Best probiotics ect for small breed hatchlings including silkies?

[CoastalCluck]

Id like to know what everyone uses probiotic and electrolytes ect for new hatchling, small bird breeds including : silkies,seramas,kikirikis,bantams thanks!

 

[GodLovesU]

I’ve never used it, but I’ve heard of people using rooster booster. I don’t know if it would be good for hatchlings, however.

 

[CoastalCluck]

I’ve never used it, but I’ve heard of people using rooster booster. I don’t know if it would be good for hatchlings, however.

So probiotics is just optional ? or necessary? Ill have silkies,kikirikis, seramas, bantams , and then a regular size group but wasn't sure if hatchlings needed anything extra besides feed.

 

[nuthatched]

Not necessarily a need but you can if you want to. Any chicken probiotics from the feed store.

 

[GodLovesU]

I don’t give mine anything extra.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Start w/ good feed, and you don't need to "fix it" with a shelf full of additions.

Not just for your chicks, but also your breeding hens. Good nutrition for your layers means higher viability in hatching eggs. Good management practices too.

Genetics, of course, plays a part - but if you aren't (or can't) actively selecting your best layers, that's not something you can control.

Feed and management, OTOH, is completely w/i your control.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If a chick or grown hen is acting lethargic, laying around and not eating or drinking I'll use a medicine dropper to give them some hummingbird liquid. You can use a "booster" or "electrolytes" if you wish or just dissolve some sugar in water. I always have hummingbird liquid available so I use that. The idea is to get them enough energy so they can eat and drink on their own. I don't do this for any of my healthy chicks or chickens.

I give chicks in a brooder some dirt from the run where the adults poop. This gets grit in their system, introduces any probiotics the adults have to share, and gets them started on developing any flock immunities they may need to work on. Chicks raised by my broody hens get this automatically.

 

[FrostRanger]

The only feed and supplements chicks need are a good chick starter, clean water and a bit of chick grit. Anything else is extra and/or needed only situationally