Apple Cider Vinegar has been touted as one of Nature’s most reliable bird room cleaners for many, many years because it’s “natural” and doesn’t contain harmful chemicals, dyes, or preservatives. However if you have a companion feathered friend in your bird room that exhibits signs of feather plucking, skin mutilation or generalized picking you may want to re-evaluate your use of any kind of vinegar in your bird room, apple cider or otherwise.
There are a couple of reasons why vinegar or apple cider vinegar should not be used in a bird room where there are birds who suffer from the Mutilation Syndrome.
The first reason you may not want to use apple cider vinegar is that some birds may actually be allergic to apples. While this is highly uncommon, this allergy does exist and should be considered.
But the second reason is much more common and highly probable. Many living creatures are allergic to all fermented products. And all kinds of vinegar are fermented. It doesn’t matter which kind of vinegar you choose, white or apple cider, both are fermented. Fermentation requires the use of bacteria and yeast and some living creatures are highly allergic to one, or both of these. While, yes, apple cider vinegar is the healthier of the two types of vinegars, it still has to be fermented to be, well, vinegar. And living creatures that are extremely sensitive to certain substances will most likely be sensitive to apple cider vinegar as well, whether they ingest it or they just come into contact with it as an airborne substance.
You may wonder how I know this for sure. I’ve done my research. But first and foremost I know by my own experience. If you want to know how I know firsthand please read here. I first began noticing this when I would use apple cider vinegar to clean my own bird room. I would feel physically horrible soon after beginning the task at hand. I would begin to itch all over and not long into the process I would begin to develop a headache. It was then I began thinking about the couple of “pluckers” I had in my flock, wondering if the vinegar was affecting them the same way it was affecting me. I began to watch them closely after I cleaned their room and cages, bowls, etc. To my surprise I realized that they scratched more intensely after cleaning their room each time I cleaned! I knew I had to find a new product to clean their room, both for my own comfort as well as theirs!
But apple cider vinegar is not only a “histamine-causing” agent; it’s really not all that great to be feeding on a regular basis. I know there are those who believe in feeding vinegar in order to keep their bird’s system on the “alkaline” side, but if our birds are receiving enough greens in the way of herbs and grasses in their diet in the first place, their system will already be on the alkaline side of the PH range and they should not need additional support to make their systems lean towards the alkaline PH range. You see, apple cider vinegar has a tendency to deplete the body of potassium as well as create low bone mineral density because it depletes calcium from the bones. And excessive use of apple cider vinegar has shown to cause damage to the stomach, duodenum and the liver in animals. How much is too much? This is information we do not yet know.
By this time you may be asking, “What do I use instead of apple cider vinegar to clean my bird room, cages and all of the bowls and toys?” I have a very simple answer for you, grapefruit seed extract (GSE) diluted to the manufacturer’s directions. It is not a fermented product so you need not worry about it affecting highly sensitive individual birds that suffer from allergies. And if you buy a reliable brand there will be no dyes, chemicals or preservatives to worry about. I always purchase mine from Mountain Rose Herbs and I have had absolutely no problems with it since I started using it many years ago. I don’t itch when I use it and neither do my birds. And I have never found myself suffering a headache after using it. It has no scent and leaves no film. But you must dilute it according to manufacturer’s directions (a little goes a very long way).
Apple cider vinegar may be one of Nature’s miracles, but just because it’s “natural” doesn’t mean it’s good for all creatures. I found that out the hard way. Yes, GSE may be more expensive than ACV, but aren’t our beloved feathered friends worth the extra expense? Especially in the case of those that pluck, mutilate and pick? Isn’t their comfort just as important as ours? I think so. I hope you do too!
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Machelle Pacion / The BEST Bird Food / BirD-elicious! / Passion Tree House LLC © 2012 All Rights Reserved
*Information supplied by The BEST Bird Food or any of its contributors, associates, et al, does not intend to diagnose, treat or cure any symptom, illness or disease. Any information provided is strictly for the purpose of “sharing” resources. Should a reader decide to use any such information they do so at their own risk and holds author(s) and associates, et al, of The BEST Bird Food blog harmless in any and all legal matters concerning their health and the health of their family and/or friends and/or colleagues who they may share the information with as well as all of their pets and/or livestock whom they may practice the information upon.
Machelle
