I started doing the vinegar thing on my flock. I put a plastic 1 galon bowl with 1tbs vinegar in the water inside their run and two bowls of fresh clear water outside the run. When they wakeup in the morning the drink the water w vinegar until we open the run. The rest of the day they drink fresh water. Seems to work great.
Thank you for the suggestion. We started mixing some acv into our chickens' water and shortly after they seemed to stop laying eggs. Before then they were all laying regularly. We have 7 chickens but lately we've only been finding between 0-3 eggs/day. We were thinking that they had found a different place to lay. But maybe this is the issue. We'll stop adding acv for a while to see what happens.
Hey! Great test. Make a note of when you made the changes and see, if we’re right it should remedy within three days. (If you’re in summer now, the heat often slows down laying too as the hens try to keep from overheating). ✌🏻❤️🐓
@@realsimplemama We made the change and within a few days there was a slight increase in egg production but we're still lower than we were before I started adding the vinegar to their water. I c an't help but think there was some kind of correlation between low egg production and vinegar in the chickens' water.
I just purchased my first birds from a local farmer. The birds are young, just started to lay. Not knowing much about the environment from which that came from, I put a third cup of ACV in their 5 gallon water bucket. I plan to leave it for a week and then I’ll change to straight water. Hopefully, it will give their insides a nice cleansing. Thank you for the details.
I feed mine a primarily a 3 day fermented grain mix in the morning, usually some fresh clover, assorted dandelions, leftover salad greens in afternoon. They have free access to oyster shell and 18% organic layer pellet feed and a rain water all day. We had our first soft shell egg today, it freaked me out when I reached into the box to grab it...flinched like it was the egg opening up in Alien haha. Anyway, these girls are 6 months old, so pretty new layers...hoping the soft shell issue won't be a common occurrence. Thanks for your vids, love the info. PS: seeing quite a few double yolkers too.
My friend I just started chicken keeping a few weeks ago, our white leghorn had some glitched eggs at the beginning, also soft shells. I remember reading in the internet calcium additive helps (oyster shells, we also crumble their egg shells and feed them back) the soft shells stopped instantly and my mother even worried that the shells got too thick lol
Hey woman! You have the right kind of ACV that’s what I use for my girls & for my self. Works great! For myself I take.... 1 cup of warm/cool water 2 Tablespoons of ACV (shake bottle to mix what’s laying on the bottom) (the good stuff) lol 1 teaspoon of raw honey Mix & drink. It’s nasty but wow does it work, it brought my cholesterol down, & I lost 37 lbs, just over all it cleans your body, so since I know it makes me feel better, I know how the chickens feel!?😂 great video!
@@AcreFarm2147 Thank you Nikki , I appreciate you answering me ..I think I am going to try this...you are so kind to give me answers and so promptly. I thank you so very much..Be blessed and be a blessing. Janis in Sabinal.
Thank you so much for your informative video. Looking forward to the rubber eggs I'm having an issue! This is my first go-round so thank you for all your help keep up the good work!
Oh man I hope this helps! Do be cautious of adding ACV all the time, especially in the summer, as it can weaken egg shells with prolonged use. I normally will put it in one batch of fresh water, but then do plain water the next go around. I also now use Rooster Booster in their water once a month, it’s a vitamin supplement. Everything in balance!
@@realsimplemama thank you for your reply. I've not tried any apple cider vinegar yet. I'll have to look for rooster booster. I'm only giving them a broad-spectrum multivitamin. I think I was giving them too many treats so they were not eating their food. I have uped there oyster shells and cut down on that treats and it seems to have stopped but not sure of the cause. It's my first year with them.
If you can help me with another issue I'm having. One of my chickens is having occasionally a prolapsed anus. I've managed to get it back into her 2x.. With warm water , sugar water, Preparation H warm towel. Seems to happen after She lays an egg. Is a situation where someone would eliminate the chicken or it's just something you maintain and watch for? Any other suggestions on how to manage the situation how to avoid it? Why does it happen?. As you know the other chickens go after her when this happens. Thank you
Eesh this is tricky. You’re right in that it’s part of a reproductive issue. I can’t tell you whether or not to cull the bird but I don’t think it’s realistic that you do all the care for her each time she lays an egg. You can soak her in a warm Epsom salt bath before you re-insert it but I’ve not heard of it ever being “cured” unless there’s a surgery maybe?
As far as prolapse it's often a young hen just starting to lay. Young hens tend to lay larger eggs which is usually the problem. As far as thin or no shell on the egg can be a calcium deficiency or again new layer. Try upping their calcium by adding oyster shell calcium and for treats give them soldier fly larva, which have a higher calcium content.
So I have a hen who's butt is always dirty. I clean it and about day 3 it's dirty again. She seems fine, is she just to fluffy back there? Could it be a gut issue and I could possibly use ACV to help?
If she’s a bigger breed I would just keep her trim, here in my side of the world it’s getting hotter and the chickens will be drinking more to stay hydrated and cool. So maybe a little cut back there? How does the rest of the flock look?
