HOw do I best prevent diseases in our healthy hens?

[Sozoed]

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SG, are flies in the coop a bad thing? I know chickens eat maggots and love them, as they dig in our garden's newly composted areas and find them.

 

[Lacrystol]

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In the winter I use a heating lamp, have been for years exspecially because of my silkies. it gets below zero degrees they usually stop laying in the winter. i will put the heating lamp directly under the water because it does freeze up and the heating lamp helps a little but some days not at all but does help keep them warm..

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

Thanks all. Next question: can my 3 pullets get diseases that are airborne? (no other flocks are nearby) If so, what should I look out for?

A few diseases can move maybe a mile airborn, but also need to considder wild birds, rodents and even farm boots can transmit disease. Though like posted earlier the chances are much slimmer of this than with direct chicken to chicken contact.

For light We are down to about 8 hours of natural light in our area durring winter so I add about 3-4 hours, laying does slow down some and older hens may pretty much quit. I find though it is best to add light in the morning, that way eggs are ready to be collected first thing and less likely to freeze. Also the chickens have natural declining light in afternoon to roost. If light is added at the end of the day and shut off abruptly they may not roost.​

 

[LarryPQ]

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Where are these purchased? My local feed store carries very litle medicinal items let alone vaccines.

Jeffer's livestock supply. Get some syringes too.

 

[Tracydr]

If vaccines were not given as chick's, can they be given to older birds?

 

[seminolewind]

Not usually. Chickens acquire resistance from age on most diseases. Most of these, if not all, would have to be caught from another chicken. I don't see any risk from that if you have a closed flock.

Best place to purchase is online, twin cities poultry would be one example.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

Most of these, if not all, would have to be caught from another chicken. I don't see any risk from that if you have a closed flock.

Not sure if this is entirly the case.

IB for exmple can go airborn a significant distance, some sources say 1000 yards some say more.

NC is a paramyxovirus that affects many different birds so certainly could come into a closed flock from wild birds.

Fowl pox is often spread by mosquitos.

Marek's though is pretty much confined to chicken to chicken but the virus can live in the soil or dander for months which makes spread on boots or cloths possible.


Though indirect spread of disease into a closed flock is far less likely than with direct chicken to chicken contact, it is not something to be sneezed at.

http://www.raising-chickens.org/common-chicken-ailments.html

http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/disviral.htm​

 

[seminolewind]

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Not sure if this is entirly the case.

IB for exmple can go airborn a significant distance, some sources say 1000 yards some say more.

NC is a paramyxovirus that affects many different birds so certainly could come into a closed flock from wild birds.

Fowl pox is often spread by mosquitos.

Marek's though is pretty much confined to chicken to chicken but the virus can live in the soil or dander for months which makes spread on boots or cloths possible.


Though indirect spread of disease into a closed flock is far less likely than with direct chicken to chicken contact, it is not something to be sneezed at.

http://www.raising-chickens.org/common-chicken-ailments.html

http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/disviral.htm

Okay, but what percentage of sick birds have gotten these illnesses from birds, bugs and airborne without chickens nearby? VS what percentage of these illnesses are spread by contact with other chickens?

 

[Sozoed]

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Fowl pox is often spread by mosquitos.



http://www.raising-chickens.org/common-chicken-ailments.html

http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/disviral.htm

Not sure if this was covered, but if FPox is carried by mosquitoes, then should I vaccinate my 9month old pullets for it? One poster said they never vaccinate before the disease...but if FPox is viral, wouldn't a shot be the only way to prevent it?

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

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SG, are flies in the coop a bad thing? I know chickens eat maggots and love them, as they dig in our garden's newly composted areas and find them.

Yea, I guess flies are not awful. But I don't want to give the neighbors anything to complain about and that includes flies, rats, etc. So I try to keep my run as tidy as possible. And it's pretty easy as I just have the two hens right now. I realize that cleaning up every day might not scale if you had a larger flock.