Newbie questions!

[trista85]

Hello all, I am new to the community but have spent lots of time on here reading all of the great suggestions! I do have some questions as we come closer to winter though.

Here's the background: we live in Eastern Vermont, and have 8 hens that we got back in May as day old chicks- we've gotten an egg a day for the last 4 days which is so exciting! When he built the coop my husband did include insulation, so I'm hopeful that the coop will be warm enough this winter. I am also using the deep litter method in hopes that helps as well.

OK here are my questions:
- I purchased a large plastic fount for winter watering, does the salt water bottle method really work to keep it from freezing, or should I just rotate 2? The coop is close to my house, so this wouldn't be a huge deal.
- Should I give probiotics? This has become a question because I've noticed that one hen has a slightly protruding crop- but she's the only one of that breed and I'm not sure if that's just how she should look or not. FWIT she's a golden comet. They eat Blue Seal crumbles, we let them free range when we are home, they always have clean/fresh water, and I recently started putting crushed oyster shell out for them to eat as well.
- What, if anything, should I supplement for feed in the winter? Right now they forage a lot, but soon (and until about April) that won't be much of an option. I do have a bag of "scratch" that I picked up at the feed store that is corn, oat, and wheat but I'm not sure if that is too much grain? We do give them food scraps as well.. I understand that the whole grain is better, can I save and give them dried sunflower heads to peck at? We grew a lot (I have a 3 year old, she went rogue with the seeds and planted a million) so I would have a good supply.

Any other winter advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

 

[ChattyChickens4Life]

First......

Ok.... Now I can help with questions!

1) I have never heard of this salt water method, and I have done plenty of research on how to keep water liquid during the winter. I would suggest finding a heated base, or a submersible water heater.

2) You don't need to give probiotics unless there has been some traumatic issue, or you have a hen or rooster recovering. As for the crop, it's very normal for it to be full. That just means she has been eating. However, if when you lock them up at night (when they have no access to food) the crop is still full in the morning, then you could have a problem! The crushed oyster shell is good for calcium, but grit is what they need to break up their food.

3) Just give them their regular layer feed. Scratch should only be given as a treat because it can actually cause obesity in chickens.

4) Chickens generally do good in the winter!


Good luck on your chicken keeping endeavors!

 

[trista85]

First......

Ok.... Now I can help with questions!

1) I have never heard of this salt water method, and I have done plenty of research on how to keep water liquid during the winter. I would suggest finding a heated base, or a submersible water heater.

2) You don't need to give probiotics unless there has been some traumatic issue, or you have a hen or rooster recovering. As for the crop, it's very normal for it to be full. That just means she has been eating. However, if when you lock them up at night (when they have no access to food) the crop is still full in the morning, then you could have a problem! The crushed oyster shell is good for calcium, but grit is what they need to break up their food.

3) Just give them their regular layer feed. Scratch should only be given as a treat because it can actually cause obesity in chickens.

4) Chickens generally do good in the winter!


Good luck on your chicken keeping endeavors!

Thank you!

 

[ChattyChickens4Life]

Thank you!

Of course! Good luck and have fun!!!! And no matter how tired you get of cleaning the brooder during the baby stage, enjoy them as babies, because before you know it, the will be pooping mountains! LOL!

 

[Titan Farm]

Welcome.

Never add salt to the water of any animal. They get all the salt they need in there feed and by adding salt to there water you could do way more harm than good.
As for feeding in the winter, feed them there regular poultry feed (one about 20% protein is good) and you can supplement with some (10% of there feed intake) alfalfa meal or alfalfa pellets (not rabbit pellets).

 

[Titan Farm]

Scratch should only be given as a treat because it can actually cause obesity in chickens.

It would be real hard for chickens to get obese on over feeding scratch since chickens eat to fill there caloric need and not a hunger.

 

[ChattyChickens4Life]

It would be real hard for chickens to get obese on over feeding scratch since chickens eat to fill there caloric need and not a hunger.

It depends on whether you free range your chickens or if they are confined to a coop and run. Free range chickens will almost never have an obesity problem. However, if they are confined to a coop and run, and their treat intake is more than 10%, obesity is very likely. Not only can it cause obesity, it can also cause Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome. This is when fat builds up around the liver making the liver soft and prone to bleeding. Thank you for your input! I would just rather stick to the no more than 10% of treats. To me, it's not worth the risk!

 

[trista85]

Welcome.

Never add salt to the water of any animal. They get all the salt they need in there feed and by adding salt to there water you could do way more harm than good.
As for feeding in the winter, feed them there regular poultry feed (one about 20% protein is good) and you can supplement with some (10% of there feed intake) alfalfa meal or alfalfa pellets (not rabbit pellets).

Oh not adding salt to the water! I've seen ideas where you fill a small (think a 20 oz soda bottle) with salt water and place it in the waterer. The theory is that it should keep the water from freezing.

 

[21hens-incharge]

It would be real hard for chickens to get obese on over feeding scratch since chickens eat to fill there caloric need and not a hunger.

Actually they can. Scratch has lower protein and they will eat to fill the protein need. It is like candy to them and the regular ration that IS nutritionally complete will be ignored for the tastier scratch. Therefore they are nutritionally deprived but depositing fat from eating to much junk food.

Treats should not exceed 10% of the daily feed intake. That includes table scraps, scratch, forage, sunflower seeds etcetra combined.


For the OP..... Make sure to properly dry the sunflower heads to avoid any possibility of molds. Then give only a handful so they don't load up and get sick. Be sure to have grit available especially in winter when the ground is covered in snow.

I use a submersible bucket heater. I would worry that in very cold temps the plastic fount will freeze and burst.

 

[Titan Farm]

Actually they can. Scratch has lower protein and they will eat to fill the protein need. It is like candy to them and the regular ration that IS nutritionally complete will be ignored for the tastier scratch. Therefore they are nutritionally deprived but depositing fat from eating to much junk food.

Treats should not exceed 10% of the daily feed intake. That includes table scraps, scratch, forage, sunflower seeds etcetra combined.

Chickens do not eat to fill there protein needs, they eat to fill there caloric need.
A chicken well eat more a high protein low calorie feed than a low protein high calorie feed.
The comparison of scratch and candy is a very poor one since scratch is any single grain or grain mix that is pitched on the ground to stimulate scratching of the ground and or bedding. Scratch grain can range from 8 to 16 percent protein.

It depends on whether you free range your chickens or if they are confined to a coop and run. Free range chickens will almost never have an obesity problem. However, if they are confined to a coop and run, and their treat intake is more than 10%, obesity is very likely. Not only can it cause obesity, it can also cause Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome. This is when fat builds up around the liver making the liver soft and prone to bleeding. Thank you for your input! I would just rather stick to the no more than 10% of treats. To me, it's not worth the risk!

In order for chickens to get obese off of a typical scratch the bird would have to be confined in small quarters, fed extreme amounts of scratch and in excessively hot conditions. The bird would most likely die of malnutrition before it became obese.
As for Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome (FLHS), that becomes seen in hot weather in hens that are extensive egg-layers that are kept in small pens and fed a very high energy feed. (Please note I said a high energy feed not a high calorie feed).