Good Moring Mama, Thant's for the ACV update. Like you I have been giving ACV to my girls well in June it will be one year every time I change there water ( 3 times a week ). This being May 2nd Ill stop doing it for one month maybe? Well lets say no more till the 15th and then only once about that date. Well later! Oh by the way. You know what I'm going to ask.... AND THE NAME OF THE NEW COOP IS?????????????
Some times I add small amount of raw honey to there water occasionally. I also have plain fresh plain water available they can choose which ever they want
I add braggs to mine a capful per gallon along with fulvic acid minerals liquid form my chickens do very well with it I add dry dry form of fulvic acid minerals to there dry food. I also do the same for my dogs and cats
ACV is Good pro-biotics. I've heard, in 'passing' about not using it in the summer, but didn't think anything else about it. We had 3 chickens and one (the Ameraucana) laid soft shell eggs (especially at night) and every 2 weeks or so we got an egg and the shell was thin and had rough spots on it. Free range calcium available. ACV was almost always in the main waterer...but the 2 Australorps never had an issue.
I have a question regarding the deep litter method that I use in my coop. I am ready to clean my coop out after about nine months of turning and adding pine chips or bedding. Will this break down in the soil ifI till in real well and how long will it take.If you or anyone has any suggestions please let me know thank you
Hi! I have never used the deep letter method personally because my space is not designed to being able to try it, but chicken poop takes between six and nine months to completely break down before it is usable for plants. If you put it on too quickly, the ammonia in the droppings will actually burn your plants. I hope that helps!
What type of run ground material do you use?? I'm in the North East and heard I need straw for the coop, scratch, and apple cider vinegar all winter......Sara,, I have fallen down this rabbit hole without chickens...just rabbits! sOS for me and the chickens!
Hmmmm... I’m guessing that straw is really insulating which isn’t a bad thing. I honestly just have dirt in the run, with peat moss to help with absorbency. And lol with your SOS! 🐓🐇 but cheap sand or dirt (coarse, no additives) would work too!
Hi thank you for this video, great learning about acv. I’m just a beginner. Doesnt even have chickens yet but they will arrive very soon. 15 heads, a month old. My question is what is probiotics, how do you explain it? Can our chickens get it from this beautiful acv?
Hi there! Probiotics have to do with good gut health, I explain them to my kids as good bugs that help your digestive tract. They are bacteria. The problem is that when we do something like take an antibiotic, the medicine cannot discern between the good bacteria and the bad, so it just kills everything. A probiotic puts the good bugs back, and there’s not really a way to overdose on it so there is not a danger. If I am remembering correctly, ACV would not have probiotics in it, that would come more from Greek yogurt and that sort of thing. Which you can also give your chickens as long as it is not expired and has no extra sugar or flavor in it :-) I still like ACV especially on The change of the seasons, like when it starts to get cooler, to help my chickens have a stronger immune system. But I do not use it constantly, your chickens also just need plain water sometimes especially for the health of their eggshells.
real simple mama hey thank you. Btw i have another question, does the rain water okay to drink by our chickens (yes also with acv)? I dont want them to drink water from the faucet as much as possible cos there is chlorine. And please if you have any advice or tips on how to get rid of this chlorine pls teach me, if you have the simplest way that would be great and greatest if no need to buy it. Thanks so much
I would think Rainwater is great as long as the way you were collecting it is extremely clean, I would not give them the water if it is running off of your roof and bringing sediment with it and that kind of thing. There are RO units or dechlorinators that you can get but I do not know enough about that to tell you if it is affordable or if the water additives would be safe for chickens.
Honestly I wouldn’t do it at all until they’re fully feathered. I don’t know enough about the potential risks and it’s not something they need IMO if they’re in a brooder!
It’s possible she got pecked by accident if it’s only the one eye. I’d keep it clean and give her some electrolytes in her water. If she starts to sneeze or breathe loudly, then you’ll need to treat her.
Let me know how she’s doing or you can send me more details/photos at theMama@realsimplemama.com - I don’t have a lot of experience with disease in chickens but i can try!
I have a silver laced Wyandotte hen, I don’t know what’s wrong with her. When she tries to walk her head and neck are hanging down so much it flipped her over. What do I do
Her head Just hangs all the way down, and then she tries to put her face under her neck. When she stands up to try and walk her head flips over and so does her body
Honestly I’d get info from an avian vet or look on a forum about wry neck help. I would suspect that’s what it is but I don’t have experience or qualifications in treatment. I’m sorry! :(
There’s coarse sand in there, fireplace ash, and a bit of diatomaceous earth! It’s really soft and I keep that place nice and clean. (The rest of the ground, well, it is what it is!) 🤪
@@realsimplemama Thank you so much for your quick response. I so so wish you were my neighbor. I just adore you and your videos! God bless you girlfriend! What do you think about using Pete Moss?
