Bleach + Cider Vinegar ????

[Guest strapper]

a little more....this time with chlorine

 

The "Miracle" of Chlorine

By David E. Marx

D.V.M.

 

The addition of common household bleach to the drinking water does, indeed, have beneficial effects on pigeon health. This seems a little weird since the drinking of chlorinated water has negative implications in human health, especially with suggestions that it may be incriminated in the increased rate of cancer. Chlorine is a strong chemical which binds to most organic molecules and can change their chemical identity, making some non-toxic compounds become toxic. Personally, I use a filter on my drinking water which removes chlorine; but my pigeons drink a lot of it with what I perceive as beneficial effects. Never put anything else in the drinking water at the same time as chlorine.

 

The usual method of treating the drinking water is to add 1 to 2 teaspoonfuls of common household bleach, such as Clorox or Purex, to each gallon of water. The amount varies depending on the temperature. When it is hot the chlorine leaves the water faster, so use more; when it is cold, it leaves the water slowly so use less.

 

Chlorine is a very strong disinfectant and keeps the water-transmission of disease organisms to a minimum. Most diseases of pigeons can be spread via the drinking water, so the judicious use of a disinfectant can prevent some of the things that our pigeons may be exposed to. There may be a hidden benefit as well: the increased consumption of chlorine, which in turn is eliminated by the kidneys, produces a more acid urine. The urine is excreted along with the feces. (It is the while cap on the faces) This net result is a more acidic dropping. Salmonella, and other bacteria, dislikes an acidic environment. This may decrease the environmental proliferation of the bacteria, making it less likely for pigeons to contract an infective dose. This is theory, and not proven scientific fact, so take it for what it is worth. I have given it a lot of thought and concluded that this is why lofts that deal with paratyphoid do better after treatment, if the birds are kept on this chlorinated water.

 

I handled convention race birds this last spring/summer. The only thing that I did for the birds was to keep them on chlorinated water. Mine was the only loft that experienced no sick pigeons. Is that coincidence? I think it probably isn't.

 

I also theorize that drinking this chlorinated water has a negative influence on the trichomonads in the oral cavity. I need to do some simple research to confirm this but, in my mind; it should have some effect on the numbers of theses organisms. It at least will minimize the water transmission of trichomonas; and this is the main route of spread.

 

Remember: NEVER PUT ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WATER AT THE SAME TIME AS CHLORINE. IT WILL PROBABLY NEUTRALIZE THESE COMPOUNDS OR RENDER THEM TOXIC TO THE BIRDS. When wanting to give vitamins or a treatment for coccicia, worms, or trichomonas, etc., simply leave out the chlorine for those days and then resume when the dosing is completed. Household bleach should not be considered a treatment, but only a preventive measure.

[jakjak]

I would never drink bleach............so I wouldnt expect my pigeons to.......it would make you ill!!

I would also like to witness the 'top flyer' who syringes neat bleach into his pigeons........wot rubbish!

[Guest strapper]

I would never drink bleach............so I wouldnt expect my pigeons to.......it would make you ill!!

I would also like to witness the 'top flyer' who syringes neat bleach into his pigeons........wot rubbish!

 

who suggests this?

 

 

[Guest]

know a fancier who gives his birds neat bleach  via a syringe  , to kill salmonella etc   without any probs, and he,s a good flyer!

breakaways post highlighted this point .               andy.

 

[Guest strapper]

breakaways post highlighted this point .               andy.

 

i would never give them it neat..bleach can burn given neat...thats why its usually advised to dilute it with water for cleaning around the house.

but a t spoon in a gallon of water...is advised by dr marx. which is rather weak if you think about it.

its interesting that many suggest not using bleach, but fill their birds up with hundreds of chemicals in medications each week.

each and every medication has been proved to have side effects on different people.

 

[Roland]

Minute of bleach is fine, a teaspoon to 5 litres once or twice a week. Causes great tight feathering and great looking birds.... show or Photo. But NEVER NVER ever mi bleach with anything.

Mind it will kill all the bad bacteria.... AND the good one equeally.

[Roland]

peroxide very mild in a spray bottle is great to go around you lofts with regularly. Does a world of good.

[Guest strapper]

interesting side effects of cider vinegar...

 

Apple cider vinegar, otherwise known simply as cider vinegar, is a type of vinegar made from cider or apple must and has a pale to medium amber color. It may be sold unfiltered and unpasteurized with the mother of vinegar present, as a natural product. It is very popular, partly due to alleged beneficial health and beauty properties.[1] Due to its acidity, apple cider vinegar may be very harsh, even burning to the throat. If taken straight (as opposed to use in cooking), it can be diluted (e.g. with fruit juice, honey, or sugar) before drinking.[2] Some dilute it with warm water and add honey.[3] When taken as a supplement, there may be side effects such as irritability, nervousness, and palpitations; other side effects may occur, and theoretically it may interact with certain medicines.[4] Similar to problems some users have had with pharmaceutical drugs such as Fosamax, there has been one report of a woman who received acid chemical burns of the throat when using the pill form.[5]

 

 

[keano]

you only need a bit of Milton to clean out your drinkers if its good enough for babies bottles its good enough for me.

[Guest IB]

Dr Marx correctly says his theory of bleach increasing acidity in the bird is just that - an unproven theory. I'd like to know how you can add an alkali (the opposite of an acid) like chlorine bleach to an acid environment and turn that environment more acidic? Isn't it like saying adding water to undiluted orange juice makes it more acidic, even though you've just diluted the acid?

 

The acid in the bird's droppings doesn't come from urine, it's uric acid from the urates (white paste atop the dropping) and that comes from filtered-out electrolytes from the blood. From memory, I think urates are also a byproduct of protein digestion.

 

There's also the question of diluted chlorine in the form of a hypochlorite like Milton or Domestos being neutralised on contact with any protein, and turning to salt? Bird's saliva, throat and gullet lining all contain proteins, so I think it would be quickly neutralised.

 

To me it's a lesson in futility adding bleach, (1) there's chlorine in our drinking water already and that's what we give our birds to drink and (2) the bird's stomach area between the crop and the gizzard gets flooded with undiluted hydrochloric acid, the Ph is something like 1, you can't get any more acidic than that - for those that suffer heartburn, that searing hot feeling is hydrochloric acid secreted by our own stomach getting back into the gullet.

[greenlands]

Grapefruitseed extract - I wouldn't call it inexpensive

 

Enviroclenz is good - and costs about the same for 1 litre as Grapefruitseed extract does for 100ml

A small bottle will last you two seasons using it regular,two drops is ample to a drinker. Lindsay.

http://www.bodykind.com/search.asp?SearchString=grapefruit+seed+extract&actionUrl=on&submit.x=3&submit.y=7