maintenance/ routine??

[Dixiedoodle]

What are some of your routines as far as health maintenance goes? Do you do preventive/scheduled treatments or wait until you have a problem--such as mites/lice, worms etc?? Thank you for sharing?? Dixie

 

[johnmayersquare]

Quote:
That is an EXCELLENT question! I am looking forward to the experienced peeps to chime in! Thanks for asking it!

 

[Chickenaddict]

The only thing i do is dust for mites and worm them, I do it in the fall and spring

 

[patandchickens]

I think the most important prevention is to spend a good amount of time with your chickens on a fairly regular basis, not just hangin' out but *looking* at them, and inspecting the harder-to-see regions of at least some of them (tummies, vents, skin below feathers, feathers on upper back between shoulders, etc).

And then of course get onto any issue right away, not 'when I get around to it'.

I've dusted DE onto the coop floor before putting down bedding, but I don't actually know whether this has done anything for me or not. (I've also used it on chickens with mites, where it most certainly did work, but of course that's not preventative)

In terms of whether to worm preventively, I think you will find two distinct camps here, depending on things like whether birds free range, whether the person depends on being able to eat/hatch the eggs, and how much the owner worries about chemical stuff in their eggs.


Pat

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Well, maybe I'm a health maintenance slacker (due to lack of knowledge), but I've had my four girls for 1.5 years now and never done anything regarding worming or treatment for mites or creepy crawlies. Their surroundings was virgin, no coop or farming had ever been on that property before, so I didn't think there'd be any pests in the soil to worry about.

Am I misguided to not do anything at all?

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
I dunno, I don't do anything either, so I'm sure not going to criticize

There are no wide spectrum wormers that I would call proven-with-data effective *and* safe for eating eggs, and I haven't yet seen any wormlike problems.

The only reason I used DE is because I *did* have a mite problem at one time, right after giant flocks of starlings moved through (they were on the lawn, the chicken tractor was on the lawn, connect the dots).

I'd be willing to be a bit more proactive IF chicken veterinary medicine were more like cat/dog/horse type veterinary medicine. Rather than totally stuck in the dark ages (or anyhow relevant only to massive commercial scale production). However that is not the case and probably not going to happen during my lifetime if ever. So, I figure 'first do no harm' and 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' <g>


Pat

 

[Guinea Goonie]

I pick up an unsuspecting chicken every morning. I look them over with a fine toothed comb. I look for any signs of disease, Mites, Lice, scally leg mites and such. I then open thier mouths (open wide little chickie) and look down thier throats for any signs of worms or diseaes. I look at the vent carefully and finally I hold the roos I find upside down by thier feet for a few minutes just to let them know I am king roo. The hens get a "go lay an egg sweetie" and they are gone !

 

[Mahonri]

rimshoes. The hens get a "go lay an egg sweetie" and they are gone ! [url :

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/15239_eekout.gif[/URL]

I imagine that line works every time.​

 

[AllChookUp]

Basically, I use deep litter with DE, and also mix some DE in their feed.

I also add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar intheir water.

Beyond that, I just check their general condition as often as possible.

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

Quote:
same here.
But I also gave them some vitamin supplements before they began laying and will probably do it again in another month or so.