I love it!!!! It’s soft, it smells nice, and it makes SUUUUUCH a difference with rainy season and mud. It can be expensive if you want to cover an entire large run but I really like it. I have a video or two here about it too - search peat moss And I wish we could all be neighbors in a chicken-tender homestead!
I used to add it quite frequently but now I only add it every four water changes or so. If you do some reading on your own you will find that a lot of people link over usage of this with weak eggshells and other issues, so it is best to give your chickens plain water for a while or water with vitamins like rooster booster, and only use this sporadically. I also hardly use it in the hot weather because I think it exacerbates the problem with weak egg shells.
Of course! And I feel embarrassed because this is an old video and I have learned a lot since then. I will make a quick video about all kinds of water additives for your chickens, in the next few days. And I will tell you everything I have learned! I am sorry that this video was not more helpful.
Hi again! I will do a video about this too. The bottom line is that if you have chickens and chicken food, you probably do have mice around. But they should not normally be a problem. I personally have only seen signs of mice once and they have never been a danger or a threat to my flock. I would assume that they are a bigger problem in the colder months when food is harder to find. And I have heard that they can chew on chicken feathers. But they are not really big enough to hurt a grown bird, or steal eggs, or anything like that. If possible, make sure that your food is sealed up within at least one container so that they cannot smell it, and make sure you are using only hardware cloth all around your coop! I hope that this helps a little bit!
Hi Sarah, what would you use if you see worms in their poop, after given them applecider and garlic in their water once a week for 2 weeks, i have 3 hens, 11 weeks old, and i know the one that has the worms, shes not been right since we got them 2 weeks ago. I cant seem to find growers flubenvent pellets, so lost for what to do :/ I would phone a vet, but its saturday evening in the uk here. sorry to be a pain Thank you. x
Hey! I would get ivermectin which is a liquid medication you put on her back. It absorbs into her skin and then bloodstream. I have videos about it so you can search for it here. And I’d treat everyone. Unfortunately ACV and garlic are nice preventatives but won’t kill an active worm infestation. Good luck and let me know if you need more help!
WOW very iformative vdo Now i will start ACV for my hens. One thing hope you wont mind, your speed of talking, sometime i can not catch you and backward the vdo and open subtitle to understand
Yes this is an old video and I’m working on not talking too fast! Thank you for being so respectful and for helping me be better. Also note that I’ve done a bee video about water additives for chickens - I do still use ACV but not much in the summer as it can weaken egg shells.
No no, i like hearing constructive criticism but it’s hard when people are unkind about it. I don’t take well to some of the people on here who have been cruel and totally unhelpful! You were completely respectful and helpful, and I appreciate you so much.
You are like me then, a very empathetic and worrying heart! I know it’s hard to tell sometimes through text comments. And I apologize for being up in arms a bit, I had some offensive disrespectful people on here recently I had to ban. I want this channel to be a safe place for anyone who’s kind and curious and loves animals and plants! You are welcome here. ❤️🌻🐓
You’re welcome! That’s just what I do and not necessarily the official verdict. But I would say it’s better to do it not enough, than to do it too much. (Can cause issues with soft shell eggs.) Let me know what you think!
@@realsimplemama i found some links on it. I will email them to you. I usually use it diluted with some water when I rinse my hair. ACV is good for so many things, and under utilized. I bought it for the chickens.. now I use it for me as well lol
I finally found a way for my thin hair and how to not smell like it! I wash my hair first, rinse, ACV, rinse then condition. It’s really soft and very clean for quite a while!
@@realsimplemama I don't do the surgery. But I have always had luck massaging the crops, even if they have gone too far and become huge and hard, and I try to stay on top of them so that they don't get so bad. Best times are first thing in the morning before they get moving, or at night when they begin to roost. I especially like to do it at night so they have time to clear their crops before morning. Be careful when you feel some gravel, usually near the bottom of the crops. It can really irritate them to move it around, but, I think it still must be included in the 'treatment.' Ensure that all parts of the gummy mixture are included (and the idea is to separate the gumminess as much as the birds will allow you to) , which means you need to feel with finger or thumb BEHIND the crop, or, like between the crop and the spine, and higher up. It is easy to miss if not thorough because it is as if some of the clumpiness likes to 'hide' there. In the cases where I have neglected the birds for too long and find the huge/hard crops, I basically work the crop as much as the bird will let me, with the goal of separating just some of the matter from the core per massage, and I do that at least twice a day until it becomes manageable again. So, if you can't treat the entire mess at once, doing just a partial job, just as much as you can in one shot, and letting them 'rest' still works very well if you get back to them later.
@@valentiner61 This is such amazing advice. This is one issue I haven't had to deal with yet but I love learning techniques and strategies BEFORE it becomes an issue. So how do you get the feeling that a chicken has an impacted/blocked crop? Is it just visibly enlarged or are there other signs? Thank you so much for taking the time to type this out and teach us. I'll always remember this.
