Overwhelmed... need lots of advice

[ladyhand]

New chicken momma here...

I live in a suburban community and none of my neighbors have chickens (technically it’s against the HOA rules, but my neighbors don’t care as long as no roosters. Does this help cut down on disease or parasite exposure?

Can you get preventatives for fleas and ticks like you can for dogs?

what exactly do I need to do to protect my chicks from anything preventable? They’re only 1-2 weeks old and I’ve got them on starter feed and have started putting small amounts of grit in their feed in case they ingest something else.

thanks in advance for the help!

 

[dawg53]

You're lucky that you can get away with chickens especially in a HOA. Once your chicks are hens and lay eggs, they will "announce" that they have laid an egg. This means a lot of loud squawking and clucking. It's possible that your neighbors may not like all the noise, so be prepared for a possible complaint. It helps to share eggs with neighbors.

Keep everything as clean as possible, fresh clean water for your birds and scoop poop in the pen frequently as best as you can. Sand in the pen helps keep everything as dry as possible and doesnt create nasty mud puddles that chickens love to drink from. Sand doesnt wash away and dries quicker. It's easier to scoop poop. It also helps deter parasites. Think beach.

You dont need to treat your birds or coop to prevent external parasites unless you actually see them on your birds. It's best to closely inspect one or two birds once a month for lice or mites, especially around the vent area.
If you see parasites on your birds, Permethrin dust or 10% Permethrin concentrate will treat the coop and your birds.
Good luck with your new adventure and if you have any issues, you know where to post and we'll be happy to help as best as possible.