My Chicken Story

[belindaschicks]

Your doing an amazing job. Only thing I can add. Pick up tylon 50 at tractor supply. It's an antibiotic. It will save you a lot of trips to the vet. Also Blu- more. It's an antiseptic that stains the area blue so the other chickens leave the wound alone.

 

[blackdust951]

hi Michaeland welcome to backyard chickens!we're so happy you decided to join us here I hope you enjoy your time here.

 

[Michael Propst]

Only thing I can add. Pick up tylon 50 at tractor supply. It's an antibiotic. It will save you a lot of trips to the vet. Also Blu- more

I would like to avoid antibiotics if possible but I know it is probably a good idea to have some on hand. Thanks for the recommendation on the type to get. Also I do have Hen Healer Multi-Purpose Ointment which is a blue ointment

 

[Michael Propst]

As for your Med Kit, I would suggest a couple of things. Folks on here say activated charcoal capsules are excellent for pulling toxins out of the birds. That makes sense, as that's what ER's use. You can research on this site.

I have a natural home remedy, too. If it is a kind of toxin that's ingested, then you have to get it out if her/him asap. (Once, one of my girls ate either a bad wild mushroom or too darned many of them & was not doing well. She recovered after her 2nd day of 'potion' & gave me the stink eye for a while...just in case I had any funny ideas about giving her another dose!)

I've given this home remedy to numerous people, some of whom used it & some of whom didn't. It's always worked for me.

I use Bragg's brand Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in their water already, so there's always some on hand & they're somewhat familiar with the taste. Bragg's is all I use, as it's organic, unfiltered, unprocessed & has the most nutritious content.

In a short juice glass, add:
1 teaspoon Baking Soda (yep, Arm&Hammer)
1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
It's going to foam a lot & that's good, just wait until it settles & add
2 teaspoons tap water

Thanks so much for so many suggestions and such a detailed reply. I also have been using ACV in their water so they are use to the taste. Thanks for the recommendation on the activated charcoal. In looking on Amazon the have both capsules and powder. Would the powder be easier to use because I am assuming the capsules you would need to crush anyways. Also thanks for the home remedy tonic recipe. I have all of that on hand, the ACV for my girls, and I have a dog that has the habit of getting sprayed by a skunk at least twice a year so I always have baking soda on hand to mix for my de-skunk solution. Again thanks so much for all of the information. If you are interested in researching more natural and herbal remedies you may check out Moonlight Mile Herb Farm, Susan makes some great tonics, tinctures, and ointments. I started off by just getting her Essentials Kit to have on hand. Not to mention her attention to detail is outstanding her packaging is so thought out.

 

[sourland]

Hello, Michael, you have some very lucky birds. Fact is that sometimes chickens just die. It does not sound like you are dealing with an infectious situation, and your husbandry is superlative.

 

[Michael Propst]

our diet is so complex, you really need a poultry nutritionist to evaluate it. As a general rule, everything after your layer mix would be considered a treat and should not exceed 10% of their total diet. The reason for that "general" rule is most treats tend to dilute the vitamins, minerals and amino acids in the base feed and at minimum make the diet out of balance. A combination of oats and barley greater than 12% of diet can inhibit nutrient absorption without special enzymes being provided. Since Barley is the second ingredient on the list, I assume they are including the enzymes in the feed. At first blush, I was thinking too much scratch, but when looking at the totality of your program, I just don't know.

Thanks for the feedback. The ratio of feed to treat is something I am working on and trying to better understand. As a precaution since Sadie passed I have reduced the amount of oatmeal and salad and cut the scratch to about 1/2 cup. I have actually started weighing the fermented to get an idea how much of that they are actually eating daily.

One additional question I have is the definition of feed and treat. For instance I know the actual Layer Feed they are getting falls into the feed and I assume the fermented feed does as well since it is straight layer feed fermented for 3 days. I know the mealworms, grubs, oatmeal and salad would be considered treats. The one item I am not item I am not sure of is the sprouted grains, I have seen some controversy because of the nutritional value of sprouted grain on whether it is in the feed category or treat category.

Also thanks for the recommendation to contact Scratch and Peck. I have contacted them before with questions and they are always responsive and a great company to work with. Not sure I am a preferred customer yet but getting there, as I really trust their products and the quality.

 

[rjohns39]

Thanks for the feedback. The ratio of feed to treat is something I am working on and trying to better understand. As a precaution since Sadie passed I have reduced the amount of oatmeal and salad and cut the scratch to about 1/2 cup. I have actually started weighing the fermented to get an idea how much of that they are actually eating daily.

One additional question I have is the definition of feed and treat. For instance I know the actual Layer Feed they are getting falls into the feed and I assume the fermented feed does as well since it is straight layer feed fermented for 3 days. I know the mealworms, grubs, oatmeal and salad would be considered treats. The one item I am not item I am not sure of is the sprouted grains, I have seen some controversy because of the nutritional value of sprouted grain on whether it is in the feed category or treat category.

Also thanks for the recommendation to contact Scratch and Peck. I have contacted them before with questions and they are always responsive and a great company to work with. Not sure I am a preferred customer yet but getting there, as I really trust their products and the quality.

If you ask 10 nutritionists about sprouted grains you'll probably get 12 conflicting answers. My two primary books both contradict themselves at various points of discussion, so I talked with one author who I have access too and in the course of the conversation he went back and forth several times. I think where we finally settled is that during winter, when they don't have access to grass it's feed (but still fed in moderation, there's a table out here on BYC somewhere that talks to how much per bird) and when they have access to forage it's a treat. What I've come to settle with is the truth is in performance. Active, happy, healthy birds who grow well and lay well are the best indication that you're doing it right. When it comes to meat birds the truth is in the carcass and mortality rate. While with breeders its in the hatch and grow out rate.

 

[Michael Propst]

What I've come to settle with is the truth is in performance. Active, happy, healthy birds who grow well and lay well are the best indication that you're doing it right.

Thanks again for the valuable feedback. What I do know is it is middle December it is getting cold here in Kansas and the days are short. I know my hens are still young but I provide no supplemental light or heat and still averaging 4-5 eggs a day from 6 hens. When I still had Sadie was getting 5-6 eggs from 7 hens

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Hello and welcome to BYC!! It’s so nice to have you join us.
You are very thorough and it appears you've done a lot of research!
Very nice! I can't tell you how refreshing that is.

This may be redundant, as you sound like you already know your way around the site. But in case this can help the tiniest little bit...this video may help with learning how to navigate this site:

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask one of us.

 

[h2oratt]

Welcome to Byc