Speckledhen's Ten Commandments of Good Flock Management

[BantamSlave02]

Just posting so I can sub to the thread

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

An oldie but a goodie, thanks @speckledhen for a wonderful read.

 

[speckledhen]

An oldie but a goodie, thanks @speckledhen for a wonderful read.

Hey, friend! Thanks a bunch.

 

[speckledhen]

Only one of my chickens started to lay.

My Rhode Islan Red started laying eggs a week ago. My two Sexlinks are not. Got them all as babies in March. When should the other two start laying?

They should be laying now, actually. Sex links tend to be earlier layers than most. But, each hen is individual and the short answer is they'll lay when they lay, LOL.

 

[KnittingChick3]

I know this an older thread, but it was very informative. I'm new to chicken keeping and there's only so much you can glean from books, etc. Hearing the first hand knowledge of others, even the disagreements, was enlightening.
I have a pair of boots I only wear for chicken tending, but that's because I didn't want to track manure around. I hadn't really thought about bringing something home on my shoes from the store...
I've learned a lot from this, thank you everyone.

 

[speckledhen]

I know this an older thread, but it was very informative. I'm new to chicken keeping and there's only so much you can glean from books, etc. Hearing the first hand knowledge of others, even the disagreements, was enlightening.
I have a pair of boots I only wear for chicken tending, but that's because I didn't want to track manure around. I hadn't really thought about bringing something home on my shoes from the store...
I've learned a lot from this, thank you everyone.

I just saw your post. Glad I could offer some perspective. You're very welcome!


I actually did a video version of this on YouTube, though it was cut off on the end. I have better recording equipment now, thankfully.

 

[MIchickenlady]

Chickens may be livestock or they may be pets, but they deserve and desire attention and care. If you are going to maintain a healthy backyard flock, there are certain rules that should be followed. For those of you who frequently PM me for advice, or for those of you who are new to chicken-keeping, here is the "Speckledhen Method" in a nutshell.

Speckledhen's Ten Commandments of Good Flock Management

1) Keep a clean, dry environment...change bedding as needed, watch out for leaky waterers/windows/roofs, etc.

2) Fresh air/ventilation is essential..poop and respiration add moisture in the air. Ventilation overhead, not at roost or floor level.

3) Provide fresh water, daily. Would you take a sip out of the waterer? If not, clean it.

4) Give fresh, nutritious food, formulated for the age/function of the birds

5) Provide a safe, predator-proofed, uncrowded coop and run...they depend on you for protection

6) Periodically, check over each bird in the flock for lice, mites, wounds, etc.

7) Practice good biosecurity..disinfect shoes before and after visting the feedstore and shows, quarantine new birds, etc Under no circumstances, sell, trade, or give away a bird that shows sign of infection or has contacted another bird who shows signs of infection, or comes from a flock that has shown signs of infection, now or in the past.

8) At the first sign of contagious respiratory illness, i.e., discharges from nose or eyes or bad smell, cull, cull, cull...birds don't get colds, per se; they contract diseases, many of which make them carriers for their lifetime. That means they are able to infect others even if they seem to recover themselves. See Rule #7.

9) Do not medicate unnecessarily, including wormers and antibiotics

10) DO YOUR RESEARCH! There are numerous books and articles profiling poultry management and poultry disease. Read, study and then formulate a plan of action, should the worst happen, before it happens.


Happy Chicken-Keeping!

Great list!

 

[speckledhen]

Great list!

Thank you!

 

[Kathy Sistare]

We are six months into keeping chickens. We have 16 all hens, we believe. One hen seems very tired. She went from the coop to the yard and is just laying around. She also has a messy butt. What can I do for her?

 

[speckledhen]

@Kathy Sistare , There are so many things that could be wrong. Is she about 16 weeks old? Or younger? At around 17-20 months old, they go through their first big molt. They can act tired and out of sorts. Or she could have some reproductive issue, too many to name and too many have similar symptoms. There really is not enough to go on to even begin to guess what may be the issue with her. Supportive care would entail extra protein and vitamins in her food, like putting a few drops of polyvisol liquid baby vitamins *without iron* to her beak each day for awhile or in something she will eat. Most things, all you can do is lend supportive care. If she seems really ill, separate her into a warm location so she can rest undisturbed and you can monitor her poop and how much she is eating.

She appears to be a Wyandotte. Is she a hatchery gal? If so, it seems that most hatchery Wyandottes are very prone to reproductive malfunctions. I've lost all mine to those and won't have any more.