What Would You Do?
Labels: health, Question and Answer, raising chicks, What Would You Do?
at
10:50 PM
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Every week at Community Chickens, we get dozens of questions from people across the world, hoping to find someone who has shared a similar experience. We try to answer them all, and forward them on to experts where we can. But many of the questions are unique, and because of this, we realize that sometimes the best people to answer the questions are precisely the people who are or have been in your shoes. This is why we often ask our guest bloggers to tackle questions - and they do such a great job!
So here's what we're asking, "What would you do ..." if you were in some of the following situations? What would you tell our readers? What is your best advice?
YOU might be the best person in the world to answer someone's question ... and we want to provide you with that ability. So, go for it!
If you'd like to respond to a question, leave a comment, and be sure to indicate to which question you're responding: (e.g., Q1: This is what you should do ...)
-------
Q1: T. Murray writes: After NOT being satisfied with the feed that our local farm stores were selling (the formula changed last summer!), I purchased a different kind of layer crumbles. Then 2 weeks later, I purchased yet another kind of 'crumble' that was in smaller pellet form. I kept the label and compared ingredients. What I found was interesting, but I am not sure exactly what the hens need from vitamins and minerals, etc. listed on the tag. Currently my 3 year old hens (still laying) get the poultry crumbles, cracked corn, oyster shells (that I find sometimes are just limestone rocks), grit and whole oats. Plus any scraps go to them, which they love! I am puzzled..... Can you help???
-------
Q2: Vern writes: Can my chickens catch the flu or a cold from humans?
-------
Q3: Dinah writes: What kind of greens are okay to give my chickens in the winter? I was wondering if I could add a pellet dried green to their diet?
-------
Q4: Dave writes: My chickens were supposedly 26 weeks old when I bought them 8th August 2011. They seem happy are scratching around and eating layers pellets and drinking fine but haven't laid an egg yet is it possible to have infertile chickens (I have 2) or am I doing something wrong?
-------
Q5: Irena writes: When the eggs have blood spots on the egg...are they good to eat? I have been throwing them away.
--------
Q6: Linda writes: I have mini chickens, the hen just hatched out 5, 3 are her size but I have 2 that aren't much bigger than when they were hatched, the others are back in the big pen. I've had to keep the other 2 with us in the house; too cold outside. Any information on mini chickens would help!
--------
Q7: Phillips writes: Having a problem with ants in with the small chicks, afraid to use spray or granular poison. What would be safe to use?
---------
Q8: Loretta writes: How high off the ground should the chickens perch be? Also what should a perch be round (dowel) or can you use a 2x4? What should the diameter be?
-------
Q9: Debra writes: A seemingly healthy 3-month-old chick is suddenly paralyzed on one side. She is still alert and eats. I am giving her grower and electrolyte water. Any ideas?
--------
Q10: Barbara writes: I have a question regarding health. I have a hen that has gotten very quiet and hasn't laid for well over a week. She acts like she's cold all the time with her feathers puffed up and hiding her head. I might mention I had another hen act the same way and I lost her.
Today I picked her up. she was very docile. I notice that her chest seemed swollen with like a sack of something.
Should I isolate her, should I try antibiotics, Is there anything I can do to improve her health? I am a new backyard chicken hobbiest and am learning by trial and error and it can be quite heartbreaking at times.
---------
Q11: Tina writes: Is it normal for my chickens to continually pluck the feathers from the others and eat them? Is there something they need to be eating that I am not aware of? Some have all their tail feathers plucked; some have all there hind feathers missing to the point of bleeding! What can I do for them?!
---------
Q12: Patti writes: I want to get 4-6 laying hens and was wondering what size the coop should be and how much outside pen area I would need. I work during the day but do not want to keep them in the coop all day.
--------
Q13: SouthCoast Guy writes: I have 3 hens and this is the first time I have raised chickens. All three were very docile, but over the last couple of weeks one of them has began to peck at us every time we come close, to the point where she drew blood from my wife's finger ... is there any way to discourage that behavior?
--------
Q14: Lisa writes: I was given a bag of walnut saw dust, do not know what type of walnut. Is it safe to use as bedding? Thank you.
