My experience with Iodine and Apple Cider Vinegar

[aero]

Hi all,
This is a good story to share.
When I bought my LGs they were really good, But in a month or so they were going through huge feather and color loss. This forum adviced me to use Iodine. I had a tough time sourcing this. Finally, I bought liquid iodine from a medical shop here, they use this for treating thyroid problems in humans. I added a couple of drops of this to my bird bath/water feeder and my LGs were shining and full of feathers, much better than how I bough them !!!

Another good thing is the ACV - I add seven drops to my 200ml bird batch once a week and this keeps their feathers shining. I can see this difference between my birds and the ones in the few petshops in this city.

Thanks to the forum.

[Sally]

Glad you were able to find iodine--for whatever reason, Goulds really need this added to their diet. They must get it naturally in the wild in Australia. ACV is good for lots of things, my birds get it added to their water, and they don't seem to notice the smell or taste.

[L in Ontario]

Another success story - congratulations!!

[carmena]

can you give iodine and ACV together???

[aero]

Hi,
I do not give them together. I give them on different days. this is my routine for a week - I took it from this forum

Day 1 - 500 ml water + 5 drops of multi-vitamin drops
Day 2 - plain water
Day 3 - 500 ml water + 5 drops of iodine
Day 4 - plain water
Day 5 - 500 ml water + 5 drops of multi-vitamin drops
Day 6 - plain water
Day 7 - 500 ml water + roughly 15 drops of ACV
Day 8 - plain water

I follow the 8 day routine, since I have 3 additives to my birds. I gathered from this forum and also from a friend of mine (a chemistry graduate) that vinegar has some acidic properties and is not good to go with other medicines. So, I try to keep them separate.

I also make sure that they get plain water every second day - after all water is the elixir of life.

Hope this helps,
Cheers.

[carmena]

What type of iodine are you using?
My iodine says 2 drops per liter but I have not seen any improvement in my female stuck in molt. It has been 2 months with iodine about 3x's per week. Actually I don't see much of an improvement in another males bald spot under his chin either...

[aero]

Hi carmena,
I had a tough time finding iodine. As I said, there are not many birds stores here and no proper medicine around. I found iodine from a normal medical store. For humans, iodine is used to treat thyroid problems. A friend of mine is a doctor here and he suggested using that. It is 98% pure iodine, called Collosal Iodine Syrup here - nothing but iodine poweder in a water solvent.

I use 1 drop per 100ml, your solution is too dilute is my feeling. Try giving 1drop per 100 ml.

Also, I gather from this forum that proteins are very important during molting. So egg food eeryday is a must.

If all birds are catching up the balding, then it could be lites or something. Please take advice from experts in this forum.

[carmena]

Thanks aero,
There is a bird fair coming this month so I will get a different brand of iodine.
The balding is only affecting 2 so far but lets see how this other hen I have goes through a molt. She is just starting.