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Apple Cider Vinegar

jamie

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This question comes up often ... "how much apple cider vinegar to add to my bird's drinking water?" ... A while back while I was at the vet's office, I found out that two of my birds have some budding yeast in their droppings. Everything else was perfect (blood, bacteria, physical exam, etc) so the vet did not see any need to use medications to treat this problem. It was not surprising to me, because they both eat lorikeet powder which has a higher amount of sugar in it, as compared to other parrot foods. So these birds often have issues with yeast.

His recommendation was to go back to adding apple cider vinegar to their water and recommended a ratio of 1/2 to 1 tablespoon per cup of water. In metric units, that would be about 15 ml apple cider vinegar in 240 ml water or 30 ml apple cider vinegar to 1 liter of water. I have decided to mix up a gallon to keep in the refrigerator. Using 1/2 tablespoon as basis means adding 8 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to a gallon of tap water. If I had a bigger problem to deal with, I would have increased the amount to 16 tablespoons per gallon of water.

I use Bragg brand of apple cider vinegar & get it at Whole Foods (also at other grocery stores). It's not very expensive. I think this 1 liter bottle was about $4.00. There are other brands and you can find it at all sorts of markets. This particular brand is unfiltered. Meaning it will be cloudy and contain a fluffy material. This is the bacteria that is used to create the vinegar.

Basically, when you make apple cider vinegar, you allow bacteria to convert the sugar in the apple cider to alcohol. Another type of bacteria converts the alcohol to vinegar.

The vinegar helps to acidify the digestive system in the birds and controls the overgrowth of yeast and other undesirable organisms.
 
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atvchick95

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1/2 to 1 tablespoon per cup of water
to me that sounds like a bit much We've used it for dieting (for humans) and its One Table Spoon for a normal sized glass(which i think is 16oz) and I couldn't hack it, it burnt all the way down

when i give it to my birds now that my kitchen is beside the birds room I don't have to use a gallon jug and a bucket to change their water

So i take all their water dishes , fill them all up at the same time line them up on my counter and put 1 drop per dish Most of my dishes are 10 oz I got a few that are 20 oz and just a couple every now and then that are smaller then 5 oz (not sure of exact size) those ones I barely put a full drop in though
 

jamie

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It does sound like a lot, however, the acidity is part of the benefit of using the vinegar in the first place. The more you dilute it, the more you reduce the benefits. At some point it will be diluted to the point where it is not doing any good at all. I will use this ratio for a week then go back to pure water for a week.
 

jamie

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It does sound like a lot, however, the acidity is part of the benefit of using the vinegar in the first place. The more you dilute it, the more you reduce the benefits. At some point it will be diluted to the point where it is not doing any good at all. I will use this ratio for a week then go back to pure water for a week.
The same thing is true when using vinegar for cleaning. I would not dilute white vinegar any more than 50/50 with water when using it as a cleaning solution. Some people also use straight vinegar for disinfecting surfaces. It's the acidity that kills the bacteria so you want to make sure that it is as acidic as possible.
 

Thugluvgrl187

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I use one tbsp of ACV to every 1 pint of water, if your bird is healthy. If he is having bacterial infection issues then I would use 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp per pint of water.
 

srtiels

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The vinegar helps to acidify the digestive system in the birds and controls the overgrowth of yeast and other undesirable organisms.
-----------------------------------------------------

It is a dual edge sword and is something that should be given short term only, to an immediate existing problem. The problem is that it does raise the PH levels in the body, which in turn can affect muscles and peristalitic action in the digestive tract. Probiotics then must to be used to correct the PH level so that the use of ACV does not cause an imbalance of the intestinal flora.
 

canarymerry

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i drink it myself and can only hack 1 tsp per cup short term. illiminating sugar from diet at least for a month allong with lots of vit c fruits n vegies like oj, lemon water, tomatoes, etc gets the yeast out too, but with a high alkali effect.
 

jim

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my vets recommendation was half that amount. 15 ml to a liter of water. Good stuff that ACV!!
 

Big Blues

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This question comes up often ... "how much apple cider vinegar to add to my bird's drinking water?" ... A while back while I was at the vet's office, I found out that two of my birds have some budding yeast in their droppings. Everything else was perfect (blood, bacteria, physical exam, etc) so the vet did not see any need to use medications to treat this problem. It was not surprising to me, because they both eat lorikeet powder which has a higher amount of sugar in it, as compared to other parrot foods. So these birds often have issues with yeast.

His recommendation was to go back to adding apple cider vinegar to their water and recommended a ratio of 1/2 to 1 tablespoon per cup of water. In metric units, that would be about 15 ml apple cider vinegar in 240 ml water or 30 ml apple cider vinegar to 1 liter of water. I have decided to mix up a gallon to keep in the refrigerator. Using 1/2 tablespoon as basis means adding 8 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to a gallon of tap water. If I had a bigger problem to deal with, I would have increased the amount to 16 tablespoons per gallon of water.

I use Bragg brand of apple cider vinegar & get it at Whole Foods (also at other grocery stores). It's not very expensive. I think this 1 liter bottle was about $4.00. There are other brands and you can find it at all sorts of markets. This particular brand is unfiltered. Meaning it will be cloudy and contain a fluffy material. This is the bacteria that is used to create the vinegar.

Basically, when you make apple cider vinegar, you allow bacteria to convert the sugar in the apple cider to alcohol. Another type of bacteria converts the alcohol to vinegar.

The vinegar helps to acidify the digestive system in the birds and controls the overgrowth of yeast and other undesirable organisms.
Does your vet recommend that amount for a specific period of time?
 

Renae

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I use 1 tablespoon, but my birds only get it twice a week.
 

Gen120

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my fids also get ACV a few times a week, a few drops in each of their bowls
 

J*M*L

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Ok, I'm confused. Should we use it ONLY if there is something wrong? I am having a hard time figuring out how much to use and how often just for prevention and to keep them healthy.
I put a half a cap full in their water bowl everytime I change it out just because I have smaller birds and they tend to poop in their water. I feel like this helps to keep it cleaner. I throw out most of the water when I change it out so it's not like they're actually ingesting all the ACV I put in it. (BTW, this is not advice, just letting ya'll know how I do it.)
 

srtiels

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Thanks, Vicki. I was going to ask the same question. Someone, please clarify.
--------------------------------------------

There is an old say: 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' This is true of preventative treatments. There would not be a need to use things preventatively if you first look for and try to eliminate the cause of the problem, if any. That's like closing the gate after the horse got out....so to speak.
 

identicaltriplets

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Yes, I am confused too whether or not to use it. My girls are on antibiotics now, and I am giving them Ben-A-Bac (sp). Should I be using vinegar weekly as a preventative?
 

Cynth

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Can birds have honey? If they can then the applecider V. mixed with honey and water will cleanse the bad bacteria and also be used as an antifungal agent and antibiotic. If cinniman is added it is even more benificial. I would assume 2-3 times a week in morning water would be best. I wouldn't do it for prolonged periods of time as it is very acidic and their little bellies need to produce bile and good bacteria.
 

atvchick95

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Can birds have honey? If they can then the applecider V. mixed with honey and water will cleanse the bad bacteria and also be used as an antifungal agent and antibiotic. If cinniman is added it is even more benificial. I would assume 2-3 times a week in morning water would be best. I wouldn't do it for prolonged periods of time as it is very acidic and their little bellies need to produce bile and good bacteria.

yes they can but very very little, and not very often because it does contain alot of sugar
 
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