------
Q15: Jay writes: My 3 layers are housed in a 50 sq. ft. fenced run with a second floor coop with roost and nest boxes. I leave them in the run during the day, when I go to work. I let them run free in the yard when I get home. They are out for an hour or two before it gets dark.
My problem is that they will not willingly eat the layer feed that I put out in a feeder for them, either crumbles or pellets. They will eat kitchen scraps and scratch corn, or 3-way scratch, plus the yard and forest foraging. They seem to get what they need, since the egg shells are strong, and the yokes are a healthy yellow-orange, but I wonder why they will not eat the processed layer feed.
I have tried to mix varying proportions of scratch and the feed, but they pick through the feed for the corn, and scatter the rest. If I only put out the layer feed, it sits around until it absorbs moisture from the humidity, and gets moldy and soiled from their scratching through the soil and bedding.
Do you have any advice?
--------
Q16: Carl writes: How much should you feed a full grown chicken per day? How many times should you feed them per day?
--------
Have a question of your own?
Post it in our forum - or shoot it over to editor@communitychickens.com
16 Comments:
Q1/Q3/Q15: My husband and I have only been taking care of hens for about a year. We have no farm/livestock experience other than what we've learned through research and farmer advice. We call ourselves "Stupid City Kids" and we take our "Weekly Stupid City Kid" questions to our local farmers and make them giggle with how much we worry, especially as we've been starting out.
We have discussed feed and been told that chickens are much harder than you would expect. They tolerate heat and cold well, find their own food for the most part and are easy to keep healthy as long as you keep their coop clean.
Our chickens are fed layer feed with 16-18% protein heavily throughout the winter but when there are insects they don't show any interest in the feed. They'd rather forage. We watch the poop to monitor how to adjust their feed. If the poop looks runny, we include fewer greens or grain and include more protein. If the poop looks like firm, fluffy piles of soft-serve ice cream then everything is fine.
We give them kitchen scraps when we have some. They get everything including greens, vegetables and MEAT! Chickens need lots of protein and it's especially necessary when they are growing feathers or laying eggs. If you think about it, bugs are mostly protein and that is their most frequent food source. (If you want to have fun take a piece of roast beef out there and watch them fight over it. You'll truly believe that dinosaurs evolved into birds! They look like small feathery Velociraptors!)
About 3 times a week in the winter we make them "oatmeal". We take hot water with us and stir it into wheat shorts, cracked corn, barley, or steamed oats. We mix about 2 cups of whichever grain with the hot water until it looks like lumpy oatmeal. Don't feed them this treat daily or they will end up with runny stools because it's too rich.
Another thing to avoid is feeding them scratch grains too often. This shouldn't be fed more than 3 times per week because of the richness. It would be like a human living off a diet of candy bars. You can survive on that kind of diet but you'll get fat and feel sick.
Take my advice for what it's worth. I am certainly no expert and I'm learning every day. Somehow we've managed to get through a winter with fighting roosters, below zero temperatures, deep snows, and weeks where the chickens were restricted to their coop for extended periods. We managed to come through all this with no major injuries, illnesses or decreases in egg production. I think that even though we're "Stupid City Kids" we've gotten some good advice and have managed to raise good, healthy, happy chickens.
The best tip I can give you overall is to find a good feed store, local farmer, or 4-H student. See if you can get a 4-H student to come help you in exchange for someplace to work on their project. Check in your community for other people raising farm animals and don't be afraid to ask the "stupid" questions.
The key is to listen to what you're told even if the books or internet don't agree with what the farmer tells you. Also, the biggest frustration I hear from farmers is that "Stupid City Kids" act like a person who has farmed successfully for 30 plus years is an idiot. If you're receptive to advice the farmers will be thrilled to pass on their knowledge and they will help you any way they can.
By
Aunt Wrenny, At
February 21, 2012 9:18 AM
I have 35 chickens and are getting another 50 for laying. I am not an expert but here is what I have learned:
Q16-Chickens will eat and eat. We feed them everyday and don't let the trough go empty. When the weather is good and they are forging what they eat out of the trough drops (Yeah). During the winter it jumps up. Chickens will eat what they need, so fill the feeding bin and just keep it full.
