vinegar

[25k]

i was told recently, that if i mixed 1 tsp. of distilled vinegar to 1 gallon of water, that it will keep the birds water bottle from getting icky and slimy. anyone here do this? is it safe for them?

[Jak43]

It's NOT distilled vinegar - it is organic apple cider vinegar. You may put a little organic apple cider vinegar in their drinking water (will find in a health food store or online). Not sure of the quantities - sounds like a 1 tsp is too small to do much good for a gallon of water - but I know it does not hurt the bird at all.

You may use distilled vinegar mixed in water to clean cages and perches. But I haven't heard of anyone using that for drinking water.

Alternative is to put a drop of GSE in the water dish. Here's a link with info:

Winged Wisdom Pet Bird Magazine - Kitchen Physician VII - Citricidal: Cure & Disinfectant For Parrots and Pet Birds

[Jak43]

BTW - it seems the recommended dosage is 1 tablespoon of raw organic apple cider vinegar to a gallon of water - not 1 teaspoon.

Be aware, water still needs to be changed daily.

(PS I know it doesn't hurt the birds because when Shayne was much younger I used this before switching to GSE)

[25k]

cool, thanks for the info!

[chapala]

Usually organic ACV is used short-term, with some people using it in the water one week every three months at the amount of 1 tsp. per quart of water. It is believed to help avoid yeast infections by lightly acidifying the water. I wouldn't use it on a daily basis all the time without a specific recommendation from an avian vet.

GSE by the way destroys gut flora - there's a chemical that's added to grapefruit seed extract, not the natural extract, that kills bacteria both bad and good. For that reason, it's not recommended to give it to a bird internally except on the advice of an avian vet.

[Peanutbutter]

^^jack & chapala said it all for me. :)

Vinegar is marvelous stuff....