Supplements anyone?

[digahomestead]

Hello everyone, I keep hearing about people caring for their flock with vitamins or supplementing their flocks water. Is this necessary? I live I the North East, its cold, my chicks are health, so far. I want to keep them that way. Thoughts on whether I should be adding anything to their diets or drinking water? They do free range a bit. Their enclosed area is 40x40. I got 10 last May and another 6 in June, almost all are laying. Thoughts?
T

 

[nuthatched]

Some breeders add vitamins to the feed of birds they use for breeding for better chick health.
But the average flock should be getting all the nutrients they need from their pellets.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Hello everyone, I keep hearing about people caring for their flock with vitamins or supplementing their flocks water. Is this necessary? I live I the North East, its cold, my chicks are health, so far. I want to keep them that way. Thoughts on whether I should be adding anything to their diets or drinking water? They do free range a bit. Their enclosed area is 40x40. I got 10 last May and another 6 in June, almost all are laying. Thoughts?
T

If you are using fresh feed formulated for chickens or an all-flock feed, aside from providing free-choice calcium, there is no need to add vitamins to their water. However, keep some handy in case one of your birds gets sick or injured! Vitamins are still very useful to have around. If I have even one of my girls on antibiotics, I usually add probiotics to the water (or ferment the feed).

 

[aart]

If you are using fresh feed formulated for chickens or an all-flock feed, aside from providing free-choice calcium, there is no need to add vitamins to their water.
However, keep some handy in case one of your birds gets sick or injured! Vitamins are still very useful to have around.

Yeppers!

I give vitamins before hatching season.....and electrolyte/vitamins during extreme temp waves.

 

[svh]

2 weeks ago, I had some minor problems with 2 hens, one finishing a molt and lethargic, the other pale faced and cranky, with loose stools.

I Nutri Drenched them for a few days, and it really seemed to help. Orca got her color back, and Hazel started roaming with the flock again !

Coincidence, or not, I don't know, but it sure seemed to give the whole flock a boost. Within a week, I had 4 or 5 - 19 week old pullets start to lay. I got 7 eggs today, including one beautiful olive colored one from a Starlight green egger !

I'm not attributing it ALL to the Nutri Drench, but it seemed to help.

 

[kcan2]

2 weeks ago, I had some minor problems with 2 hens, one finishing a molt and lethargic, the other pale faced and cranky, with loose stools.

I Nutri Drenched them for a few days, and it really seemed to help. Orca got her color back, and Hazel started roaming with the flock again !

Coincidence, or not, I don't know, but it sure seemed to give the whole flock a boost. Within a week, I had 4 or 5 - 19 week old pullets start to lay. I got 7 eggs today, including one beautiful olive colored one from a Starlight green egger !

I'm not attributing it ALL to the Nutri Drench, but it seemed to help.

How much Nutri Drench would you add to a gallon of water? I have some, but have never been sure if I'm administering a proper dosage amount.

 

[svh]

How much Nutri Drench would you add to a gallon of water? I have some, but have never been sure if I'm administering a proper dosage amount.

I believe it says 1 ounce per gallon on the bottle, and I had no measuring device with me, but I put 2 droppers full (the one built into the lid) in about 2 1/2 gallons of water in the galvanized waterer. This lasted my 16 birds about 3 days.

The other waterers were frozen, so they had no choice but to drink from the heated, treated can.

Something I noticed about the Nutri Drench was it had a very "vitaminy" smell that even lasted into the next filling. The birds didn't seem to mind.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I give vitamins before hatching season...

Never thought of that! I wanted to put more serious effort into planned hatches this year so I’ll keep this in mind for sure.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I also find Nutri Drench to be helpful if birds don't seem to be doing well, it's a good quick boost for newly arrived chicks from the store, birds that are a bit lethargic (but with nothing obviously wrong) etc. but it's not something I would give birds regularly. I also have vit B and E on hand since I was treating wry neck a while back.

 

[TOPChickens14]

As many people are saying here, give free choice oyster shell and grit, ACV in their water and maybe charcoal in their food.
https://thefrugalchicken.com/charcoal-chickens-healthy-backyard-flock/