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as to the rest of the science? Chicken's digestive systems work best with a certain acidity. If you happen to be from an area whose water is particularly basic, acidifying the water will help to adjust the pH to the desired range. How much to add? Depends on the pH of your water, and the pH of your vinegar.
That (and the potentially beneficial gut bacteria) is where this ancient recommed gets its start. But as @nuthatched correctly observes above, if you are using municple treated water, there's good chance you see 0 benefit from including some vinegar with live culture, and there's a good chance your pH isn't so far from target that adjusting it will result in benefit only in that you get extra exercise in walking out to the coop routinely adding measured amounts to the chicken water.
Effectively, its an old regional adage which is inapplicable to most people in most locations now. But it has staying power.
The desired pH, btw, is around 6.5 - its basically the same range desired by the vast majority of plant life we grow. I'm sure there's reason for that.
I'm guessing that's a no in even stainless steel waterers? We've been doing it for over a year but will stop immediately if it's bad for them.Apple cider vinegar, with the "mother." That has the probiotics for their gut. A couple tablespoons per gallon is the amount I've heard. There is considerable debate on this topic.
Another reason is to keep water from growing algae in the warm weather.
DO NOT add vinegar (or any acid) to a metal waterer.
Vinegar basically will corrode it. Stainless steel will take longer to corrode than metal will. If you aren't seeing anything in a year though I wouldn't worry about it. When using only a tablespoon or two of vinegar to a gallon, that's pretty diluted.I'm guessing that's a no in even stainless steel waterers? We've been doing it for over a year but will stop immediately if it's bad for them.
I think the biggest concern is in galvanized metal waterers because they can get zinc poisoning, but I wouldn't recommend stainless steel either...I'm guessing that's a no in even stainless steel waterers? We've been doing it for over a year but will stop immediately if it's bad for them.
Thank you. We have a stainless beer keg hooked up to a stainless bowl with a plastic float valve for a water supply, plus a small plastic one as well. I haven't noticed any corrosion but that's not to say it isn't happening. I have seen "stainless steel" rust when I was building trucks though. Depends on quality of manufacturing.Vinegar basically will corrode it. Stainless steel will take longer to corrode than metal will. If you aren't seeing anything in a year though I wouldn't worry about it. When using only a tablespoon or two of vinegar to a gallon, that's pretty diluted.