New Here. New Chicken Owner. Aggrevated.

[Owl Creek]

New here. Aggravated with the confusion. I am reading here that some of you are using Purina Flock Raiser with your mixed flocks and not having any issues. I have a small flock of 7 hens; about a year, one pullet and one rooster both about 5 months.

5 Buff Orpington
3 Barred
Rooster is a Buff/Bard Mix

(We lost his father rooster in Sept)

I am feeding Flock Raiser now to all with oyster shell and grit on the side. The get cry little scratch mixed in 2 times a week. They are in a coop with (2) 12x36 runs, one off each side. They can come and go as they please. I’ve given them things to climb on and treat stations for the Poultry cake treats.

I have noticed two things; the poop looks “grainy” in some instances. The second thing is the youngest pullet seems to shed little pieces of pinkish material a couple times every week.

She seems fine otherwise. A vet came out last month and did a flock assessment and said was intestinal lining. $500 for a visit and assessment. Said the runs were beautiful and what they like to see with backyard flocks that cannot free range.

I’m worried I’m giving them too much protein or not doing something right here. I clean the coop and run multiple times a week. I bring the water in each night and clean and refill. I add vitamins and probiotics to the water a couple times a week.

I am 1 year into chickens and am worried I’m doing something wrong. Am I paying too much attention to their poop, noticing every little change?

 

[sourland]

Sounds as if you may be 'over worrying'. I'd listen to the professional you just paid $500.

 

[007Sean]

You need to cut out the probiotics and vitamins, unless they are having 'real' health issues, it isn't necessary. Plain water is good enough.
I agree with @sourland

 

[rosemarythyme]

First of all, you should probably use layer pellets. Second, I believe that "mixed" flocks are those that have other types of poultry mixed in, such geese or ducks. I wouldn't feed them just flock raiser.

Flock raiser is appropriate feed for all genders and ages of poultry (hence the name). Layer pellets are okay with all laying hens, but OP has a cockerel and there is some potential for organ damage with increased calcium intake over time.

 

[Brooks_]

you should probably use layer pellets.

I strongly disagree with this. For one, layer was developed for best feed to production ratio on confined birds that would not be kept more than two years. Second, even layers will not need all that calcium all the time - molt, slowed winter production, illness/injury, low production breed.

I consider 20% starter/grower/all flock with oyster shell and grit on the side to be the gold standard.

I have fed my roosters layer pellets with the girls for 10 years without issues. I have had 17 roosters before. The ones that passed were due to old age or other reasons.

I seriously ask if you've had necropsies done to confirm this? I ask because I've seen others make the same claim and have yet to see a necropsy report.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I have fed my roosters layer pellets with the girls for 10 years without issues. I have had 17 roosters before. The ones that passed were due to old age or other reasons.

Then you have just been lucky. Plus most of the damage caused by calcium isn't visible unless you actually cut the bird open and look at the organs.

I've had way more roosters than you, and while I've never lost a male specifically to too much calcium, I have noticed the damage on the older males. That was part of the reason I stopped offering layer feed all together

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Sounds like intestinal shedding- normal. The grainy poop may be the treats, or may be just the bird or something else. Try giving either scratch or poultry cake as a rare treat, maybe once a week and see if poop is less grainy.
Check the size of grit. chick grit is too small for juveniles and adults.
Do you have poop boards? Are they eating anything from them?
You are doing great with the commercial feed. There are diff % of protein among brands, but IMHO 17-20% is fine. Of course if the flock is mixed with chicks, juveniles and adults then a 20% is recommended for all- just give less treats.

You got this!! Good luck

 

[Owl Creek]

Sounds as if you may be 'over worrying'. I'd listen to the professional you just paid $500.

Thanks lol I try to convince myself that nothing is wrong and they’re fine. I think the coccidia that killed my roo has me a little over cautious. I didn’t even know what that was until it was too late. That why I had the vet come after I treated with corrid and was able to prevent any other deaths.

You need to cut out the probiotics and vitamins, unless they are having 'real' health issues, it isn't necessary. Plain water is good enough.
I agree with @sourland

I will keep fresh water only and add the boosters if needed. Thank you

Sounds like intestinal shedding- normal. The grainy poop may be the treats, or may be just the bird or something else. Try giving either scratch or poultry cake as a rare treat, maybe once a week and see if poop is less grainy.
Check the size of grit. chick grit is too small for juveniles and adults.
Do you have poop boards? Are they eating anything from them?
You are doing great with the commercial feed. There are diff % of protein among brands, but IMHO 17-20% is fine. Of course if the flock is mixed with chicks, juveniles and adults then a 20% is recommended for all- just give less treats.

You got this!! Good luck

Thanks; just want to be sure I am not doing too much, which I read here that I may actually be doing more harm than good.

Regarding vitamins, use it for illness otherwise your feed is adequate.

Regarding probiotics, there is nothing wrong with offering it but you should have a plain waterer at the same time free choice.

