Ma’s Secret Chickorade Recipe

We hatch and/or order chicks every year and it never fails that we forget that chicks need more than just plain water. As soon as there’s peeping someone is yelling “hey ma! We need more chickorade mix!”

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Well here it is kids:

Ma’s Secret Chickorade Recipe
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1-3 tbsp Apple cider vinegar (with the mother)
1 gal water
Optional: colloidal silver

This will make a 1 gallon mix, but we prefer to make a bulk mix of dry mix.

Chickorade Dry Mix
3c sugar
1 cup baking soda
1 cup salt
An airtight container like this would work well
(Use a heaping tablespoon to add to your water)

Mix the dry ingredients in a repurposed plastic container and mix well. We keep a designated mixing tool in the container to make measuring easy.

When the chicks need water after their long hatching and/or travel we mix up a gallon and use it within a few days, rinsing well inbetween to avoid mold. This ratio works well for 50-100 chicks for several days of water. For smaller hatchings you can reduce the ratio.

This is why Chickorade works better than plain water.
–Sugar gives the chicks energy to grow (we use a natural cane sugar)
–Baking soda and salt are both an electrolyte to help the chicks stay hydrated. We use pink Himalayan salt because it has more minerals.
–Raw apple cider vinegar provides probitiocs and helps prevent pasty butt by helping to keep intestine flora in check and poo moving through. You can use up to 5tbsp if you are seeing an increase in pasty butt and it should help.
–Colloidal silver is optional, but if your chicks (or other animals) are sick and you don’t know what’s going on, a bit of that in their water will help. You can also use on wounds if they peck each other to help disinfect.

Although it isn’t a favorite flavor (opposed to a more sugary sports drink) if a human family member is sick this is a great, cheap, and easily to make alternative!

Helpful tips:
-Mix in warm, not hot water, and shake well between fills.
-Keep an extra funnel with your chick supplies to make filling easier.
-Keep a small jar of apple cider vinegar that seals in your chick area to use so you don’t need to run to your fridge everyday.
-Keep all tools and materials clean to keep chicks healthy.

Is there anything else you do for your chicks that you find helpful?

God Bless