chicken keeping action plan

[Anonymous]

Hi all,
Just wondered if any of you follow a set routine for health care etc for your chickens?
I like the idea of ACVinegar 1st week of each month, as easier to remember.

I have few questions about schedule of health care.

1. How often do you worm them? is it every 6 months? If you use pellets with wormer included, do you still need to worm them?

2. Do you always have tonic in their water, or just for a pick me up?

3. Do you follow a set routine/ action plan for their healthcare?

I've had my 3 for a fortnight now and they seem really happy. I've included tonic in their water this week as 2 of them are sneezy. It has improved them slightly, but still sneezing, so off to vets tomorrow to pick up some flubenvet.

Clare x

 

[chrismahon]

Hi Clare. We worm with Flubenvet premix in layers (Marriages and it's very effective) every 6 months and Vermex once in between -so 4 treatments per year. We now use ACV at 1% in every 4th drinker full, or thereabouts -its expensive. The 1st week each month is a more reliable option with just plain water in between. Inspection of each bird every 2 weeks for damage and lice. Coops checked for mites every day. Coops cleaned of poo every day and bedding changed every month, depending on how many are in each -some are every 2 weeks. They all get talked to every day -if they don't respond (talk back) they may be getting ill and need watching. I try to pick them up regularly as well.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Chris
I think the acv in water for 1st week of each month more reliable for me :lol:
We are trying to handle them at least twice a week each at the moment.
I change the bedding in mine 2 to 3 times per week. The bedding i use is only approx £5.00 per bale and seems like it'll last forever (bedmax)
They seem very chatty and if in their coop when i come out my back door, if i shout on them they come straight out
Thanks for yr advice

 

[Sue]

In answer to your questions moomintroll -

1. Worming should be carried out every 6 months. You should not feed food with wormer included continuously (I assume you're talking about Marriages pellets). This is meant for worming only and not a general every day feed. If you use this permanently they would be overdosed.

2. Some people use a multivitamin in the water daily. I give ACV in the water for 1 week every month and for the remainder of the month use a multivit/mineral. My hens seem to do very well with this routine, but it is all personal choice. Make sure you don't overdose them on any vits/minerals though.

3. Apart from 6 monthly worming, the other thing that needs to be done regularly is checking and dusting of the birds for lice/mites. I do this once a month, but also sprinkle Diatom on top of the shavings in the nest boxes and also in their dust bath. I change the bedding once a week, but pick up any droppings daily.

If they're sneezing, they don't need Flubenvet, that's the wormer. They may need antibiotics.

Hope this helps and hope you're enjoying your hens.

 

[chrismahon]

Hi Clare. If your hens are new hybrids they may have been given live viruses duing an immunisation progamme. Sneezing is an after effect of the ILT virus which resurfaces due to stress of their travel and a new envronment. It does stopon its own, but we had two hens where it lasted 6 months. It was accompanied by a runny nose, swelling around the eyes and a bad smell on the feathers. Could be dusty bedding or poor coop ventilation as well. Or as Sue suggested it maybe the start of a respiratory infection which requires a course of Bayril.