I've mentioned in a few of my chicken-keeping posts that I add Apple Cider Vinegar {ACV} to the chicken water. ACV is great for their overall health. It's actually great for anyone's overall health. For instance, I add ACV and raw honey to hot water when I have a sinus infection to reduce mucus. Yes, it tastes disgusting, but I can handle it once a day for the benefit it provides.
I began adding it to my first flock's water because we identified within 2 days of bringing them home that half of them had an upper respiratory issue.
Our original flock came from 2 different places - half from UConn and half from a farmer located near UConn. Those from UConn had no health issues at all, in fact their living quarters were immaculate. Those from the local farmer came to us sneezing, wheezing and liquid running out of their beaks. Upper respiratory issues spread fast in a coop and I knew that ACV helps with upper respiratory health so we began dosing it immediately and we've never removed it from our watering regimen.
How much to give?
Add 1 Tablespoon of ACV per gallon of water. We use a plastic waterer - I would not recommend using ACV in a metal waterer because of the rusting it will cause. I would also suggest introducing it slowly, maybe a teaspoon per gallon of water for a couple of weeks then gradually increasing it, to get them used to the taste.
Do you use Apple Cider Vinegar in your flock's water?