For the MINIMALISTS - those who think less is more in chicken keeping - Please help

[saysfaa]

Feed
Water
Grit - granite grit for chickens if you are buying grit as eggshells will dissolve rather than grind. If the soil in your area has stones (a variety of pebble sizes) then that will probably do. They will not take some every day but it much easier to have it available all the time - a little cup attached to the wall or something like that.

Eggshells or oyster shells if they are laying age

offer the grit and the shells in separate containers also separate from the feed

Dust bath - loose dirt is good. peat moss is good. I avoid DE because I think the risk of lung irritation is too high vs any benefit it might have in dust baths. I think the dust bath process is pretty well designed without DE.

DE in feed is not much of a problem. It isn't fluffed up like dust bathing soil is.
DE does help against insects in feed. I wouldn't add it because I want the feed as fresh as I practically can which is too short a time for insects to be a problem - at least when I keep the feed in the five gallon buckets with gamma lids. Once I left a half a bag in the garage in ideal temperatures for pantry flies - long enough for some to get a start (larva but very little webbing yet). The chickens enjoyed the insects at least as much as the feed itself.

I don't think DE kills bacteria - it works by being sharp enough to slice the endoskeletons skins of insects so that they can't keep enough moisture inside their bodies. I think bacteria are too small to be affected. But I didn't look it up to check on that. And, since deep bedding is dry, there won't be bacterial action anyway. If there is enough moisture for composting (that tends to be called deep litter to differentiate it from the dry version), then there is enough moisture to deactivate the DE.

I don't know enough about DE in nest boxes or roosts to say anything. I haven't had mites or lice or any such thing anyway so haven't looked very deeply into measures against them.

 

[Folly's place]

All good advice above!
Just don't get the DE for anything, it's so limited in usefulness, and bad for all of you to inhale.
Permethirn dust or spray is good against mice and lice, but don't bother unless either parasite shows up. Wild songbirds coming into the coop will bring those 'bugs', and treat in your birds get them.
Oyster shell and grit go in separate containers, and the oyster shells are for later, after your pullets are in lay.
This will be fun! You are organized, enjoy the birds!
Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

- Egg shells

Egg shells are a source of additional calcium for when they start laying eggs. Baby chicks do not need them.

What are your thoughts on grit? Do I need something special? Do I need to provide it daily? Can I use eggshells?

In the UK and some other places they call oyster shell soluble grit. That provides extra calcium for the egg shells when the hens are laying. Egg shells would fall into that category. The digestive juices dissolve the calcium so soluble grit is not suitable for grinding stuff up in their gizzard.

In the UK and some other places they call bits of rock used to grind up stuff in their gizzard insoluble grit. In the USA we just call this grit, These definitions can lead to some confusion on the forum. You can buy grit for grinding at the feed store. It is going to be granite. They screen the wastes at a granite quarry to get the right size and sell it as a side product, that's why it is so cheap.

Chickens can find rock in the ground if they have access to the ground. They do not have to have granite, they can pretty much use any rock they find. The rock is ground into sand in the gizzard and passes on through their system and out the rear end. The harder the rock is the longer it lasts before it is ground into sand and out the rear end. A large bit of granite might last a month because granite is so hard but a softer rock could be gone in days or weeks.

If all your chickens eat is standard chicken feed, it has already been ground up so they do not need any grit to grind it. But look at your chicken feed. If it is not in the form of mash, crumbles, or pellets they probably do need grit. If they eat about anything other than chicken feed, they probably need grit. Grain, vegetation, bugs, things like that.


So, do you need anything special? Not if your soil has rocks in it and your chickens have access to the soil, but some people feel a need to only provide their chickens the best (or they are unsure if their dirt has rocks in it) and grit is pretty inexpensive.

Do you need to provide it daily? No. If you are providing granite grit I'd probably refresh it every week, but I don't use that so I'm just guessing. If they have daily access to dirt they will regulate that.

No you cannot use eggshells for this type of grit.

Question about diatomaceous earth:
- It's in their feed already.
- I read that I shouldn't use it with deep bedding because it could kill the good bacteria but I can use it on the roosts and in the nest boxes. Is this true?
- Should I plan to put some in the run or is that not necessary?

You can do whatever you wish and somebody will support you. Some people love DE so much they ingest some themselves daily. It just has all kinds of magical properties. But many of us never use it and have no interest in using it. I'm not going to try to sway you one way or the other beyond saying I do not consider DE necessary at all.

 

[3KillerBs]

Question about diatomaceous earth:

DE is a respiratory irritant.

It has some limited use in keeping bugs down in feed, but becomes useless for that purpose as soon as it gets wet.

I recommend against it.

Feed, clean water, grit and oystershell as needed according to their age and the local conditions.

I don't bother trying to provide a dust bath. With access to the ground the chickens will dig their own dustbaths.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

Feed
Water
Grit - granite grit for chickens if you are buying grit as eggshells will dissolve rather than grind. If the soil in your area has stones (a variety of pebble sizes) then that will probably do. They will not take some every day but it much easier to have it available all the time - a little cup attached to the wall or something like that.

Eggshells or oyster shells if they are laying age

offer the grit and the shells in separate containers also separate from the feed

I'm confused about the grit. My girls will be around 9 weeks old when we get them. Do I need to offer them grit right away? I should only add the egg/oyster shells when they start laying, correct? Do these serve the same purpose?

I am keeping the shells and food separate because generally the hens who may be a little low on calcium will gravitate to the shells and the others probably won't, correct? Why do you suggest keeping the grit separate too?

