Homemade Electrolytes

Electrolytes added to chickens’ water during times of extreme heat or stress, or during a bout of diarrhea, can mean the difference between life and death. Electrolytes are necessary for proper, healthy bodily function and are lost any time fluids are expelled from the body. An imbalance can cause serious health problems. Baby chicks will recover better from the ordeal of hatching and being shipped if you administer electrolytes to them for the first few days of life.

You can use plain Pedialyte or mix up a batch of homemade electrolytes. Even plain sugar water will help give an ailing chicken or chick a boost of muchneeded energy in a pinch. Here is a simple homemade electrolyte recipe that’s easy to mix up. Source: WHO/ UNICEF