Q15- Chickens are two legged pigs, they will eat anything and everything. But if they are getting enough food from eating outside, then they won't eat what you have inside. And when they get hungry they will eat.
Q14- I would not use any kind of saw dust in the coop. It would be great on your compost pile though if it is with out varnish and such.
Q11- Chicken are very curious, to the point of killing a chicken. We have lost two chickens this way. When they see blood or outstanding feathers they all want to check it out at the same time, and when 10 chickens start pecking one, the one loses. When we have a chicken who is being picked on and has open wounds, we move them out of the coop to a nursery for a couple of days. Things start to heal, and the other chickens forget. The behavior is normal, just not wanted.
By
Rachael, At
February 21, 2012 9:45 AM
Q11- I had a few Red Sex links a few years ago that did the same thing. They were bored I guess, so I was told by a 4-H family to give them plenty of "new" food choices of crushed eggs shells, finely chopped up cabbage and their favorite cheerios. They did stop picking at each other. To make their bloody tails heal I put Destin diaper rash medicine on every chicken's bald spots and injuries in the flock. Put it on the ones without injuries so that no one looks different. They hate the taste and the Destin diaper rash medicine really does help heal the injuries.
By
mrscompostqueen, At
February 21, 2012 10:16 AM
Q4- Dave, it's possible you were sold old hens. It's very difficult to decipher the age of a hen. Chickens older than 2 years are past their egg-laying prime and may lay infrequently. If your birds are really the age you were told, they may need supplemental light to lay at this time of year; birds generally need 12-14 hours of light a day to lay steadily. Keep in mind too that some breeds take longer to mature than others.
Q5- Irena, blood spots don't make an egg inedible. It's just unsightly. They are find to eat. If you are really bothered, feed them to other pets or back to the chickens themselves.
By
Amyable, At
February 21, 2012 11:19 AM
Q5 Irene,
We have been keeping chickens for 9 years now and have run across the small blood spot several times and this is what we do.
If the small blood spots "bothers" you than just use that egg in baking or in scrambled eggs. You can also take a spoon and scoop out the spot. If the egg is really bloody it has begun to develop and then to the dog or cat it goes. No sense wasting the egg to the trash bin. =)
By
farmgirl, At
February 21, 2012 1:48 PM
Q13 I highly suggest gloves and long sleeves if you plan on keeping her. Usually an aggressive bird is that and doesn't change. If you are really tired of her pecking, you can have chicken noodle soup and aquire yourself a new hen. These two methods have worked well for us these last nine years. Only twice have we had to make soup.
By
farmgirl, At
February 21, 2012 1:53 PM
Q12 - a good rule of thumb for room in a RUN is 6 square feet of ground space per chicken. Some people do 3-4 square feet of floor space, but more space is always good. A COOP should have 3-4 square feet of space per bird and at least two roosts and two nesting boxes for 4-6 chickens.
If you are keeping them for eggs, generally two hens per household member is enough to keep you in eggs for eating straight and baking for much of the year.
By
Lindsey at NW Backyard Veggies, At
February 21, 2012 5:28 PM
Q7 Sprinkle diatomaceous earth (DE) on the ground. It is harmless to animals but insects will die in a few days because the sharp edges of the earth will dehydrate them. And DE is good for chickens to keep them free of other insects and parasites. Ants near chicks is a problem because they could bite and hurt them. If you know where the ants are coming from, apply a dry mix of one part borax and two parts sugar near the hill entrance but out of reach of children, chicks and pets. You can even put the mix under a rock near the ant nest. It will take about a week before the ants die off. They take the powder back to the nest and to the queen.
