Is backyard dirt acceptable as temporary grit?

[SomeChickinTN]

Personally, I let all mine free range together during the winter when not breeding. But this spring I will isolate the ones I want to breed into breeding pens set up for 1 rooster and several hens.
But that's just how I usually do it.

Do they not try to breed in the winter? People made it sound like roosters are.... persistent, lol

 

[EggWalrus]

The roosters still get them some in the winter, especially younger ones if they haven't molted ever. Lots of the older rooster don't hit it as much when they go to molting. Instead of hitting it 40-50 times a day, they slow down to a few times a day.
Most hens slow down or quit laying or going broody in the winter also. But there are exceptions.

 

[aart]

Cockbirds, like hens, hormone levels drop off in winter, especially during a molt they don't feel much like mating. Mine is still mating the pullets now that his molt is past it's peak.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

The single cell organism that is responsible for Coccidiosis lives in the gut of farm animals like cows, sheep, goats, etc. The disease that these microbes cause in young farm animals is known as "SCOWERS".

Now I realize that it is humanly impossible to keep your chicks from ingesting Coccidiosis organisms but there is absolutely no reason on God's green Earth for you to go out of your way to infect your biddies with an insurmountable load of Coccidiosis cells or organisms by giving them barnyard dirt at an early age. This is what a craw full of barnyard dirt represents. Feeding NON-MEDICATED chick starter or not vaccinating your biddies against Coccidiosis is only setting your chicks up for death.

Organic fertilizer is full of Coccidiosis eggs.

Feeding medicated chick starter AND vaccinating your biddies against Coccidiosis is self defeating because these medical treatments cancel or counter act each other.

 

[duluthralphie]

The single cell organism that is responsible for Coccidiosis lives in the gut of farm animals like cows, sheep, goats, etc. The disease that these microbes cause in young farm animals is known as "SCOWERS".

Now I realize that it is humanly impossible to keep your chicks from ingesting Coccidiosis organisms but there is absolutely no reason on God's green Earth for you to go out of your way to infect your biddies with an insurmountable load of Coccidiosis cells or organisms by giving them barnyard dirt at an early age. This is what a craw full of barnyard dirt represents. Feeding NON-MEDICATED chick starter or not vaccinating your biddies against Coccidiosis is only setting your chicks up for death.

Organic fertilizer is full of Coccidiosis eggs.

Feeding medicated chick starter AND vaccinating your biddies against Coccidiosis is self defeating because these medical treatments cancel or counter act each other.

I can think of many good reasons to give them dirt.. medicated feed is up to the flock owner and their experience.

 

[aart]

The disease that these microbes cause in young farm animals is known as "SCOWERS".

Scours:
diarrhea in livestock, especially cattle and pigs.

 

[EggWalrus]

From day 2 of a chicks life, when Momma brings them out of the nest to eat and drink, they are exposed to lots of the bad stuff that life as a chicken is gonna throw at them. As soon as I see and can catch them, I give them Super Biddy feed with Coccicides in it. It doesn't kill it all, but it keeps the Coccidiosis at low enough levels that the biddies can build up a resistance to it without it killing my birds.
99% of all ground chickens walk on and eat off of have Coccidiosis. Like it or not, it's gonna be in your flock regardless, but Coccicides can be helpful till they build an immunity.

 

[casportpony]

Coccidiosis lives in the gut of farm animals like cows, sheep, goats

I hope you aren't saying that chickens can get coccidiosis from cows, sheep, and goats. Coccidiosis is species specific, chickens cannot get it from other species.

The disease that these microbes cause in young farm animals is known as "SCOWERS".

As I understand it, scours can be caused by viruses, bacteria, and coccidia.

 

[duluthralphie]

I hope you aren't saying that chickens can get coccidiosis from cows, sheep, and goats. Coccidiosis is species specific, chickens cannot get it from other species.


As I understand it, scours can be caused by viruses, bacteria, and coccidia.

Is scours not more of a symptom than an actual disease in many cases, Sort of like the "trots" in humans can have many causes?

Of course, in chicks I find too much heat to be the biggest factors.

 

[aart]

Is scours not more of a symptom than an actual disease in many cases, Sort of like the "trots" in humans can have many causes?

Of course, in chicks I find too much heat to be the biggest factors.

I think scours is just a colloquialism or slang for diarrhea....like 'trots' is.
It scours em out.