Apple Cider Vinegar – ACV for Chickens | Keeping Chickens: A Beginner's Guide (2024)

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) for chickens has had some very good press over the past decade. Much research has been done where ACV has been added to one group of chicken water and compared to the other "control group".

Chicken cider vinegar is acidic, and it is this acidity that means ACV is a mild antiseptic and kills a variety of bacteria. Furthermore, it is claimed to act as a mild antibiotic. Antibiotics kill infectious bacteria that can cause disease in chickens.

In addition to these benefits, apple cider vinegar is full of vitamins, minerals and trace elements that are beneficial for your chickens, but you need to be careful where you buy ACV - don't rush to Tesco just yet!

Apple Cider Vinegar – ACV for Chickens | Keeping Chickens: A Beginner's Guide (1)

Click on the image to purchase on Amazon

Apple cider vinegar has been shown to help chickens with stress, which is one of the leading causes of lowering their immune system and letting in disease. I use ACV at the following times:

  • To move house
  • Introduction of new birds
  • When snow falls on the ground (a stressful change in environment for chickens)
  • After a fright – for example a fox attack
  • After an injury
  • Once a month for a week for health benefits

You canbuy ACV from Amazon

Dilution rate of apple cider vinegar

ACV should be diluted at a rate of 2% in fresh drinking water. This is the same as saying 20 ml per liter. Be sure to use plastic water containers as they are acidic and will corrode galvanized containers. The normal feeding rate for chicks is one week per month to be beneficial. If you choose the first week of each month it will be easier to remember. Chickens and breeders can be given 0.5% ACV in water or 5 ml per liter.

Do you have any information about apple cider vinegar? Leave a comment below.

Apple Cider Vinegar – ACV for Chickens | Keeping Chickens: A Beginner's Guide (2024)

FAQs

Apple Cider Vinegar – ACV for Chickens | Keeping Chickens: A Beginner's Guide? ›

ACV should be dilluted at a rate of 2% in fresh drinking water. This is the same as saying 20ml in every litre. Make sure you are using plastic water containers because it is acidic and will corrode galvanised containers. The normal rate at which to give to chickens in order to be beneficial is for one week per month.

What is the ratio of apple cider vinegar to water for chickens? ›

Simple! Just add it to your chickens' drinking water. Dilute to a ratio of 2% apple cider vinegar in fresh water (that's roughly 20ml of ACV in every litre of water). One serving a week will suffice and don't forget to use plastic drinking vessels as the acid in apple cider vinegar will corrode metal.

How do I give my chickens apple cider vinegar? ›

Pour the 5+6mls of Apple Cider Vinegar into a large mixing jug and top up with 2lt of water. Stir the water and ACV mix well to distribute the vinegar through the water. Add the contents to your chicken drinker. If you have a 4lt Dine A Chook Lubing Drinker you will need to make up two batches to fill the drinker.

Can I spray my chicken coop with apple cider vinegar? ›

Stronger Cleaning Solution:

In a 2lt sprayer combine 60ml of baking soda with water. Add 150ml of white or apple cider vinegar. Mix together and then top with water. For areas on the floor where droppings have become a little stubborn.

Does apple cider vinegar help chickens lay more eggs? ›

Regardless of scientific proof, many chicken owners use ACV to bolster their flock. Many owners report a better rate of lay in their laying hens, an increase in water consumption, and better general overall health.

How does apple cider vinegar treat coccidiosis in chickens? ›

ACV has an anticoccidial effect in poultry. Causes a decrease in the number of coccidial oocytes in the faeces. aids in lowering the resistance to drug treatment.

What to put in chicken water to prevent algae? ›

AciMate claims to lower pH levels in water, eliminating algae and fungal growth. They claim to be cheaper to use and more effective than vinegar or any other household product as it comes in a concentrate solution, they say is 10 times stronger than Apple Cider Vinegar.

How to deworm chickens naturally? ›

Crush a couple of garlic cloves, skin and all, per bird and put them into a sock. Hang this in the water bucket and add a generous splosh of apple cider vinegar (proper live stuff with the mother). The garlic is for the worms, and the ACV for healthy guts. Its great to combine the two treatments together.

How to deworm a flock of chickens? ›

The easiest and quickest way is to feed the chickens Layers Pellets with Flubenvet. This is a worm treatment with pretty much a 100% success rate. We recommend 1kg of pellets with Flubenvet per bird, the same as you would feed a standard pellet. This should be fed for 7 consecutive days.

How often should you give chickens apple cider vinegar? ›

Dillution Rate of Apple Cider Vinegar

The normal rate at which to give to chickens in order to be beneficial is for one week per month. If you choose the first week of every month, it will be easier to remember. Chicks and growers can be given 0.5% ACV in water or 5ml per litre.

What kills odor in a chicken coop? ›

The best way to make a chicken coop smell better is to maintain a regular cleaning schedule. Some people prefer to use shallow bedding. If this is you, you should aim to replace the bedding once a week, using vinegar and water spray to neutralise any odours.

What does garlic do for chickens? ›

Amazing Health Benefits For Chickens. There are so many! By adding garlic and apple cider vinegar to their water you're going to prevent tons of sicknesses, worms, infections, and more in your chickens. And garlic is an egg laying stimulant, meaning garlic will encourage your hens to lay more eggs!

Are red pepper flakes good for chickens? ›

Red chili flakes can only irritate the digestive tract of. chickens, resulting in digestive discomfort and. unpleasant droppings. Keep it simple, folks.

Should I add anything to my chickens water? ›

If you do nothing else except feed your flock, collect eggs and lock them up at night in their coop, adding apple cider vinegar and garlic to their water is the single most important thing you can do for their health.

How much apple cider vinegar is in a gallon of water? ›

Combine 1 ½ cups ACV with one gallon of water and drink throughout the course of a day for an overall body and kidney detoxification. You can repeat this process for up to three days, but one to two days are generally sufficient.

How much garlic and apple cider vinegar for chickens? ›

Maybe for the first few days start with 1 clove of crushed garlic and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Work up to 3 cloves of crushed garlic and about 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar for a 10 liter water dish.

How much apple cider vinegar for chickens with sour crops? ›

Using probiotics in the flock's feed or water may help bring the crop microflora back into balance. Also, adding apple cider vinegar to the drinking water at a rate of 1 tablespoon per gallon of water may allow the good bacteria in the crop to out-compete the yeast.

How to treat diarrhea in chickens naturally? ›

Preventing and treating diarrhoea in chickens

Using probiotics and ACV in drinking water has also been linked to improved immune-response to common diarrhoea-causing parasites and diseases. In hot weather, avian electrolytes can also help prevent diarrhoea caused by heat stress.

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