Mary Allen
Apple cider vinegar is cheap and easy to make at home. It has long been known that it has a health-promoting effect on people. But it is also a real fountain of health for pigeons.
Roman legionnaires mixed their drinking water with apple cider vinegar whenever possible. This is what a guide reported when she visited the Limes Museum in Aalen, Swabia. We all know that water is one of the most delicate foods of all. This led to such excesses that people in the baroque era practically drank no water and, instead of washing themselves, wrapped themselves in clouds of perfume.
The ancient Romans knew better and used the vinegar amphora. The fruit vinegar in the legionnaires’ water jug caused the pH value of the water to drop and the acidic climate prevented bacteria from being able to proliferate excessively. Pigeon breeders have also been using this knowledge for years by always adding a dash of fruit vinegar to the drinking water of their animals.
Some manufacturers have also jumped on this train and offered acids to add to drinking water. Usually, this is formic acid. Due to their higher acidity, less of it is needed to lower the pH of the water. However, it can happen that the pigeons do not like the formic acid water and consume less of it. In very young chicks there are even reports of motor disorders caused by the acid. Of course, both are phenomena that one does not want to have. After all, water is food – in the truest sense of the word.
Vinegar is Made From Sweet Must
With fruit vinegar, there is no need to worry about disturbances and refusals to drink, especially since its pH value is lower than that of formic acid and is, therefore, easier to digest. In any case, a lower drinking water intake of the pigeons with fruit vinegar cannot be determined. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” goes the saying – an apple a day and you don’t need a doctor. The phrase is absolutely correct – also in relation to apple cider vinegar. In it, all valuable ingredients of the apple are largely preserved.
Vinegar forms when alcohol is converted by bacteria. The basis for alcohol is, in turn, sugar. The typical sequence in which apple juice develops is a sweet must – alcoholic must – fruit vinegar. In areas with traditional fruit growing, fruit vinegar used to be ubiquitous. Today you can buy apple cider vinegar at any grocery store or supermarket. However, this is mostly industrially produced and very heavily filtered.
The filter process removes valuable turbidity and thus minerals. Naturally, cloudy apple cider vinegar is therefore much better. You can also make this yourself without much difficulty. Fermented sweet cider and a so-called mother of vinegar, which you can get in any health food store, are required. Those who produce their own vinegar always have an eye on the quality of their product.
A Shot to Three Liters
Apple cider vinegar improves the flow of the blood, stimulates the metabolism, and prevents the spread of putrefactive bacteria in the intestine. The extremely positive effect on the intestines or the entire intestinal tract makes it so valuable for the pigeon. Every pigeon fancier has heard about the young pigeon disease in recent years, better known as a swollen gut syndrome. The name shows where the problem is. Pigeon keepers are therefore well advised to do everything possible to improve the intestinal health of their animals.
Fruit vinegar in the drinking water of pigeons is easily absorbed by the pigeons. A good shot at a 3-liter potion is the norm. The low dosage ensures that the pigeon’s throat and the crop can benefit from the valuable properties. Apple cider vinegar is therefore indispensable, especially for crop pigeons, some of which have larger crop volumes.
However, it is also possible that the effect of fruit vinegar in drinking water at such a low dosage is only local and quickly wears off in the further digestive tract. That’s where it should unfold. Binding the fruit vinegar to the food might help. The so-called Müller soup or the master tonic is a very effective option.
Here, in addition to the effectiveness of the vinegar, its ability to preserve is used. Fruit and vegetables, in particular, can be chopped up with any commercially available blender and then preserved in jars with the help of fruit vinegar. Anyone who has their own garden should be active here. Nettles, buckhorn, onions, garlic, wild garlic – there are no limits to creativity and there is always something new to try out.
It is best to simply pour the fruit vinegar mix over the grain feed and, if necessary, then tie it off. Then the other components also get stuck on the feed. Pigeon breeders often use brewer’s yeast. It has a high protein content and is, therefore, a high-quality feed supplement. The lime feed can also be useful here.
Acid Draws Out Liquid
Perhaps the only downside to fruit vinegar is its osmotic ability. Like any acid, it removes fluid and minerals from the body. That’s why the pigeons must always have minerals available for a free intake. Be it pigeon stone, grit, feed lime, sand, or healing earth. A first step has already been taken by binding with feed lime, for example.
An extremely valuable mix for pigeons, especially after a stressful situation, can be the following. 250 milliliters of water, two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and two teaspoons of honey. This mixture has been promoted in humans for decades. Pigeons are also very happy to accept this mixture. Due to the sticky honey, the drinking troughs in the dovecote may become a little dirtier. It can therefore make sense to take the water away from the pigeons for a while and make them particularly thirsty for the mixture. The pigeons start drinking immediately and clean up the apple cider vinegar mixture quickly and completely. If you want, you can also pour the mixture over the feed and then tie it off again.