You need to get them on medication immediately. Google cocci or fowl pox and see if that sounds familiar, then see where you can get the proper dosage. Treat the entire flock.
Hi! This is the fairest article I’ve found. Vinegar can help with eradicating bacteria (for the ACV it’s with helping with the crop, but I use white vinegar for cleaning their water and other things too). www.redfeatherfarm.net/nutrition/supplements/raw-apple-cider-vinegar-folklore-fact/
I did a silly “Chicken Diversions” video with cute ideas to help chicken entertain themselves and not get bored (they can start to bully or get anxiety). Mirrors from the dollar store - they’re fascinated with their own reflection!
@@realsimplemama i see, i might try that myself, exept im worried bc latley my rooster had been attacking me more wouldnt it make them more agressive ?
Hi! That wooden sign was painted by a dear friend and reads “Beware Tiny Dinosaurs Roam These Grounds” (or something to that effect, the paint has been worn away!)
Make sure that they’re getting enough food (calcium and protein) and try to collect eggs more often. You can also put out dummy eggs or close up that nesting box for a while. See if you can find out who’s doing it, you may have to quarantine for a while.
Hi. I’m very new to raising chickens. Your videos are helping understand the whole chicken thing better. Thank you.
Yay congratulations! ✌🏻❤️🐓
Very informative and well said
If it got sold I hope they stay true to the recipe I use in my food and my chickens!
I started doing the vinegar thing on my flock. I put a plastic 1 galon bowl with 1tbs vinegar in the water inside their run and two bowls of fresh clear water outside the run. When they wakeup in the morning the drink the water w vinegar until we open the run. The rest of the day they drink fresh water. Seems to work great.
I do love the way you talk.... wow 1000 words a scent.!
I am planning to have chickens within the year so great video
Just got some leghorn chickens in the San Antonio area as well they're doing great
Thank you for the suggestion. We started mixing some acv into our chickens' water and shortly after they seemed to stop laying eggs. Before then they were all laying regularly. We have 7 chickens but lately we've only been finding between 0-3 eggs/day. We were thinking that they had found a different place to lay. But maybe this is the issue. We'll stop adding acv for a while to see what happens.
Hey! Great test. Make a note of when you made the changes and see, if we’re right it should remedy within three days. (If you’re in summer now, the heat often slows down laying too as the hens try to keep from overheating). ✌🏻❤️🐓
@@realsimplemama We made the change and within a few days there was a slight increase in egg production but we're still lower than we were before I started adding the vinegar to their water. I c
an't help but think there was some kind of correlation between low egg production and vinegar in the chickens' water.
Always learning something new, great video
I just purchased my first birds from a local farmer. The birds are young, just started to lay. Not knowing much about the environment from which that came from, I put a third cup of ACV in their 5 gallon water bucket. I plan to leave it for a week and then I’ll change to straight water. Hopefully, it will give their insides a nice cleansing. Thank you for the details.
That's way too much
@@cecilitaH You’re right. That was 2 years ago. I was new. LOL!! Now it’s like two or three teaspoons per 5 gallons.
Thank you guys for helping each other! I love that we’re all always learning from one another. Me included! ✌🏻❤️🐓
I feed mine a primarily a 3 day fermented grain mix in the morning, usually some fresh clover, assorted dandelions, leftover salad greens in afternoon. They have free access to oyster shell and 18% organic layer pellet feed and a rain water all day. We had our first soft shell egg today, it freaked me out when I reached into the box to grab it...flinched like it was the egg opening up in Alien haha. Anyway, these girls are 6 months old, so pretty new layers...hoping the soft shell issue won't be a common occurrence. Thanks for your vids, love the info. PS: seeing quite a few double yolkers too.
My friend I just started chicken keeping a few weeks ago, our white leghorn had some glitched eggs at the beginning, also soft shells. I remember reading in the internet calcium additive helps (oyster shells, we also crumble their egg shells and feed them back) the soft shells stopped instantly and my mother even worried that the shells got too thick lol
Oyster shells
Hey woman! You have the right kind of ACV that’s what I use for my girls & for my self. Works great! For myself I take....
1 cup of warm/cool water
2 Tablespoons of ACV (shake bottle to mix what’s laying on the bottom) (the good stuff) lol
1 teaspoon of raw honey
Mix & drink. It’s nasty but wow does it work, it brought my cholesterol down, & I lost 37 lbs, just over all it cleans your body, so since I know it makes me feel better, I know how the chickens feel!?😂 great video!
Nikki, would you tell me more about why you drink the ACV ..I would appreciate any info you will offer. Thanks much, Janis
@@AcreFarm2147 Thank you Nikki , I appreciate you answering me ..I think I am going to try this...you are so kind to give me answers and so promptly. I thank you so very much..Be blessed and be a blessing. Janis in Sabinal.
**pure natural honey** is what I have
And if you can find local honey, it will also help with allergies (since it’s made by bees from your local plants)!
