Should I feed my hens scratch or layer feed?

[Skunkspit]

That is brilliant! Thank you for the photo to show me. I will have mine up by next week

 

[jerrey]

Great thread.

We feed our chickens grower feed and add oyster shell on the side because we have roosters who would not benefit from extra calcium, as well as pullets who do not yet lay. I've seen the girls who do lay go for the oyster shell, but that's about it. The roos and pullets leave it alone. They also free-range for a portion of each day.

I tend to throw a handful of scratch out in the leaves in the winter to encourage scratching and digging, but that's about it ( we have tons of deep leaves and areas that chickens love to dig around in).

I don't consider scratch to be a feed, more of a fun diversion for the chickens. They do love it, but the 2 year old rooster we rescued last year had been fed scratch only and he was suffering from malnutrition, poultry lice and just general lack of health. He also had a thick white scaly growth on his legs that has since fallen away after about 5 months, he now has a more normal skin on his legs. After about 7-8 months of grower feed, treatment for lice, a few treats here and there, like sunflower seeds and things like that, he has made a 100% recovery and has been integrated into a new flock that he fits in with very well.

Nutrition is very important for the health of chickens, just like any other animal. They can "make due" with scratch grains or sub-par feed, but they will not thrive and give you their best on it.

nice

off the subject but I put straw in the chicken coop this year and the chicken got lice I always used pine shavings before a lot easer to clean out what do you think is the best way to take care of this before this gets out of hand

 

[getaclue]

I have not had lice, or mites, but I do dust the chickens with sevin once a year, and the follow up 10 days later. Be sure to clean the coop too. Plenty of people use Adams too, with good results. Hay works better than straw, because straw is hollow, and harbors the eggs, and nits. Pine shavings are better, and work better with higher humidity.

 

[chicksurreal]

off the subject but I put straw in the chicken coop this year and the chicken got lice I always used pine shavings before a lot easer to clean out what do you think is the best way to take care of this before this gets out of hand

We've never had lice originate in our coops, just the one rooster that we rescued who already had them (we quarantined him until he was free of them).

We've always used pine shavings and clean the coops regularly.

I never have used straw because I read a thread somewhere here that talked about the hens eating the straw and getting impacted crops from it. I know a lot of people use straw with no ill effects, but that thread just made me not want to use it at all.

We treated our rooster with 5% sevin dust. Just as instructed, a pinch at the vent and one under each wing once a week for three weeks. I also very lightly dusted his coop with it before putting the pine shavings in. Never saw another bug after that.

 

[matt44644]

Mites can harbor in anything,they usually prefer to have a host to lay their eggs upon.

 

[jerrey]

We've never had lice originate in our coops, just the one rooster that we rescued who already had them (we quarantined him until he was free of them).

We've always used pine shavings and clean the coops regularly.

I never have used straw because I read a thread somewhere here that talked about the hens eating the straw and getting impacted crops from it. I know a lot of people use straw with no ill effects, but that thread just made me not want to use it at all.

We treated our rooster with 5% sevin dust. Just as instructed, a pinch at the vent and one under each wing once a week for three weeks. I also very lightly dusted his coop with it before putting the pine shavings in. Never saw another bug after that.

THANK YOU SO MUCH THIS IS THE FRIST TIME FOR ME I DO CLEAN MY CNICKEN COOP OUT SO IF THEY HAVE LAYED EGGS ON THE CHICKENS WILL THE SEVEN DUST TAKE CARE OF THEM AND IS THE SEVEN DUST THE SAME AS YOU PUT IN THE GARDEN I HAVE 32 CHICKENS SO I AM TAKING ALOT OF TIME TO GET RIED OF THE BUGS THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH JERREY MAE

 

[getaclue]

Yes, it's the same sevin dust as for the garden. Get a couple of the 3 pack shaker containers, and dust away, just don't get it in their eyes. The shake and bake method using a pillowcase is easy on smaller sized birds, but my birds are large enough I use a small tote bin, dump plenty of sevin in, set them in it one at a time, and scoop it onto them with gloved hands. Don't worry about getting too much, they will shake it off.

 

[chicksurreal]

THANK YOU SO MUCH THIS IS THE FRIST TIME FOR ME I DO CLEAN MY CNICKEN COOP OUT SO IF THEY HAVE LAYED EGGS ON THE CHICKENS WILL THE SEVEN DUST TAKE CARE OF THEM AND IS THE SEVEN DUST THE SAME AS YOU PUT IN THE GARDEN I HAVE 32 CHICKENS SO I AM TAKING ALOT OF TIME TO GET RIED OF THE BUGS THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH JERREY MAE

Yes, the sevin dust is the same as used in the garden, I bought it in a 3-pack at tractor supply.

I was advised to just put a pinch at the vent and under each wing, as inhaling the dust can be bad for you and your chickens, use gloves so it doesn't get on your skin. The dust won't take care of the eggs, that's why you have to do it for 3 weeks. As the eggs hatch, you kill the bugs before they can reproduce.

After I cleaned the coop really well, I sprinkled the dust and then put the shavings in. I did all of this once each week for three weeks and it took care of the problem for me.

I only had one rooster that I had to deal with, you will have to make sure and treat each chicken and the coop each week. I hope this works for you. Those nasty little bugs can cause big problems!

 

[jerrey]

Yes, the sevin dust is the same as used in the garden, I bought it in a 3-pack at tractor supply.

I was advised to just put a pinch at the vent and under each wing, as inhaling the dust can be bad for you and your chickens, use gloves so it doesn't get on your skin.

After I cleaned the coop really well, I sprinkled the dust and then put the shavings in. I did all of this once each week for three weeks and it took care of the problem for me.

I only had one rooster that I had to deal with, you will have to make sure and treat each chicken and the coop each week. I hope this works for you. Those nasty little bugs can cause big problems!

O my God thank you so much I really do take care of my chickens I gave 3 of my older hens a bath today the tem. 61 I know they feel better I have big girls and baby girls big girls 1 an 1/2 baby girls will be 1 this coming May what happen that they got this was it because I used the straw are what are what anyone know should I have use thing of on to treat them again think you

 

[jerrey]

O my God thank you so much I really do take care of my chickens I gave 3 of my older hens a bath today the tem. 61 I know they feel better I have big girls and baby girls big girls 1 an 1/2 baby girls will be 1 this coming May what happen that they got this was it because I used the straw are what are what anyone know should I have use thing of on to treat them again think you

thank you soo much I will let you know when there gone I take pride in my girls !!!!!!!!!!!!!!