Vitamin, mineral, probiotics supplementation in winter??

[hennybee]

Extremely cold here, making everything freeze almost instantly. How can I add a supplement to my hens’ water and it be readily available for them throughout the day? I have a metal water dispenser on a heating plate to keep from freezing, but I’m not confident about adding supplemental nutrients to metal without leaching toxins into the water. I really want to give them a supplement to help them withstand these extremely cold temperatures. There’s no heat for their coop. I have rubber bowls that can be used, but as I said, it’s so cold here that any water not placed over the heating plate freezes within minutes, and having to replace the supplemented water every half hour or so isn’t ideal, obviously, and quite expensive. So I ask, has anyone figured out a solution to this challenge?

 

[Perris]

real food (instead of supplements in water) delivered warm and placed in a hay box (without lid, obviously) might resist freezing for some time.

Bear in mind that digestion requires energy, and the phenomenon of hibernation evolved to reduce to a minimum metabolic systems during severe cold, so that an animal can survive without eating. Your birds may prefer to conserve their energy, rather than eat anything that then needs digesting.

 

[LaFleche]

Do you feed any whole grains in addition to pellets?

If so, you can add some germoil, mix well and add vitamin powder that will stick to the oiled grain.
Mix very well before feeding to have all the grain evenly covered. And don' t overdo the additives as overdoing even a "good thing" can be harmful.

 

[K0k0shka]

I don't see how adding vitamins to water in a metal container will be any different to having plain water in a metal container. If there's any leaching happening from the metal, it will happen whether or not you have supplements in the water. But people use metal containers all the time without any dire consequences to their birds. Plastic isn't all that much better when it comes to leaching, but most poultry waterers are made out of plastic regardless. Things leach more in warm water than cold water anyway, so I doubt that's a real concern in cold weather.

How cold is the cold you're talking about? If your chickens have free choice access to a good full formula poultry feed, and unfrozen clean water, and they are healthy and of normal breeds (without harmful mutations like silkie feathers or frizzle/frazzle feathers that don't insulate properly), then they don't need additional supplementation in winter.

 

[FrostRanger]

I don't see how adding vitamins to water in a metal container will be any different to having plain water in a metal container. If there's any leaching happening from the metal, it will happen whether or not you have supplements in the water. But people use metal containers all the time without any dire consequences to their birds. Plastic isn't all that much better when it comes to leaching, but most poultry waterers are made out of plastic regardless. Things leach more in warm water than cold water anyway, so I doubt that's a real concern in cold weather.

How cold is the cold you're talking about? If your chickens have free choice access to a good full formula poultry feed, and unfrozen clean water, and they are healthy and of normal breeds (without harmful mutations like silkie feathers or frizzle/frazzle feathers that don't insulate properly), then they don't need additional supplementation in winter.

Agreed, they don't need anything besides a quality feed and fresh, clean, unfrozen water. I'd just keep giving them plain water and not worry about supplements