And yay for awesome kind people helping each other! You’re amazing Nikki ❤️👍🏼
Give them free choice of fresh water without ACV ,as well as water with ACV, Watching from Fort Worth,Tx Keep up the good work!!
That's what I was thinking!!!
My 12 hens have been drinking apple cider water for almost 8 months.Hens are healthy and lay about 9 to 10 eggs daily.
I personally would give them plain clean water 50% of the time so it doesn’t affect egg shell quality or cause other issues but to each their own!
Thanks for your lovely video on ACV
Thank you so much for your informative video. Looking forward to the rubber eggs I'm having an issue! This is my first go-round so thank you for all your help keep up the good work!
Oh man I hope this helps! Do be cautious of adding ACV all the time, especially in the summer, as it can weaken egg shells with prolonged use. I normally will put it in one batch of fresh water, but then do plain water the next go around. I also now use Rooster Booster in their water once a month, it’s a vitamin supplement. Everything in balance!
@@realsimplemama thank you for your reply. I've not tried any apple cider vinegar yet. I'll have to look for rooster booster. I'm only giving them a broad-spectrum multivitamin. I think I was giving them too many treats so they were not eating their food. I have uped there oyster shells and cut down on that treats and it seems to have stopped but not sure of the cause. It's my first year with them.
If you can help me with another issue I'm having. One of my chickens is having occasionally a prolapsed anus. I've managed to get it back into her 2x.. With warm water , sugar water, Preparation H warm towel. Seems to happen after She lays an egg. Is a situation where someone would eliminate the chicken or it's just something you maintain and watch for? Any other suggestions on how to manage the situation how to avoid it? Why does it happen?. As you know the other chickens go after her when this happens. Thank you
Eesh this is tricky. You’re right in that it’s part of a reproductive issue. I can’t tell you whether or not to cull the bird but I don’t think it’s realistic that you do all the care for her each time she lays an egg. You can soak her in a warm Epsom salt bath before you re-insert it but I’ve not heard of it ever being “cured” unless there’s a surgery maybe?
As far as prolapse it's often a young hen just starting to lay. Young hens tend to lay larger eggs which is usually the problem. As far as thin or no shell on the egg can be a calcium deficiency or again new layer. Try upping their calcium by adding oyster shell calcium and for treats give them soldier fly larva, which have a higher calcium content.
My chooks loooove ACV in their water!
Thank U, in a big way. Your video's are so helpful... Keep putting it out there. Because one of us are dealing with it.... 🌷
Thank you! I have more ideas coming soon!
A BIG THANKS FOR SHARING !
Just subscribed!. Thank you for all the info and your honesty.
So glad I found your channel !
Hooray! Me too!
New Here. Thanks for info.
So I have a hen who's butt is always dirty. I clean it and about day 3 it's dirty again. She seems fine, is she just to fluffy back there? Could it be a gut issue and I could possibly use ACV to help?
If she’s a bigger breed I would just keep her trim, here in my side of the world it’s getting hotter and the chickens will be drinking more to stay hydrated and cool. So maybe a little cut back there? How does the rest of the flock look?
this "Magic Water"! In my country, there has not been or rarely made drinking water for chicken from apple vinegar. This is a great idea
Love your videos ❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏 God bless you🙏🙏
Unfortunately Brags got bought out! I hope it wont change but it might
Oooh i hadn’t heard that. I agree, let’s hope! ✌🏻❤️🐓
I use Mrs Bragg's too. It cleans up " shitty butt"
Good Moring Mama, Thant's for the ACV update. Like you I have been giving ACV to my girls well in June it will be one year every time I change there water ( 3 times a week ). This being May 2nd Ill stop doing it for one month maybe? Well lets say no more till the 15th and then only once about that date. Well later!
Oh by the way. You know what I'm going to ask....
AND THE NAME OF THE NEW COOP IS?????????????
I DONT KNOW!!!! 😆 I can’t decide. Down to three. Will do update soon and maybe let y’all vote.
Thanks for the great info!
I want to know if it could be used for pigs as well for the same purpose like the chicken?
Hi! I have no idea to be honest as I’ve never had pigs. I’d do some research and see! ✌🏻❤️🐓🐷
Some times I add small amount of raw honey to there water occasionally. I also have plain fresh plain water available they can choose which ever they want
I add braggs to mine a capful per gallon along with fulvic acid minerals liquid form my chickens do very well with it
I add dry dry form of fulvic acid minerals to there dry food. I also do the same for my dogs and cats
I give it to them 5 days straight, once a month. Works Greet!!
That’s a great strategy!
ACV is Good pro-biotics. I've heard, in 'passing' about not using it in the summer, but didn't think anything else about it. We had 3 chickens and one (the Ameraucana) laid soft shell eggs (especially at night) and every 2 weeks or so we got an egg and the shell was thin and had rough spots on it. Free range calcium available. ACV was almost always in the main waterer...but the 2 Australorps never had an issue.