Q10 Impacted crop. She has probably eaten something that has impacted her crop which is the sack in front of the chest. First remove hen from the flock. Pour a couple of teaspoons of warm olive oil into the mouth. Massage gently to help break up the mass. Repeat again in the afternoon. Repeat the next day. Meanwhile feed her a mixture of live cultured yoghurt (2-3 TBsp) with her feed/pellets. Add apple cider vinegar to her water (2 tsp per gallon water). Buy the vinegar that is used for horses not from the supermarket. If after the third day, the crop is still impacted, you may have to resort to surgery either by you or a vet. Do this for 3 days at least. Sometimes a chicken will eat long strands of grass or other plants and these get impacted in the crop. This also happens when chickens eat feathers due to protein deficiency. Make sure you provide enough poultry grit. Limit the amount of bread and pasta you might feed them as this can cause compaction in the crop too. If a trip to the vet is too costly you can perform the surgery (research on the internet) or if that's not an option, then its best to put her in the pot for stew.
Q8 Perches I would recommend not being more then 18 inches off the ground at least for the first perch level. The next one can be 12 inches above and slightly over so that the second perch is not directly above the first. Nothing more disturbing than a dirty hen as chickens poop at night. You will want the perch to be at least 8 inches from the wall. The perch I use is a 2x4 with the widest part as a flat surface for the perch. It seems to be quite doable and they like it better then the round dowels I used as an experiment in the beginning of poultry raising.
Q2 There is alot of info on the internet about H1N1 and avian flu and there isn't a definitive answer. However, If a chicken has flu symptoms, humans can get it. If you have a flu they could get it. A cold is not the same as a flu which is the real concern. Best to wash your hands before and after handling your chickens. If a chicken shows symptoms of respiratory distress, best to consult the vet soonest. However there are other diseases that are similar to the flu. My chickens have never had any respiratory diseases so far. Also to prevent any contamination from outside your poultry yard, best to limit visitations of other people with chickens or livestock as their shoes can transfer contagions.
By
Tashi108, At
February 21, 2012 8:50 PM
Q12 I would suggest a house size of 4 x 6 with two nest boxes. And a run that is 10 x 6. That will allow for enough space even when confined. I have had no problems raising my chickens even when I had 7 in that size. Those prebuilt coops don't provide enough space for hens if confined exclusively.
Q13 Its hard to stop the pecking but its usually aggression. Also certain breeds are more aggressive then others. Currently I have Dominiques, Ameracuan and Welsummer and they do just fine. I usually use a stick to keep that one at bay. All I have to do is push them away and they usually stay clear. A little slap with the hand works too, but doesn't always work. Use your foot to push that one away. Or get a rooster. He would keep the hens in order.
Q15 That is a challenge. Be careful of feeding them too much corn, it will make them fat and stop laying eggs. Your yard may provide more then enough protein during the day from foraging for bugs and greens. I changed my chickens feed from crumbles to pellets and they waste far less. Maybe confine your chickens in the run for a few days with just pellets and see what happens. Try giving them hot mash (hot water mixed in the crumbles with oats) in the morning. All I can suggest is keep experimenting. Maybe they don't like the pellets. Switch back to crumbles and then slowly shift them to pellets by adding less crumbles and more pellets each week.
Q16 One chicken will eat about 4 oz of feed a day, but it seems like they eat alot more when I give them greens and treats. Best to allow free ranging by using a feeder. With my seven chickens, I use a 2 gallon feeder which will last about a week to ten days. Depending on what else you feed them in the week.
Q14 I would not recommend walnut sawdust or any sawdust in the henhouse. No plants will grow near walnut trees because of a toxin in the tree. Same goes for cedar shavings which are known to be toxic to chickens. Sawdust is too fine and might contribute to respiratory problems for chickens which are quite suspectible to such health issues. Rather use pine shavings from any feed store. I've used coffee bean shells from roasting process factories with great success for chicks but its very light and fluffy. Hay is not absorbent enough but can be put in the run as a treat. Chickens can never get enough of foraging. Dried leaves in the run are also good.
Q9 You didn't mention any other symptoms so the only condition that comes to mind is Marek's disease. It is often fatal and contagious in the flock. It is related to hygiene so it is hard to eradicate as it is resistant to some disinfectants because the disease survives for more then 60 weeks. Research this on the internet for details on how to clean up the run. There is no known treatment. Some chickens can survive it, but there is a 60% mortality rate. Hatcheries usually provide the option of a Mareks vaccine to prevent this from happening in a flock. The only other possibility is a nutritional deficiency. Make sure you are providing a balanced diet. Some people seem to think just giving their chickens corn and scraps is adequate which is very unbalanced. Chickens need 16-18% protein in their diets. Commercial feeds are specially formulated for chicks, layers and meat chickens.
