Speckledhen's Ten Commandments of Good Flock Management

[PunkinPeep]

I will not give someone advice that I feel is irresponsible or wrong or that is contrary to what I feel is the very best thing to do for their flock. What each person does is entirely up to him/her, but you won't get sugarcoating from speckledhen.

I love that about you!

 

[nancysmith2]

So you do not worm your chickens unless what?

 

[speckledhen]

If I see worms in their poop, or they seem way too thin, or I see roundworms on top of the soil in substantial numbers, then I will worm them. I may have done it 3-4 times in the last almost 4 years. Some worm their flock periodically just in case. I don't.

 

[M To The Maxx]

 

[usschicago1]

I Agree with you Cynthia! I respect and admire you for posting this and i follow all your rules except on the worming. I didn't read the comments but my input is to worm on a schedule whether or not they have worms or not. I think this way the worms are never there to damage there nutrient absorbing intestinal walls ext.
But that's my opinion and you have been doing this longer than me so its a matter of preference! Thanks for putting this up!

 

[speckledhen]

I am not against worming with a broad spectrum wormer once a year "just because", but I've seen folks worming excessively and unnecessarily and that is really what that part of the list is about.

 

[rstampa]

Quote:
More like an infestation! They will kill a bird if left unattended.

 

[rstampa]

Quote:
My birds never have worms. I mix Diatomaceous Earth in their food. Also sprinkle it everywhere the chickens live. Coop, run and occasionally in the yard. Mever have a fly problem either. Best of all around produce. A must for chicken rasing. Keeps the fleas, mites and other bitting instects away. Works great on my dog's fleas too.

 

[speckledhen]

I also have DE in their feed about half the time. The drying effects of it I think may not be completely safe if someone is using too much in the feed, though. Someone told me about a study where they found the intestines very dried out from overuse of DE, but can't corroborate that. Mine have never had real worm issues, maybe due partially to DE, partially to pumpkin seeds and buttermilk, partly due to their general good health. But worms are usually easy to take care of when you know that's what the issue is.

 

[speckledhen]

I am not someone who posts rants on the forum, but I have had major static from members who think I have said things which I have not, regarding items on this list of mine. This list was written in response to the many PMs I receive asking what I would do in a certain situation. This is a summary of my own philosophy, mine, as I have said several times in this thread and many times in other threads on the board. So, I want to reiterate a few points here that apparently are not getting through to some folks:

1) I have never said I was an expert in the field, NEVER. People keep saying that I have held myself up to be such and I have absolutely NOT. If you have access to an avian vet and can afford one, wonderful! I am not that person nor have I ever claimed to be.

2) I do NOT cull at the first sign of a problem., which is exactly what someone recently stated about me. I will cull if any bird in my flock has a respiratory illness. Yes, I will! Me! Most old time poultry keepers will do the exact same thing rather than whip out the antibiotics and risk infecting the rest of the flock. However, at the first sneeze, which may just be dust in the air, I dont run for the axe. I check for an environmental cause and have told many to do the same thing. I have never told someone they had to do kill their birds, never. I have told them they must be aware of the ramifications of treating an illness and creating carrier birds and the ethical considerations of selling such birds to our members afterward. It's a matter of having all the facts and not putting fingers in the ears so they don't hear the truth of the situation. We've had many folks upset that they were sold sick birds by another BYC member and asking what they should do now. If everyone would be conscientious and informed about disease in the chicken world, we wouldn't have these issues all the time. I'm really weary of folks acting like I said to euthanize their own grandmother! Have you ever heard the story of Typhoid Mary? If not, look it up. That is the situation many of you are facing with your birds.

3) If you do not want my answer, do not ask. If the answer isn't palatable to you, don't take my advice, but I'd rather not to be followed around the forum for the express purpose of being sneering at, poked fun of, misquoted and misrepresented.

4) One more time....these are my Ten Commandments of Flock Management, the way we do things here. I posted them because I am constantly asked the same questions and wanted to present my management techniques in a concise manner. You ask, What would you do? THIS is what I would do. If you want to do something different, then do something different. You do whatever you want with your flock, but if you ask my opinion, I will tell you the truth and won't pussyfoot around the facts. Just don't try to sell birds from your flock to me or anyone else--that's where the ethics come in.
These points came from years of reading and studying reference material and books on chicken raising, not out of some random fantasy in my head. If you feel like giving someone a piece of your mind, then complain to the Merck Veterinary Manual or the multi-hundred dollar reference book, Diseases of Poultry or the vast numbers of highly experienced poultry keepers here, many of whom have decade upon decade of first hand knowledge. (I could name a few of them, but do not want to risk having their inboxes flooded)

Speech over. No replies needed.