You know, I heard the same thing about no ACV in warmer weather. I’ll continue to do it sporadically but am no longer strongly convinced either way.
I have a question regarding the deep litter method that I use in my coop. I am ready to clean my coop out after about nine months of turning and adding pine chips or bedding. Will this break down in the soil ifI till in real well and how long will it take.If you or anyone has any suggestions please let me know thank you
Hi! I have never used the deep letter method personally because my space is not designed to being able to try it, but chicken poop takes between six and nine months to completely break down before it is usable for plants. If you put it on too quickly, the ammonia in the droppings will actually burn your plants. I hope that helps!
San Antonio Texas. Hi frederickburg TX here love the coop
Hey neighbor! Love Fredricksburg! Save me some wine!
Hello from Pipe Creek, TX!
God bless you
I’ve read that you can give chickens the water where you’ve boiled veggies or pasta.
That would make sense, there are nutrients in it. It can be great for your plants too! ✌🏻❤️🐓
What type of run ground material do you use?? I'm in the North East and heard I need straw for the coop, scratch, and apple cider vinegar all winter......Sara,, I have fallen down this rabbit hole without chickens...just rabbits! sOS for me and the chickens!
Hmmmm... I’m guessing that straw is really insulating which isn’t a bad thing. I honestly just have dirt in the run, with peat moss to help with absorbency. And lol with your SOS! 🐓🐇 but cheap sand or dirt (coarse, no additives) would work too!
Have u heard putting a little ACV in their water helps that the water doesn't freeze in winter ? Thanks
Hi thank you for this video, great learning about acv. I’m just a beginner. Doesnt even have chickens yet but they will arrive very soon. 15 heads, a month old. My question is what is probiotics, how do you explain it? Can our chickens get it from this beautiful acv?
Hi there! Probiotics have to do with good gut health, I explain them to my kids as good bugs that help your digestive tract. They are bacteria. The problem is that when we do something like take an antibiotic, the medicine cannot discern between the good bacteria and the bad, so it just kills everything. A probiotic puts the good bugs back, and there’s not really a way to overdose on it so there is not a danger. If I am remembering correctly, ACV would not have probiotics in it, that would come more from Greek yogurt and that sort of thing. Which you can also give your chickens as long as it is not expired and has no extra sugar or flavor in it :-) I still like ACV especially on The change of the seasons, like when it starts to get cooler, to help my chickens have a stronger immune system. But I do not use it constantly, your chickens also just need plain water sometimes especially for the health of their eggshells.
real simple mama hey thank you. Btw i have another question, does the rain water okay to drink by our chickens (yes also with acv)? I dont want them to drink water from the faucet as much as possible cos there is chlorine. And please if you have any advice or tips on how to get rid of this chlorine pls teach me, if you have the simplest way that would be great and greatest if no need to buy it. Thanks so much
I would think Rainwater is great as long as the way you were collecting it is extremely clean, I would not give them the water if it is running off of your roof and bringing sediment with it and that kind of thing. There are RO units or dechlorinators that you can get but I do not know enough about that to tell you if it is affordable or if the water additives would be safe for chickens.
real simple mama thanks
It’s great for getting rid of pasty butt too.
Noticed you got no rooster? Still you got eggs from your beautiful chickens?
Yes. Hens don’t need a male in order to lay eggs. They need a male to have baby chicks.
That is a nice looking coop
Is it okay for peafowl or pheasants?
Hi! I would assume so but I’m not 100% sure. I would do more research just in case! ✌🏻❤️🐓
how often to give it to baby chickens? once a week...? I don't want to over do it
Honestly I wouldn’t do it at all until they’re fully feathered. I don’t know enough about the potential risks and it’s not something they need IMO if they’re in a brooder!
Thanks for this video I have enjoyed watching it please let me know if I can do same to my broiler checking
Sure! I just wouldn’t do it for them every single time. Give them plain water sometimes too.
Very nice" chickencoop "
Hey Sara, Your chickens are dust bathing in the chicken run it looks pretty deep what is it that you have on the floor in there?
Hi! It was the original dirt of the property plus a ton of mixing/concrete sand and a bit of poultry dust. Nothing fancy!
@@realsimplemama Well they sure do love it I’m going to try to get that in my run. God bless you Sara
GREAT VID TYTY
Would you want to drink water around or 5 days? Fresh water means every day. I'd change that more often.
You’re right! Since this video I have been changing it more. Thank you for commenting about this.
agree
Thanks❤️
I make my own apple cider vinegar.....so easy and so much cheaper than buying it........ but you have to have patience!
My new chick has a watery eye. I'm wondering what I should do for it? Any suggestions
It’s possible she got pecked by accident if it’s only the one eye. I’d keep it clean and give her some electrolytes in her water. If she starts to sneeze or breathe loudly, then you’ll need to treat her.
@@realsimplemama thank you for ur help God Bless you
Let me know how she’s doing or you can send me more details/photos at theMama@realsimplemama.com - I don’t have a lot of experience with disease in chickens but i can try!
