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

[GetFitWithKrista]

You got it!
Partly I put it in separate containers because I have cute containers that make a ‘grit buffet’ - I like how they stop by the buffet in their way to bed each night.

Here is my buffet line. The first in the left is for eggshells but I hadn’t added them when I took the picture. They are the most popular item on the buffet menu!

View attachment 3499191

Oh yes, I remember seeing this. What a fantastic idea! How often do you find you need to refill them? I love it!

 

[RoyalChick]

Oh yes, I remember seeing this. What a fantastic idea! How often do you find you need to refill them? I love it!

I haven't refilled grit in two years.
Eggshells go fast so I struggle to keep up with demand.
Oyster shell barely moves off the shelf and when I am low on eggshells I also scatter oyster shell on the ground in the hope I can trick them into eating it that way!
I do realize I sound a little nutty!

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

You don't need a lot in your kit. But you do need some hen healer or some kind of blue ointment in case of a wound. I also keep corn starch to stop bleeding. A few packets of electrolytes, some corid and B12 liquid. A dog kennel and pee pads. A couple of old towels. A syringe for giving water and medicine.
Those are just the things I've used in the last 3 yrs.

Excellent subject. I thought I had it all covered didn't give this any thought though.

Okay, okay I have questions:

I'm thinking about what I have on hand...

Is the blue ointment medicated? I have calendula and arnica but it may be more economical to purchase blue emu specifically for them.

I have the homeopathic equivalent of electrolytes. What product do you use exactly?

What are the corid and B12 liquid used for?

Do you use the kennel to separate chickens when they are ill? I'll have to look for a used one.

Pee pads?

I've got the towels and syringe, check.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

I haven't refilled grit in two years.
Eggshells go fast so I struggle to keep up with demand.
Oyster shell barely moves off the shelf and when I am low on eggshells I also scatter oyster shell on the ground in the hope I can trick them into eating it that way!
I do realize I sound a little nutty!

I don't think you sound nutty at all. This is great info.

Those containers look small. How much do you think they hold? It's great that you haven't had to refill the grit. I guess I should only buy a small bag. What do you think of this?
https://www.amazon.com/Manna-Pro-1000212-Poultry-Probiotics/dp/B01N5HJ4JM

 

[RoyalChick]

I don't think you sound nutty at all. This is great info.

Those containers look small. How much do you think they hold? It's great that you haven't had to refill the grit. I guess I should only buy a small bag. What do you think of this?
https://www.amazon.com/Manna-Pro-1000212-Poultry-Probiotics/dp/B01N5HJ4JM

I think that may be what I got - it is just crushed rock so not worth spending a lot of money on!
My containers are maybe 4"x2"x2" - they are old match box holders.

 

[KyCoop]

Hen healer is a brand of medicated wound care. It blue to cover a red wound so the other girls don't pick at it. I use the save a chick brand electrolytes. They come in little envelopes. It's good to give occasionally especially if it's hot outside. Corid (amprolium) is for Cocidois and B12 is good for girls feeling poorly. The dog kennel is a hospital for anyone sick or injured. The pee pads are much easier to clean up then pine shavings. Also if a girl is bleeding you can see how much.
I know you don't want to think about such things but it's better to be prepared then running around or worse, to the store , in an emergency.

 

[3KillerBs]

- 4 Square Feet - If you have free range chickens that come into the coop ONLY to roost at night, is this still something youd think is a requirement? Assuming they NEVER use the coop for shelter from weather, etc.

If you're in an environment and situation where this is possible then the guidelines are completely out the window.

I don't have the link, but I have seen photos of a "coop" in, IIRC, Louisiana, that consisted of a covered roost with one wall of what looked like fence slats in the middle of a pasture guarded with electric fence and a bank of nests under a cover near the gate so that the owner could readily collect eggs.

The chickens don't care how we define their space, only that they have the space when the need it.

This article has a more subtle and nuanced take on chickens' needs than the guidelines, which are usually understood as a starting point and a generality. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-much-room-do-chickens-need.66180/

- 1 Linear Foot - These were the guidelines we initially followed, then reduced this to 8" or so in the winter only. We did this because it gets extremely cold here. We found that a majority of the chickens tend to huddle, with a few outliers doing their own thing. By removing roosts in the winter and changing to a deep litter method, we have eliminated nearly all cold related ailments over the past few years.

I personally trust my chickens to know how to be chickens and to adjust their behavior to suit the weather, but cold weather is not relevant to me so I don't have any strategies about it.
This member, however, does: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

Hen healer is a brand of medicated wound care. It blue to cover a red wound so the other girls don't pick at it. I use the save a chick brand electrolytes. They come in little envelopes. It's good to give occasionally especially if it's hot outside. Corid (amprolium) is for Cocidois and B12 is good for girls feeling poorly. The dog kennel is a hospital for anyone sick or injured. The pee pads are much easier to clean up then pine shavings. Also if a girl is bleeding you can see how much.
I know you don't want to think about such things but it's better to be prepared then running around or worse, to the store , in an emergency.

No, I would prefer to be prepared. This is terrific info.

Would this be sufficient for the medicated ointment:
https://www.amazon.com/Manna-Pro-1000216-667831-2-Ounces/dp/B01CKFBNDA

I think I've got the electrolytes and B12 covered.

I looked for the Corid but there are different kinds. I'm not sure what to get. Can you recommend something? Can I purchase on Amazon, TSC, Lowes or Home Depot?

I need the kennel. I'm going to look for a used one. How big would you suggest?
Would any of these work:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1029686334669474
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/261571119768525
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/784011629956218
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/786309966132988

Thanks so much

 

[KyCoop]

The Hen Healer is correct. You can buy Corid off the shelf at TS. And t h e 36" dog kennel is big enough. If the girl is sick or injured she won't be doing a lot of walking around.

 

[saysfaa]

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 think you got that now, right?

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?

Yes. Similar reason for keeping the grit separate too - they will take what they need more easily when it is separate.

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?

Yes.

Do you have a method for preventing mites & lice?

No. If I ever have any then I will look into it much more seriously.

Sorry for the delay in answering. Real life is kinda crazy lately.