The road less traveled...back to good health! They have lice, mites, scale mites, worms, anemia, gl

[Beekissed]

It provides fat and proteins...if you have birds picking feathers they are bored, need nutrients, etc. These are free ranged birds, correct? That should take care of any boredom or need for pecking, so it could just be a protein deficiency.

Lice can also cause that broken feather look and can eat feathers off to the skin. I have one Barred Rock that has a smooth, red skin on her lower abdomen due to lice infestation when she came...it may take until next year for that area to regrow feathers, don't know. Many of my flock had that same, bristly appearance around their vents and abdomens when they arrived...not due entirely from molt, but also due to feathers that were just chewed off by lice, I presume.

All but one or two birds have lovely, fuzzy bottoms now...but they were in way worse shape than your girl in the picture. Here's just a few of the examples of damage from lice to these birds.

 

[Beekissed]

Couple of little questions regarding the fermented feed! Just how much ACV do I add to my (about 3 gallons) of mash I made? Like a few TBS or a cup or 2? How much and often can I let them eat this? I am SO anxious to start giving it to them...too bad it takes days to make :/

A cup is fine, but we normally measure in glugs...for a whole bucket I put about 3 glugs.

They can eat it as their regular ration of feed given every day...this is not a supplement, but a regular feed ration. Some feed it as a supplement but it's not necessary to limit it. I feed FF exclusively.

Shouldn't take more than a day or so if in room temps to get a good, bubbling ferment going....but the longer it sits, the more fermented it becomes and the more the better!

 

[LOVEIGEE]

A cup is fine, but we normally measure in glugs...for a whole bucket I put about 3 glugs.

They can eat it as their regular ration of feed given every day...this is not a supplement, but a regular feed ration. Some feed it as a supplement but it's not necessary to limit it. I feed FF exclusively.

Shouldn't take more than a day or so if in room temps to get a good, bubbling ferment going....but the longer it sits, the more fermented it becomes and the more the better!

Bee.....okay you have another one going to try FF......Starting when I get home! Can buckets be metal or plastic and feeding pans too? Thank you Bee for everything......I'm sure your flock thanks you!

 

[LOVEIGEE]

Bee.....okay you have another one going to try FF......Starting when I get home! Can buckets be metal or plastic and feeding pans too? Thank you Bee for everything......I'm sure your flock thanks you!

Come to think about it....we all are becoming your flock!

 

[Bulldogma]

Bee.....okay you have another one going to try FF......Starting when I get home! Can buckets be metal or plastic and feeding pans too? Thank you Bee for everything......I'm sure your flock thanks you!

No - you need to use plastic because the ACV eats through the metal and can make the feed toxic. I often just use old plastic tubs that ice cream or butter come in I also use an old plastic dog bowl - works great!

And for making the FF I use an old 5 gallon bucket that cat litter came in. Nothing fancy - all free

 

[Beekissed]

Come to think about it....we all are becoming your flock!

Awwwwww...how sweeet!!!

But you don't want to be around come culling time......

If ya ain't layin', you just might get cut from the herd!

 

[familycomp3]

There are like a dozen benefits to feeding them the FF then, huh? Its lasts longer, right? Fuller birds? AND TONS OF HEALTH BENEFITS? Sounds good to me I must thank you AGAIN for all the WONDERFUL INFORMATION!!

 

[LOVEIGEE]

Awwwwww...how sweeet!!!

But you don't want to be around come culling time......

If ya ain't layin', you just might get cut from the herd!

Too funny.......love you Bee!

No - you need to use plastic because the ACV eats through the metal and can make the feed toxic. I often just use old plastic tubs that ice cream or butter come in I also use an old plastic dog bowl - works great!

And for making the FF I use an old 5 gallon bucket that cat litter came in. Nothing fancy - all free

Geesh! I knew that.....I use ACV in their water......Sometimes I wonder where my brain is!

 

[Beekissed]

It does give more bang for your buck and I can't argue with the health benefits on my birds...even the meaties were the most active, vibrant and healthy birds I've seen on the FF. No change to the actual protein levels but the FF just makes all that protein more available and absorptive. Can't beat that with a stick!

 

[siroiszoo]

Winter lighting brings up another health subject....melatonin uptake. Melatonin is only released by the pineal gland in the darkness and will not be stimulate to release if there is any light present...even low lighting. Many light the coops to stimulate laying throughout the winter and I will give you my take on that as not being a such great idea if you want your chickens to be healthy and have laying longevity.

A natural slow down for all creatures is needed in the winter months and the all natural approach to animal husbandry takes this into account. The nutrients needed as fuel to stay warm should not necessarily be funneled into forced laying.

Melatonin is important in preventing reproductive cancers, for increased reproductive health and in good immune system function.

If you just have production layers that will be replaced in 2 short years, then lighting is the way to go as you have these birds for one reason and do not expect them to last you past the 2 year mark anyway. At 2 years they can all be culled and you can start a new flock.

But, if you are like me and keep a rolling flock of dual purpose breeds that make their own replacements and are going to be around until they just cannot lay enough to earn their feed, then lighting is probably not a good idea. You'll want those birds to be as healthy and to lay as long as they possibly can in all the years that you have them. If so, lighting the winter coop is probably not the best idea. I've never lit a coop and have always had eggs enough for the family through the winter months...and birds that lay like gangbusters clear up into their senior years.

If you want eggs through the winter, a good idea is to keep a high production type in the flocks that will go ahead and lay you some eggs for the family during winter slow down....RIRs, Leghorns, New Hampshires and even BAs and WRs can do the trick and without anything more than natural light from the winter sun.

Always learning something new from this thread. Thanks Bee. I don't rotate my birds out every few years; I keep them. I am glad I never did the winter lighting thing like so many others do around here. Not even for my horses when I was breeding them. It just never seemed right to me. It's not natural and I never really thought beyond that. But this point is a really important factor to consider:
"Melatonin is important in preventing reproductive cancers, for increased reproductive health and in good immune system function."

I've always had plenty of eggs throughout all seasons. And when they slow down.... what a relief! I get a break from all the collecting and distributing of excess eggs.