By
Tashi108, At
February 21, 2012 8:52 PM
Q11 - Several possibilities: 1) too small of a coop/run for the number of chickens. Should be at least 2 sq ft for free ranging chickens and 5 sq ft min for confined chickens. If the run is too small it can cause them to be stressed and thus pick on each other. 2) boredom. Chickens need some stimuli to keep them from stressing and picking on each other. Solution: provide treats such as a head of cabbage strung up and suspended, a bale of hay or alfalfa; if confined, let out in garden one hour before sunset. For chickens eating feathers, this is a sign of a protein deficiency in their diet or even boredom. Make sure to give them the appropriate commercial feed. Provide scratch in the evening. I also will toss in a cup of rice during the day as a treat. Chickens never stop foraging. Provide some additional perches in the run so they are not all on the same level. For chickens that have bare bottoms, separate them from the flock and apply blue kote medicine (buy in any feed store). They will have to be quarantined til their feathers grow back. When chickens see red its a bullseye for them and they will peck til the victim is dead. Chickens can't see blue.
By
Tashi108, At
February 21, 2012 8:53 PM
Question 4 Depending when you sent the original question in it could be that your hens are needing additonal light.. And they can get too fat to lay. When buying hens it is difficult to tell their age: Some people are known to get rid of their older chickens to unsuspecting Newbies... Younger chickens generaly have a healthier looking feather. Look at the feet and legs... Yellow feet and legs are tips that the hen has not started layikng or had stopped laying.. the legs on the hen should look pale also hold the hen upside down head under your elbow take your hand and feel for the pelvic bone narrow opening in the pelvic bone say one to two fingers width is a hen that has not laid much or laid very small eggs (all hens start laying a smaller egg as their pelvis starts to widen the eggs gget larger) three fingers width indicates they have laid or are laying..and generally means the hen is older than "26" weeks old... The vent should also be pale in color a yellow vent would indicate the hen has not laid or has gone out of laying for a period of time..
The only other thing that could be happening if the legs are pale etc is your two hens are eating their eggs.. they will eat shell and all and is not an uncommon occurence.. Add some oyster shell to the diet and build a nest box that allows the laid egg to roll out the back out of their reach. A Plastic painting tray can be positioned on two tracks that allows it to slide in and out of the box. Place the paint resevior to the back of the box with about an inch and a half to three quarters clearence for the egg to roll out.. use minimul beddijng in the tray or the eggs will not roll.. glue or screw the nest egg (a fake egg that the hes will see and shows them where you want them to lay) into the upper portion of the tray. When you hen lays, her egg will roll back toward the paint resevior and can be collected out of the hen's reach. If they are egg eaters this is the only way to get the egg away from them, we all know you can not be there 100% of the time to catch them in the act.. Hope this helps
By
The Seed Sower, At
February 22, 2012 8:32 AM
# 6 seems you have a game hen.. Their young can be quite small and will do best if you leave them with the mother. She is a builtin brooder and will teach the chicks to forage for them selves.. Don't be fooled by their small size. they are the best foragers of any size chicken you can find, and the very best mothers. They will stay on the chicks during the cold weather and will go without eating for days at a time during incubation and the early brooding. they are all about their young; but by taking these two away.. you will need to watch and make sure she "takes them back" if not you will have to brood them where it's warm and wait until the next clutch of chicks to watch her in action.
Also an FYI she can incubate larger fertile eggs, even eggs from turkey's and other birds.(Not too good with duck eggs) and she will raise them just the same as her own. I have used game hens as Incubators for years and allow them to raise the young. this has saved me thousands of dollars on incubators that go out when the electricity goes out the same with brooders. ( they work good until the power goes out and you loose a complete setting) Youg turkey Poults have a greater survivability when raised by a game hen as they pick up on some of her habits and seldom drown themselves in a rain storm as they have been known to do... Hope this helps
By
The Seed Sower, At
February 22, 2012 8:43 AM
Q15 Your chickens are fine! Processed layer is a good ration, but Hens that have ample room to free range, added scratch corn etc will lay just fine without the crumble, You can take the pellets and mix a handfull in every now and again with the scratch feed to see if they will eat it. But if not don't worry; give your processed feed to another chicken grower etc.. and enjoy eggs that are the best tasting Free Range...
