Has anybody used "liquid bluing" to treat their chicken's water?

[paxicotrader]

I use Mrs. Stewart's Bluing to whiten my laundry, and I know some people who use it to brighten their chickens' feathers before a show, but I saw on the Mrs. Stewart's website that people also add bluing to livestock water tanks and bird baths.

Supposedly, it inhibits the growth of bacteria and algae and keeps insects from hatching in it.

Has anyone used it for their chicken's water? If so, how much do you use?

 

[canada-goose]

That sounds dangerous. I wouldn't advise it but.....try it if you want. A little too scary for me, I think I'll stick with cleaning the waterers by hand!
I would only trust that if a "professional" breeder advised it but even then.....

 

[insiderart]

Hey where have you found blueing? I've been looking for it everywhere here for my laundry.

 

[Albert Ward]

Well laugh at me if you want, but we use to give some bluing liquid to cattle in small amounts to sort out intestinal parasites! Even with our dogs, if it seems like they are not doing well, except for half a disprin, we add some bluing liquid to their drinking water. It literally flushes out any unwanted worms and parasites! But you need to be careful and use it in small amounts - otherwise you might end up with an animal suffering from diarrhea!
Whether it will work for chickens, I don't know and I will definitely be careful. When it comes to worms and parasites in chickens, cayenne pepper is the way to go! Tried and tested and approved! And boy do they love it!

Albert

 

[Eggs4Sale]

What do you do with the cayenne pepper, and how much?

As for bluing, is that how they color chicks for Easter?

 

[catfish/okie]

Hope yall dont mind if I talk. Thanks about the hints on the cayenne pepper. Do you think sprinkling seeds out of the peppers from my garden into the chicken feed would work? I use Dawn dishwashing soap to clean my chickens waterer.

 

[damselfish]

That's an interesting idea...I guess you'd have to know the relative amount of capsaicin(sp?) in the seeds versus the peppers to figure it out. Would depend on the pepper types.

Re the bluing, I have heard the feather reason, but never the water-cleaning/parasite reason. Let us know how it goes & if you find any info about amounts.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Apple Cider Vinegar will do the same thing and it's natural. There are several benefits for the chickens and for you. You can do a search on here or online for more info.

 

[paxicotrader]

Quote:
Here's the information from Mrs. Stewart's website:

"Bluing is made of a very fine blue iron powder suspended in water ( a "colloidal suspension"). We add a nontoxic amount of a pH balancer and a biocide to prevent the buildup of algae and bacteria. (This may be why Mrs. Stewart's Bluing is loved by farmers who tell us they use it in the water troughs of their farm animals and by owners of lily and fish ponds.)

Mrs. Stewart's Bluing is nontoxic, biodegradable, non-hazardous and environmentally friendly."

 

[Albert Ward]

I get my cayenne pepper from an Indian spice supplier in a powdered form. I mix about 250g - 500g with 20kg of chicken feed that consists out of yellow maize, sunflower and sorghum. I only do this with every third or fourth batch - say once every 4-6 months. I don't know about the seeds of the cayenne pepper and I assume they get grounded up together with the rest of the pepper, but one thing I know is that my ladies is very healthy! Now whether this is due to the cayenne pepper I don't know, but somewhere I must be doing something right.

I have learned a lot from the native folk here in our country and one thing I have learned from them is that we interfere to much with mother nature and we should let her have her course!

Regards
Albert