!!

 

[samzoost]

Ahhh I’m glad your chicks are doing well. Love the breed choices and names you picked! Your Sapphire Gem should get more friendly over time. Mine seemed to a lot friendlier around 12-14 weeks.

Enjoy your babies and take lots of pictures!!

Thanks much. Will do!

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

Well...I was a little too overzealous, trying to get the chicks home and in their brooder. I forgot the electrolytes AND the probiotics sitting on the counter at the farm. Whoops!

So...... did they mail you the stuff??

 

[samzoost]

So...... did they mail you the stuff??

nope. and it's just not worth driving up there. id spend more on gas than on the supplements. just have to take the L but menards has some and i live closer to one so it's no prob!