@@realsimplemama okay thank you. ;)
I have a silver laced Wyandotte hen, I don’t know what’s wrong with her. When she tries to walk her head and neck are hanging down so much it flipped her over. What do I do
Oh no. Google “wry neck” and see if that sounds right. Get her fluids and electrolytes and isolate her inside.
Her head Just hangs all the way down, and then she tries to put her face under her neck. When she stands up to try and walk her head flips over and so does her body
How can I send a video of my silver laced Wyandotte hanging her head down and flipping over
Honestly I’d get info from an avian vet or look on a forum about wry neck help. I would suspect that’s what it is but I don’t have experience or qualifications in treatment. I’m sorry! :(
❤️
How much did you give ur small baby when she was born?
My daughter?
💖💖💖💖💖💖💖, hi from San, Antonio, Texas.... Hi neighbor... Great info.. Ty
Well hi neighbor! Do you have chickens? I’m doing another video today I hope (if the humidity doesn’t melt me first!)
Honey what is in your chicken run? That is not just dirt what is that they are dust bathing in?
There’s coarse sand in there, fireplace ash, and a bit of diatomaceous earth! It’s really soft and I keep that place nice and clean. (The rest of the ground, well, it is what it is!) 🤪
@@realsimplemama Thank you so much for your quick response. I so so wish you were my neighbor. I just adore you and your videos! God bless you girlfriend! What do you think about using Pete Moss?
I love it!!!! It’s soft, it smells nice, and it makes SUUUUUCH a difference with rainy season and mud. It can be expensive if you want to cover an entire large run but I really like it. I have a video or two here about it too - search peat moss
And I wish we could all be neighbors in a chicken-tender homestead!
So I was waiting to find out how often you add that to the 5 gallon bucket of water and I never did find out
I used to add it quite frequently but now I only add it every four water changes or so. If you do some reading on your own you will find that a lot of people link over usage of this with weak eggshells and other issues, so it is best to give your chickens plain water for a while or water with vitamins like rooster booster, and only use this sporadically. I also hardly use it in the hot weather because I think it exacerbates the problem with weak egg shells.
real simple mama Thank you thank you thank you! I did not expect such a quick response. God bless you!
real simple mama Can I ask you one more question do you have problems with mice in your coop or your run and if so how do you remedy that?
Of course! And I feel embarrassed because this is an old video and I have learned a lot since then. I will make a quick video about all kinds of water additives for your chickens, in the next few days. And I will tell you everything I have learned! I am sorry that this video was not more helpful.
Hi again! I will do a video about this too. The bottom line is that if you have chickens and chicken food, you probably do have mice around. But they should not normally be a problem. I personally have only seen signs of mice once and they have never been a danger or a threat to my flock. I would assume that they are a bigger problem in the colder months when food is harder to find. And I have heard that they can chew on chicken feathers. But they are not really big enough to hurt a grown bird, or steal eggs, or anything like that. If possible, make sure that your food is sealed up within at least one container so that they cannot smell it, and make sure you are using only hardware cloth all around your coop! I hope that this helps a little bit!
Is it good or not to give chickens fruit peels?
They can’t have citrus, and peels like mango and banana are too thick. “Skin” like berries and grapes is ok but otherwise I’d avoid it.
Pls when you say a gallon how many litters of water is it to a spoon or teaspoon?
You’d be at about a litre of water for a teaspoon. When in doubt I’d do a little less than a little too much ACV!
A gallon is 4litre
Thanks
Hi Sarah, what would you use if you see worms in their poop, after given them applecider and garlic in their water once a week for 2 weeks, i have 3 hens, 11 weeks old, and i know the one that has the worms, shes not been right since we got them 2 weeks ago. I cant seem to find growers flubenvent pellets, so lost for what to do :/ I would phone a vet, but its saturday evening in the uk here. sorry to be a pain Thank you. x
Hey! I would get ivermectin which is a liquid medication you put on her back. It absorbs into her skin and then bloodstream. I have videos about it so you can search for it here. And I’d treat everyone. Unfortunately ACV and garlic are nice preventatives but won’t kill an active worm infestation. Good luck and let me know if you need more help!
@@realsimplemama you are an angel ill go find now ty😘
Hey no problem! I’m here for you! theMama@realsimplemama.com
WOW very iformative vdo Now i will start ACV for my hens. One thing hope you wont mind, your speed of talking, sometime i can not catch you and backward the vdo and open subtitle to understand
Yes this is an old video and I’m working on not talking too fast! Thank you for being so respectful and for helping me be better. Also note that I’ve done a bee video about water additives for chickens - I do still use ACV but not much in the summer as it can weaken egg shells.
@@realsimplemama Hope my comments did not hurt ur feelings. Apologize if so...
No no, i like hearing constructive criticism but it’s hard when people are unkind about it. I don’t take well to some of the people on here who have been cruel and totally unhelpful! You were completely respectful and helpful, and I appreciate you so much.
