NY chicken lover!!!!

[Gramma Chick]

Well yesterday I was telling my husband that I needed to get nest box for the Ameraucana's because they should be laying soon and are getting red in the face. So he built and installed the nest box yesterday. Today I find our first blue egg.
View attachment 2387060

Congrats

 

[Gramma Chick]

Hi all! I'm Becka from the Lake Erie region of NY midway between Buffalo and Erie PA. I've got a small flock of 13 pullets/hens and 3 cockerels. It's a mix of 2 lavender orpington (1 hen and 1 roo) 1 BSL, 3 cochin bantum hens, 1 cochin bantam roo, 2 bantam silkies (1 hen and 1 roo), 3 buff orpington pullets and 4 EE pullets. I just started with chickens this spring and my girls are just starting to lay. They say chickens are the gateway to other animals, but for me it was turkeys. Although I don't have any now because we harvested them a few weeks ago.

Welcome to the Group

 

[Kyatesw]

I just heard one of my "hens" crow. We were already suspicious because of feather shape and size. Anyone in the Upstate New York area need a buff orpington rooster? I'm not allowed to have Roosters. My rooster plan person is swamped with roos this year and can't take him.

I'm in Albany but I'm willing to drive pretty far. Also open to ideas.

 

[NNYchick]

I have a few silkie roosters looking for a new coop. Young hatched 4th of July. They are sweet boys

 

[Gramma Chick]

Are your Chickens Molting ? It is a good time to worm them ...as they arent laying any eggs anyway

 

[NNYchick]

Are your Chickens Molting ? It is a good time to worm them ...as they arent laying any eggs anyway

Why do you want to worm and what worms are you worried about? I’ve read a lot of information from poultry vets and poultry nutritionist that chickens shouldn’t be wormed preventively as it causes more harm than good by disrupting the natural balance of the intestine and resistance to the medication when it’s needed. If your seeing worms or the bird is not gaining weight then have a fecal float test done so you can target the worms you are dealing with. A good balance of fiber in the diet, probiotics and grit help keep internal parasites in check.
I won’t worm during a molt as it’s a stressful time on the birds body and worming medication is hard on the bird.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Why do you want to worm and what worms are you worried about? I’ve read a lot of information from poultry vets and poultry nutritionist that chickens shouldn’t be wormed preventively as it causes more harm than good by disrupting the natural balance of the intestine and resistance to the medication when it’s needed. If your seeing worms or the bird is not gaining weight then have a fecal float test done so you can target the worms you are dealing with. A good balance of fiber in the diet, probiotics and grit help keep internal parasites in check.
I won’t worm during a molt as it’s a stressful time on the birds body and worming medication is hard on the bird.

Not really thought about it ..being a problem . Well it is done now ..
.Ive only ever seen round worms ...I do it once a year when they are molting ...A small dose 1 oz per gallon of water . I ferment feed...The rest of the year I use natural wormers like pumpkin seeds , Carrots , Hot pepper flakes , cayenne pepper. They get a Varied diet , Scratch , Fresh vegetables , , Grass and bugs .. of course as they free range .
How does grit help ?

 

[NNYchick]

I’m pretty simple when it comes to my chickens. I think the healthiest flocks come with good nutrition, fresh water, fresh air, sunshine and exercise and then let Mother Nature sort out the rest. I’m probably in the minority but I was actually glad when antibiotics became unavailable to buy over the counter. I saw them used so inappropriately recommended on the forums and the FB groups just because people seen it recommended before. As a health care provider this really concerned me.
Here are some good articles and podcasts I have found.
AN APA MENTORTIP – GRIT, THE UNDER UTILIZED SUPPLEMENT
We frequently hear of people looking to improve the growth and performance of their birds, to improve feed efficiency, etc. Most frequently they're looking for the newest, latest and greatest food supplements. These supplements can be expensive and in many cases don't don't offer the desired results. What if I told you the best and often cheapest thing you can give you birds, that gives good results is good old fashioned grit.
Grit is nothing more than finely crushed granite rock. You may be thinking my birds pick it up naturally when ranging, or maybe they pick up gravel from the drive way, even I feed limestone or oyster shell. If they do this do I really need to offer them grit?
In and of itself grit offers no nutritional value. What grit does is do is to add more grinding ability to the birds gizzard. This makes their feed more digestible and not just grains, even pellets and crumbles. If grit is so important what can happen when its missing from a bird's diet? Feeding grit has been shown to increase body weight of broilers, reduce incidence of gastric enteritis, and improve feed conversion rates.
If your birds have adequate feeder and water space and access to a high energy, palatable diet but they're not performing as well as you think they should, trying adding grit to their diet. Grit has been shown to add ¾ pound of finished weight to commercial broilers.
Is one size grit suitable for all ages of birds? No, grit is available in three different sizes; chick 1/16”- 3/32”, grower is 3/32”- 3/16”, and layer is 3/16”-5/16”. As your birds grow and mature just start offering the next largest size.
How should I feed grit to my birds? When I put chicks in the brooder I also offer a small container of chick grit. As birds grow I start offering grit in 1 quart size coop cups that hang on the wire. I drill some small drain holes in the bottom of the cup just in case it gets wet when it rains.
In case you're wondering how expensive grit is don't worry, you can buy an 80lb. Bag of grit for much less than a 50lb. Bag of feed. Eighty pounds of grit will last a long time too; since it ground granite it will never go bad.
So to improve your birds and get the most value out of your feed, give them some grit. We think you'll be happy with the results.
Information for this MentorTip is from the book Pastured Poultry Feeding and Management, by Jeff Mattocks.
And This is a good interview with poultry Vet from UC Davis he talks about worming. https://www.breedersacademy.com/ep76-biosecurity-basics-with-dr-rodrigo-gallardo/
This particular podcast my other favorite podcast is the 3 part series on feeding and nutrition with Jeff Mattocks it really opened my eyes about nutrition. https://www.breedersacademy.com/ep35-interview-with-jeff-mattocks-about-poultry-nutrition-part-1/

 

[Gramma Chick]

I’m pretty simple when it comes to my chickens. I think the healthiest flocks come with good nutrition, fresh water, fresh air, sunshine and exercise and then let Mother Nature sort out the rest. I’m probably in the minority but I was actually glad when antibiotics became unavailable to buy over the counter. I saw them used so inappropriately recommended on the forums and the FB groups just because people seen it recommended before. As a health care provider this really concerned me.
Here are some good articles and podcasts I have found.

I am the same with my chickens.. I try to do all things naturally . Our land is organic ? No chemicals ..because of chickens ..I just give them the wazine once a year when they are molting. ...Normally I give them Nothing Medically . Try to strengthen their immune system with natural things Some of my chickens are 7 years old . Thanks for the links ...I will read them .I have never heard grit is good for killing parasites .

 

[Birdman18]

Hi,
Anyone around here has Seramas available..or other bantams ?. Please PM me