Vinegar in chickens water.

[Fowl Wench]

Some people recommend only to use either plastic or glass waterer when using vinegar. I have a metal waterer. Don't know if its steel
Or aluminum. What will happen if I use vinegar in my metal waterer? Will it hurt my chickens and why?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

All vinegar including apple cider vinegar is fermented because all vinegar is spoiled wine, or malted and fermented grain that has been fermented to produce alcohol and then used to make brown or malt vinegar. In Latin vinegar means sour wine. Sometimes the fermented mash is distilled, and the resulting alcohol is diluted and then converted to white distilled vinegar by chemical means, even if that is a natural process is carried on by bacteria in the basement of your own house or in a big bad factory. Vinegar will retard algae formation, it will also dissolve egg shells, oyster shells, and dissolve some metals like aluminum and the zinc coating that comes on some chicken feeders and drinking fountains, so use it with caution.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Some people recommend only to use either plastic or glass waterer when using vinegar. I have a metal waterer. Don't know if its steel
Or aluminum. What will happen if I use vinegar in my metal waterer? Will it hurt my chickens and why?

Yes, use only plastic waterer when using ACV. The acid in the ACV will leach into the metal, destroying the metal waterer. It also puts the leached components into the water which isn't good for the birds.

Went to a restaurant recently and had a salad that tasted just like tin. Found out that the oil and vinegar dressing was stored in a metal container. The vinegar had leached the tin into the salad dressing. Yes, got my money back!

I do one tablespoon of unpasteurized ACV per gallon of water. I do it every time I change the water. I get Heinz brand unpasteurized vinegar at Walmart but I'm sure they also sell it other places.

 

[Fowl Wench]

Thanks Mtn Laurel and Chickengeorgeto for the advice with the vinegar in the water. Darnit though now I have to go out there and clean out my waterer and start over. I haven't tried a plastic waterer - we have a heated waterer stand that I assume would probably melt a plastic waterer. So, Mtn Laurel, up there in VA, how do keep the water in a plastic waterer from freezing in this cold weather? BTW, can you believe it's already this cold in the appalachians? brrrrr! We are freezing and it's technically still FALL!!!

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Thanks Mtn Laurel and Chickengeorgeto for the advice with the vinegar in the water. Darnit though now I have to go out there and clean out my waterer and start over. I haven't tried a plastic waterer - we have a heated waterer stand that I assume would probably melt a plastic waterer. So, Mtn Laurel, up there in VA, how do keep the water in a plastic waterer from freezing in this cold weather? BTW, can you believe it's already this cold in the appalachians? brrrrr! We are freezing and it's technically still FALL!!!

I know, can you believe this??!! It was 18 degrees this morning and - yes - all the waterers were frozen solid. So was the chicken poo on the roost and I couldn't even chip that stuff off. LOL! Had to wait for the mid-afternoon poop thaw!

Last year we made one of the cookie tin heaters and put a small bulb in it. Believe it was a chandelier bulb. It worked great and didn't get so hot as to melt the plastic. This year our setup is a bit different and it's not as easy to run electric to the waterer. We purchased a second plastic waterer and rotate them. It's a 5-gal. container but we only fill it about half full and that makes it easier to pick up. Switch them out in the early AM and in the afternoon if everything in the coop is freezing. Bring the cold one into the house to let it thaw and give the thawed one to the birds. When I think of it I bring the waterer in when I lock them up at night and put it back in the morning so it won't freeze overnight. Problem is I don't often think of it.

But I've only got 8 birds so switching out waterers is easy. If you have a larger flock, it would be more of a problem.

They're calling to add sleet, ice, and just enough snow to make everything slick as the devil for us tonight. Out to the grocery store to finish up the Thanksgiving shopping that I had planned for tomorrow! Can't wait to see what winter will bring if this Fall is any indication. ;-)

 

[crazyhen]

Wooley worms here predict long hard winter. Yuck!

 

[Concerned01]

Search apple cidar vinegar on here & you will find pages & pages of helpful info. It's great.

Basically, 1 Tbsp. per gallon of water, but only in plastic or glass waterers. But use unfermented ACV. You'll have to research the posts. Too much info to mention.  /img/smilies/smile.png

 

[Concerned01]

This might help your chickens cold lauranickerson

 

[Celtic Chick]

Search apple cidar vinegar on here & you will find pages & pages of helpful info. It's great.
Basically, 1 Tbsp. per gallon of water, but only in plastic or glass waterers. But use unfermented ACV. You'll have to research the posts. Too much info to mention.

Unpasteurized, I meant to say, not unfermented. Sorry for the confusion.

If your water heater doesn't get too hot, you might be able to use a plastic waterer with it. In the winter up here in WI, I forgo the ACV because I use metal waterers. I do add a little ACV to their oatmeal treat sometimes to compensate.

Another option: if you only need a 1 gallon waterer for your birds, a 1 gallon plastic waterer will fit inside a 5 quart heated dog water dish very nicely. Hope that helps.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/harris-farms-poultry-drinker-1-gal-capacity

 

[Chemguy]

Some people recommend only to use either plastic or glass waterer when using vinegar. I have a metal waterer. Don't know if its steel
Or aluminum. What will happen if I use vinegar in my metal waterer? Will it hurt my chickens and why?

If it is grayish and one of the widely available metal waterers, it is probably made of galvanized steel. The acidity of water with vinegar in it will lead to the leaching of metals into the water. For galvanized steel, this can mean that the water will contain higher levels of zinc. But, some of the other metals in the steel alloy can also be taken into the water once the protective zinc layer is etched away. If I remember correctly, the effect of high levels of zinc on chicken health is that the kidneys are affected (negatively). Oh, and the waterer will have a shorter lifetime.

I do not know if enough zinc would be leached from a metal waterer to cause a problem, but it is prudent to avoid finding out the hard way that not much is required.

FYI, soda cans and cans that contain acidic foods like tomato all have a plastic coating on the interior to avoid similar 'metals' problems for humans.