@@realsimplemama thank you very much. Now I am relaxed..
You are like me then, a very empathetic and worrying heart! I know it’s hard to tell sometimes through text comments. And I apologize for being up in arms a bit, I had some offensive disrespectful people on here recently I had to ban. I want this channel to be a safe place for anyone who’s kind and curious and loves animals and plants! You are welcome here. ❤️🌻🐓
how many days in a week we can use Acv for hen
I would do 2-3 days with, the rest without. Or I usually use for one week, then none for 2-4 weeks.
@@realsimplemama thanks for replying.
You’re welcome! That’s just what I do and not necessarily the official verdict. But I would say it’s better to do it not enough, than to do it too much. (Can cause issues with soft shell eggs.) Let me know what you think!
Glad I found your channel
Acv is great for shampoo too. Lol
You know, I tried it for a while and never could get to where I liked it. Maybe this summer I’ll try again!
@@realsimplemama i found some links on it. I will email them to you. I usually use it diluted with some water when I rinse my hair. ACV is good for so many things, and under utilized. I bought it for the chickens.. now I use it for me as well lol
I finally found a way for my thin hair and how to not smell like it! I wash my hair first, rinse, ACV, rinse then condition. It’s really soft and very clean for quite a while!
Ohhhh so you actually still use a shampoo and conditioner too?!? I never thought of that!
Where you get Beware Chicken sign?
My beautiful and talented friend made it for me! But I bet you could buy one on Etsy.
how do you treat impacted crop
Ooooh it’s not good. I wouldn’t be able to do it. You have to cut into it from the breast and pull the junk out with a tool. So it’s a surgery. 🤭
@@realsimplemama I don't do the surgery. But I have always had luck massaging the crops, even if they have gone too far and become huge and hard, and I try to stay on top of them so that they don't get so bad. Best times are first thing in the morning before they get moving, or at night when they begin to roost. I especially like to do it at night so they have time to clear their crops before morning. Be careful when you feel some gravel, usually near the bottom of the crops. It can really irritate them to move it around, but, I think it still must be included in the 'treatment.' Ensure that all parts of the gummy mixture are included (and the idea is to separate the gumminess as much as the birds will allow you to) , which means you need to feel with finger or thumb BEHIND the crop, or, like between the crop and the spine, and higher up. It is easy to miss if not thorough because it is as if some of the clumpiness likes to 'hide' there. In the cases where I have neglected the birds for too long and find the huge/hard crops, I basically work the crop as much as the bird will let me, with the goal of separating just some of the matter from the core per massage, and I do that at least twice a day until it becomes manageable again. So, if you can't treat the entire mess at once, doing just a partial job, just as much as you can in one shot, and letting them 'rest' still works very well if you get back to them later.
@@valentiner61 This is such amazing advice. This is one issue I haven't had to deal with yet but I love learning techniques and strategies BEFORE it becomes an issue. So how do you get the feeling that a chicken has an impacted/blocked crop? Is it just visibly enlarged or are there other signs? Thank you so much for taking the time to type this out and teach us. I'll always remember this.
I just got 2 chickens they are 3 months old
Hooray! Congrats!
@@realsimplemama thank you
Am I post to but shaving down on there floor
You don’t need to! Pine is good for nesting boxes, PDZ or pine or sand is good under roosts where they sleep and poop.
My chickens can't breathe its spreading oike a deasease they're wheezing and slumped and I already had two that died
You need to get them on medication immediately. Google cocci or fowl pox and see if that sounds familiar, then see where you can get the proper dosage. Treat the entire flock.
What's the science behind ACV?
Hi! This is the fairest article I’ve found. Vinegar can help with eradicating bacteria (for the ACV it’s with helping with the crop, but I use white vinegar for cleaning their water and other things too). www.redfeatherfarm.net/nutrition/supplements/raw-apple-cider-vinegar-folklore-fact/
Pro-biotics
real simple mama Thank you! The answer is probably somewhere in the middle:)
pam t The article above says it is not
Why is there a mirror in your coop ?
I did a silly “Chicken Diversions” video with cute ideas to help chicken entertain themselves and not get bored (they can start to bully or get anxiety). Mirrors from the dollar store - they’re fascinated with their own reflection!
@@realsimplemama i see, i might try that myself, exept im worried bc latley my rooster had been attacking me more wouldnt it make them more agressive ?
Hmm. That’s a good question! I’m not sure. I certainly wouldn’t want to stress him out more.
What does your chicken flag say?
Hi! That wooden sign was painted by a dear friend and reads “Beware Tiny Dinosaurs Roam These Grounds” (or something to that effect, the paint has been worn away!)
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how to prevent chickens eating their own eggs
Make sure that they’re getting enough food (calcium and protein) and try to collect eggs more often. You can also put out dummy eggs or close up that nesting box for a while. See if you can find out who’s doing it, you may have to quarantine for a while.