Speckledhen's Ten Commandments of Good Flock Management

[melindarbg]

May seem like a silly question but What do you disinfect your shoes with?

 

[speckledhen]

May seem like a silly question but What do you disinfect your shoes with?

Virkon-S or if I'm out of that, Oxine AH solution

 

[Fluffyflufffluff]

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!

Wow.. I appreciate this very much. so detailed.. i will print this and post it on the farm entrance door. thank you very much for this.

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!

I really understood rule number 3.. i appreciate this. I'll print and post this on my farm door. kudos to the creator... great job..

 

[speckledhen]

I'm glad it's helpful!

 

[igorsMistress]

I really like that you advise not to give medications without reason and the bit about respiratory diseases. This is a great list!

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

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

I probably wouldn't drink out of the waterer even if I ran it through the dishwasher! Then again, I am a bit of a germaphobe...

 

[speckledhen]

I probably wouldn't drink out of the waterer even if I ran it through the dishwasher! Then again, I am a bit of a germaphobe...

Well, I was being extreme to make a point, LOL

 

[electrycmonk]

Rule # <><>
The Broody Hen is always right.

Rule #<><> + 1 = if you think otherwise see rule #<><> for consistency

 

[speckledhen]

Rule # <><>
The Broody Hen is always right.

Rule #<><> + 1 = if you think otherwise see rule #<><> for consistency

These were just general management rules. Broody hen rules are a whole 'nother ballgame! The Broody Zone here needs its own warning sign.

 

[electrycmonk]

These were just general management rules. Broody hen rules are a whole 'nother ballgame! The Broody Zone here needs its own warning sign.

And I was just attempting generalized humour of a specific topic in an omage to a completely different topic.