can I add something to chix water to boost for the cold?

[2jsbabyfarm]

I'm not sure this is in the right section but it didnt seem to fit elsewhere..anywho...where we live the winter has been down right nasty, below zero temps and extremely dangerous windchills(enough for schools to cancel) its unusually cold so we havent dealt with the extreme during out chicken adventures. My question is..is there something I can add to their water(sugar, probios, electrolytes, ect) to just give them a little boost.in hardiness againt the cold? Maybe a silly question but they're spoiled =)

 

[Beekissed]

I do plan to dust them and everything else, can I worm the at the same time they are going through he dusting treatments or will that be too much at once?

I've never really wormed a flock, so can't advise you there. Most advise to not worm unless you have worms. I advise you don't get worms in the first place by good flock management practices.

 

[countrygirl14]

Yes you can add things like that, I have added eletrolytes to their water when they werent looking so well or if it was kinda chilly out. I usally get some from fleet farm. Sugar would work to, but Im not sure how much. I have heard of people giving their chicks/chickens coffee! kinda weird haha. Good luck!

 

[2jsbabyfarm]

Thanks for the response! I have electrolytes on hand so maybe ill try that. Coffee always gets me going I reckon it might help them haha!

 

[Life is Good!]

A treat I've been giving my girls here in this ridiculous cold and wind is homemade oatmeal with raisins in it. I make it about 4pm, so before they're ready to roost for the night, but before it's too dark to not be able to see!

They ADORE the raisins...and the hot oatmeal seems to keep them going. And it makes ME feel better knowing their crops are full of something warm prior to going to bed.

Recipe? For 16 hens and 1 rooster:
1 3/4 cup water
1 cup rolled oats

Microwave for 2min.

Add raisins, flax seeds, cinnamon - whatever you'd like to chuck in there. I've also done crushed red pepper (chickens can't taste as we know it, so they don't feel the burn....) with oatmeal....slivers of apple slices (minced almost)....whatever you've got on hand.

Their favorite is by far red grapes in oatmeal - but then they make a HUGE mess of it....raisins aren't as messy for some reason.

I take it directly from the microwave to the coop. By the time I get there, and get it in their bowls - it's cool enough to eat, but still steaming.

HTH! C'mon spring!

 

[2jsbabyfarm]

That sounds perfect! Thankyou for the recipe, we have 7 hens so Ill cut it in half, although im sure they'd eat the full amount =) our chickens are almost as spoiled as our kids!!

 

[aart]

Warm food that 'steams' in the cold air?
...hmmmm.... not really a good idea to add humidity into the air around their combs and wattles.
Humidity in the coop and open water bowls that wattles can dip into are definite frostbite invitations

Better just a good scratch mix in late afternoon so they go to roost with full crops.

I spread out a few extra treats (BOSS, Kitchen scraps, wheat fodder) in the coop several times during the day to keep them busy and a few extra calories to burn in the frigid temps.

 

[Beekissed]

You can add some mother vinegar in their water if you don't have a metal waterer. It's an immune system booster and works well for electrolytes as well. You only have to add just a little...a couple of tablespoons for a small waterer. It also helps to keep heated water a little more fresh and less likely to grow bad things.

 

[2jsbabyfarm]

Thankyou for the advice! It did occur to me later about the humidity factor so I gave them cold lumpy oatmeal =) were under a blizzard warning now so unfortunately I wont be running ti the store tonight, so I just added some electrolytes to their water instead....will the acv help with mites and worms though?? Weve had one little hen fliundering with the extreme cold and died today. After a close inspection, she had mites under her wings and obviously elsewhere. So her immune system maybhave been down from that?? I keeo a close eye on that kind of stuff but with all the blizzarding and a 3rd baby about to arrive im afraid our observation skills have slipped a bit

 

[Beekissed]

You might want to dust for mites...ACV won't be helping with that. It's just a booster and it can discourage worms but if you have a heavy parasite load, it won't do much for that.