Or give greek yogurt as a treat. Not sure that daily is necessary though. Anyone doing yogurt want to weight in on how much/how often? seems like it would promote fat…?

Thank you. They do not get treats often. Only a couple times a week. Usually blueberries and greens. The scratch I offer when really cold and only before bed. I’ll keep the water plain. Their water is always fresh every morning. I clean the waterers daily.

 

[SourRoses]

You're good! It's okay.
It sounds like you've worked hard to educate yourself and invested a lot of effort in your birds. There will be things to learn along the way but some of that will be particular to your environment and breeds / individuals.

Cocci can be challenging because some strains don't present the same symptoms, and it is *everywhere* (in the water, dirt, on surfaces, etc.).
We have that challenge here, there can be no signs and otherwise robust birds, then *bam*. So, I've learned to be extra diligent about when to medicate.

I'm also slowly trying to teach myself that I cannot control all things. I tend to take on a lot of responsibility for how things turn out and that is not logical. It sounds like you might be suffering the same thing. We can only do our best and pray.

 

[Owl Creek]

First of all, you should probably use layer pellets. Second, I believe that "mixed" flocks are those that have other types of poultry mixed in, such geese or ducks. I wouldn't feed them just flock raiser. Third it sounds like there aren't any real issues with your chickens.

I had them on layer feed when I first got them and they were supposed to be 8 hens. A couple months into it; one ended up being a rooster. 4 months later; he got sick out of nowhere. I didn't have a local vet who could see him. He was lethargic, couldn't stand or hold his head up. His beak was open and he was breathing deep and slow.

I made the decision to cull him because I had no answers and he was suffering. I consider myself a relatively strong person but that was tough.

As I read more and more; I thought I messed up with the layer feed and made him sick. I read it could have been 500 things. Without a necropsy or a clue; I treated for Coccidia, took their 9x16 run and turned it into (2) 12x36 runs, stopped feeding treats more than a couple times a week, stopped putting ACV in their water and put poop boards under the roost. Now I pay too much attention.

When one of the babies turned out to be a rooster; I was happy and decided I would transition the flock to an all flock crumble. I keep a bowl of grit and a bowl of oyster shell available all the time.

I have noticed that this rooster is much larger than Cluck was; at least twice the size.

Flock raiser is appropriate feed for all genders and ages of poultry (hence the name). Layer pellets are okay with all laying hens, but OP has a cockerel and there is some potential for organ damage with increased calcium intake over time.

That is what I was reading and what the vet recommended when he came out.

You're good! It's okay.
It sounds like you've worked hard to educate yourself and invested a lot of effort in your birds. There will be things to learn along the way but some of that will be particular to your environment and breeds / individuals.

Cocci can be challenging because some strains don't present the same symptoms, and it is *everywhere* (in the water, dirt, on surfaces, etc.).
We have that challenge here, there can be no signs and otherwise robust birds, then *bam*. So, I've learned to be extra diligent about when to medicate.

I'm also slowly trying to teach myself that I cannot control all things. I tend to take on a lot of responsibility for how things turn out and that is not logical. It sounds like you might be suffering the same thing. We can only do our best and pray.

I thought I had done enough research actually. Didn't get them until I felt confident I knew enough. Come to find out; I didn't know enough. I also found out the importance of "validated opinion".

For example; one person may say "I give my chickens candy every morning and have for years with no issues." - Come to find out the truth of that would be something like the chickens free range; they hardly see them and chickens dying from the candy and being carried off ended up being assumed they were just picked off by a predator. See my point? So; I want as much info as possible.

If I am going to do something, I want to do it right. If another living thing is counting on me to do it right and I don't, I take it personally. If I failed my wife, I would feel the same way. It drives me bonkers. Seems the older I get the worse I hold myself accountable if even its illogical . I end up overthinking.

We cannot control all things but I want to. I want to prevent everything bad from happening to every living thing and I can't and it aggravates me. I think knowing that I can't makes it easier to be harder on myself for not doing enough. I have to turn the channel when the ASPCA or the St. Jude Children's commercials come on. Don't like to see them. Same for you?

We have horses too and when our young Friesian suffered colic; we first blamed ourselves for maybe mold in his feed. Thankfully we took him to state and he was there for 2 weeks but made it out without surgery. When we were able to focus on how it happened we found the place we boarded him put him in the pasture that he wasn't supposed to go into because of the trees and plants that were in there. We knew what things he needed to be kept away from and they didn't do it. The pasture was full of black walnut trees. He was just a baby and got into them. We moved him to a friends house as we pursued our own place. Then my wife's parents fell ill and we moved back closer to them. They passed in 2021. We are back to pursuing another homestead. We still are very careful to make sure the feed and hay quality is the best possible. The anxiety eventually went away. I am thinking it will with the chickens as well.

Sometimes I wish I could just be irresponsible and not care lol