By
The Seed Sower, At
February 22, 2012 8:49 AM
# 11 Cannablisim is generally a problem in crowded chick coops.. but all chickens have the potiential to peck a weaker chicken. this behavior is where we get the phrase.."the Pecking Order" You can do a couple of things to stop this behavior
1. If the chickens are in too small of a space enlarge your coop and offer a larger yard for the hens being picked on can get away..
2. You can clip the top beak about 1/4th of an inch shorter than the bottom part of the beak. This is a painless procedure Place the hen (the most likely sex of the chicken to cannibalize) on her back with her head resting in your hand. grab her head firmly with the hand, with your other hand use a good sharp pair of garden clippers and clip the 1/4 inch of the top beak. this action will prevent the hen from being able to grab another chicken with her beak and will help eliminate the problem
3. Place a little bag balm (sold at most feed stores) on the open skin where the other hens are pecking this will allow the sport to heal faster..
4. Increase the protien percentage in your feed ration. The eating of feathers, satisfies the need for more protien. You can add dried beans to the ration. Soak them over night and they are easier to eat..
By
The Seed Sower, At
February 22, 2012 9:08 AM
#1 and #3 the dietary needs of chickens are not set in stone. Protien is needed for egg production, but protien can be gathered from a number of sources. Insects, worms are just a few sorces the hens will seek out for them selves. Be careful of swapping feed rations as the slightest change in rations can throw them off their laying pattern.
If your hens are eating the processed feed and are laying don't worry too much about it. Feed companies often add vitamins and minerals to their ration and will change up from time to time. But remember you are the best jusge of your flocks overall performance and health. My grandma had a saying "a Happy Hen is a laying hen" She often would gather the scraps from out market garden and give to the hens. Oyster shells can get "stoney" if there is sufficent moisture in the air the crushed shell absorbs the moisture and can get as hard as a rock. When you buy a bag of shell at the feed store make sure that it is not Hard" in the bag.. you can and I have busted up the bags that absorbed moisture by placing the bag inside a platic woven bag that dog food or other animal feed comes in and using a hammer to bust the rock hard shell into smaller bits.. then place the bag into an airtight container to keep out the humid air.
Frozen or dried greens are an excellant source of greens for hens in the winter. You can plant an area of rye grass and harvest it for the hens or better yet turn them out on it during the winter. they can scratch through snow covered ground to get at the green shoots. Notice I said snow.. NOT ICE) Small blacks of rye, wheat, millet are great sorces of green materials and they love the seeds. try planting a small patch of sunflowers in the garden. Hens love the seeds.. just allow them to cure for a few days before giving them to the hes. the curing period allows the inner germ to turn solid and convert to a protein. You can also feed dried beans soaked overnight in water for an additional protein source...
By
The Seed Sower, At
February 22, 2012 9:23 AM
#5 are the blood spots on the outside of the egg? Or inside? Either way the eggs are safe to eat. It is just a matter of preference. There will be from time to time a spot of blood inside the egg.. but yolks that have blood vessels startijng are not safe for consumption aand are a signal that you have forgotten that egg for a few trips to the hen house. This egg would have hatched if left with the hen for 21 days...
Some folks confuse dark spots on the outside of the shell with blood.. some breeds produce spotted eggs.. Morans have the darkest and most speckled or spotted eggs of all.
If the spots bother you add them to the feed ration of your dog if you have one, cats will also benefit from an occasional egg. their coats will glisten.. You can also use it in your hair..(just rinse it out real good.. your hair will have a nice shine to it..) You can add raw egg to your compost pile.. but beare of coons and skunks that would be attracted to the pile by all the extra protein you have added...
By
The Seed Sower, At
February 22, 2012 9:32 AM
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
Tweet
<< Home