# Mineral Water



## blue ice (Mar 23, 2011)

Hi guys, this is my first post and a newbie to this hobby. I was just wondering if it is ok to give mineral water instead of regular tap to my homing pigeons. My pair of breeder recently hatched their egg and I'm thinking of mixing water with apple cider vinegar. Is that good for their young?


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## YaSin11 (Jul 23, 2009)

Blue Ice,
Welcome to PigeonTalk  I personally don't think there is any problem in giving mineral water to the pigeons, in fact it might be better for them, as most mineral waters have a proper balance of minerals needed by us/birds/animals. As for ACV, I suggest you do some reading up on it in the forum. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is beneficial for the birds, but usually I give it only like maybe once a week. The proper dosage should be kept in mind. Also, if the parent birds are feeding, then maybe not; as I said, read up on it. Keep in mind that you should not regularly give ACV. in the water. Hope this helps, good luck,Peace,
YaSin


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## klondike goldie (Apr 20, 2009)

The Janssen Brothers used well water, they won a few races.


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## blue ice (Mar 23, 2011)

Thanks for the info guys. Will follow your advice. I definitely need to do more reading in this forum, very informative topics.


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## Lavender Hill Lofts (Dec 1, 2011)

Mineral water is good but never give city “tap” water to your birds right out of the hose or faucet. If you’re like me, then you live in the city or at least have a municipal water supply and they add all kinds of chemicals to our water to kill bacteria. Some municipalities add fluoride in the belief it helps kids teeth but over time all this stuff kills our good gut bacteria too! If you’re only choice is to give tap water then let it stand for at least 12 hours before you give it to your birds. This will allow the chemicals to evaporate.

ACV is a very good product to give to your birds but to get any beneficial effect out of it you need to give it 3-4 days a week. The reason we give birds ACV is it raises the ph of the water and thus the ph in the birds gut which canker, semolina and other nasty’s we don’t want. So if you only give it once a week all you’re doing is creating a high ph level for one 24 period not enough time to have an effect on the undesirables. 

I use 2.5 gallon waterers that I give 1 tablespoon per gallon 3-4 days a week. My birds are healthy and happy!


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## blue ice (Mar 23, 2011)

Thanks for the info


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## SouthTown Racers (Jan 14, 2009)

Lavender Hill Lofts said:


> Mineral water is good but never give city “tap” water to your birds right out of the hose or faucet. If you’re like me, then you live in the city or at least have a municipal water supply and they add all kinds of chemicals to our water to kill bacteria. Some municipalities add fluoride in the belief it helps kids teeth but over time all this stuff kills our good gut bacteria too! If you’re only choice is to give tap water then let it stand for at least 12 hours before you give it to your birds. This will allow the chemicals to evaporate.
> 
> ACV is a very good product to give to your birds but to get any beneficial effect out of it you need to give it 3-4 days a week. The reason we give birds ACV is it raises the ph of the water and thus the ph in the birds gut which canker, semolina and other nasty’s we don’t want. So if you only give it once a week all you’re doing is creating a high ph level for one 24 period not enough time to have an effect on the undesirables.
> 
> I use 2.5 gallon waterers that I give 1 tablespoon per gallon 3-4 days a week. My birds are healthy and happy!


I live in the city, and when I give water out of the tap to the birds, I put 2 drops of chlorine remover in it. This way you dont have to have water sitting over night. You can get the chlorine remover at any pet store that sells fish.


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## blue ice (Mar 23, 2011)

Yeah your right. I used to have a fresh water aquarium and I mix the anti-chlorine to the water. I never thought that it would be drinkable to pigeons. This is such a cool site, very informative and people are willing to share information.


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## APF_LOFT (Aug 9, 2010)

blue ice said:


> Yeah your right. I used to have a fresh water aquarium and I mix the anti-chlorine to the water. I never thought that it would be drinkable to pigeons. This is such a cool site, very informative and people are willing to share information.


anti-chlorine? am so sure the chlorine will be still in the water because chlorine is a chemical element. chemical element need a lot of energy to break it down.


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## bhymer (Jan 8, 2008)

Aquarium Chlorine Removers
Small amounts of chlorine and chloramine are added to tap water to kill organisms for safe human consumption. Of course, chlorine and chloramine are toxic to your friendly bacteria and may interfere with antibiotics etc.. Use aquarium chlorine removers to do away with them. Aquarium chlorine removers often remove other harmful heavy metals, amonia or otherwise prepare your tap water for pigeon use. Purchase the one drop to the gallon dose and stop wasting money by killing or interfering with anything you give your pigeons in the drinking water. Just fill the bucket or container, drop in chlorine remover stir and add your products immediately.


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## APF_LOFT (Aug 9, 2010)

bhymer said:


> Aquarium Chlorine Removers
> Small amounts of chlorine and chloramine are added to tap water to kill organisms for safe human consumption. Of course, chlorine and chloramine are toxic to your friendly bacteria and may interfere with antibiotics etc.. Use aquarium chlorine removers to do away with them. Aquarium chlorine removers often remove other harmful heavy metals, amonia or otherwise prepare your tap water for pigeon use. Purchase the one drop to the gallon dose and stop wasting money by killing or interfering with anything you give your pigeons in the drinking water. Just fill the bucket or container, drop in chlorine remover stir and add your products immediately.


oh no heavy metal (lead, mercury, cadmium) are also chemical element you cant remove them as simple as that. you need a energy of atomic bomb to purvarize them.


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## ETphonehome (Jan 3, 2012)

Hi, I am also giving mineral water without carbonic to my pigeon and I started today giving him appel cider venegar (biologish).

I think he do not drink much and I am controlling if he drinks enough, I put just 100 mililiters water with 2 drops of appel cider vinegar, I change the water everyday. 

I just doubt if two drops would enough or rather too much for 100 mililiters water, i know that some people use 1 soup spoon for 1 galon of water. and I know that 1 liter has 1.000 mililiters. and that to come to know how many drops I have to use in 100 mililiters I just have to divide 1.000X the drops contained in a soup spoon

But how many drops (more or less) are in a soup spoon, does anyone knows this. I do not have a dropper at home sorry.


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## JaxRacingLofts (Apr 11, 2010)

SouthTown Racers said:


> I live in the city, and when I give water out of the tap to the birds, I put 2 drops of chlorine remover in it. This way you dont have to have water sitting over night. You can get the chlorine remover at any pet store that sells fish.


I've been using this tip as well since I read it on Frank McLaughlin's website. What I like about it is when I use ACV with the mother or Winsmore in it the chlorine is neutralized so it doesn't interfere and counter react with the beneficial additives I want my birds to have. The Aqua Safe stuff works for me.


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