Dust bath - loose dirt is good. peat moss is good. I avoid DE because I think the risk of lung irritation is too high vs any benefit it might have in dust baths. I think the dust bath process is pretty well designed without DE.

I purchased DE because so many people recommend it for so many reasons. I know nothing and I prefer less than more. So I can omit the DE from the baths and they'll reap the benefits of the bath with just the dirt/peat moss, correct?

DE in feed is not much of a problem.

Oh good, the feed I plan to purchase has a bunch of "good" extras in it including DE. I'm glad this won't be a problem.

I don't know enough about DE in nest boxes or roosts to say anything. I haven't had mites or lice or any such thing anyway so haven't looked very deeply into measures against them.

Do you have a method for preventing mites & lice?

I've read about some different options:

Hanging Herbs:
- Herbs like chamomile, mint, and thyme can help keep the mites away
- Mint, lemon balm & lavender deter pests

Vanilla for Flies:
- Vanilla air fresheners
- Cotton balls or a rag soaked with imitation vanilla extract placed around the coop
- Fly strips
- DE

Coop Spray:
- Mix distilled white vinegar with water and 20 drops of each lavender and peppermint (peppermint helps with mice and spiders too) to spray around the coop
Spray the coop with white vinegar to prevent lice and mites:
- Dilute apple cider vinegar in a 2 percent ratio with fresh water, which equals 20 milliliters per liter
- Mix about 15ml of vinegar with water in a spray bottle

It will be a fun test to see if these work

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

All god advice above!
Just don't get the DE for anything, it's so limited in usefulness, and bad for all of you to inhale.
Permethirn dust or spray is good against mice and lice, but don't bother unless either parasite shows up. Wild songbirds coming into the coop will bring those 'bugs', and treat in your birds get them.
Oyster shell and grit go in separate containers, and the oyster shells are for later, after your pullets are in lay.
This will be fun! You are organized, enjoy the birds!
Mary

Do you do anything special to prevent mice and lice?

So give grit right away but wait on the shells, correct?

I know things will need to be readjusted when the show starts but I'm trying to do my best to get it ready. I enjoy the planning part. Thanks for the encouragement!

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

If all your chickens eat is standard chicken feed, it has already been ground up so they do not need any grit to grind it. But look at your chicken feed. If it is not in the form of mash, crumbles, or pellets they probably do need grit. If they eat about anything other than chicken feed, they probably need grit. Grain, vegetation, bugs, things like that.

I included a photo of the feed and the ingredients. It is a crumble, I believe. So I probably don't need separate grit to offer? That would be great.

Do you need to provide it daily? No. If you are providing granite grit I'd probably refresh it every week, but I don't use that so I'm just guessing. If they have daily access to dirt they will regulate that.

They definitely have access to dirt, as their run is dirt. It's not really rocky though.

No you cannot use eggshells for this type of grit.

Perfect, thank you.

You can do whatever you wish and somebody will support you. Some people love DE so much they ingest some themselves daily. It just has all kinds of magical properties. But many of us never use it and have no interest in using it. I'm not going to try to sway you one way or the other beyond saying I do not consider DE necessary at all.

Yes, I've heard of people taking DE, too. I don't think I want to do that for me. But they'll get it in their feed for sure. Not sure about in other areas, as the Wise Chicken Counsel doesn't sound like their in favor. If I use it, I'll do so sparingly. I like to keep things simple. The less, the better.

Really appreciate the detailed response, thank you.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

I don't bother trying to provide a dust bath. With access to the ground the chickens will dig their own dustbaths.

Right, so I wasn't clear on this either - if they will dig their own bath area or I need to provide something. I had leftover pavers so I made them an area and it's not a big deal to grab a bag of peat moss. But very good to know that if it doesn't work out, they'll do their thing.

Do you do anything special to prevent lice and mites?

Thank you so much for responding to my many inquiries. I really appreciate you sharing your expertise. You guys have all saved me so much time and effort by sharing your knowledge.

 

[Folly's place]

Preventing mites and lice is difficult/ impossible if your birds and wild songbirds can contact each other. Those rotten little house sparrows (wrens?) will get to their feed if it's possible at all, and can bring parasites.
Keeping your flock confined in bird proof housing, roofed, will work. If free ranging, not so much. And constantly using insecticides as 'prevention' is poor policy too. Treat if they turn up, check your birds at night with a flashlight, vent area especially, and treat if any are found. We deal with tese every year, sadly.
Mary

 

[RoyalChick]

Right, so I wasn't clear on this either - if they will dig their own bath area or I need to provide something. I had leftover pavers so I made them an area and it's not a big deal to grab a bag of peat moss. But very good to know that if it doesn't work out, they'll do their thing.

Do you do anything special to prevent lice and mites?

Thank you so much for responding to my many inquiries. I really appreciate you sharing your expertise. You guys have all saved me so much time and effort by sharing your knowledge.

I haven’t kept up on everything so apologies if you are all sorted on this.
I provide grit, oyster shell and egg shells in separate containers available for whoever wants it.
Grit serves the function of teeth - tearing up the food in their gizzard. Mine get most of what they need from the dirt - but just in case I bought one bag of grit about four years ago! I also get one back of smaller grit for chicks if you have newly hatched chicks they will want that.
Oyster shell and eggshell both provide calcium. Mine love egg shells and mostly ignore the oyster shell.

I have a dust bath area I provide and I sometimes add sand or wood ash to it. Sometimes they use that area and sometimes they just dig a hole in some random place.

Hope that helps.