Vitamines

[stevecatlin]

So, my flock of 2 Roosters and 5 Hens are doing well, my Hens have just started laying eggs. I feed a Laying mash and Mixed Fowl feed. I notice that some of them sneeze although they are not sick, I was wondering if they perhaps need vitamins to build up immunity and for the Hens as they have just started laying. Any advice will be much appreciated.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sneezing is not unusual during eating, especially if the feed is a little dusty, or they have stirred up dirt or pine shavings. If the same chicken sneezes every few minutes and has clear drainage from a nostril, then there might be a respiratory disease, such as infectious bronchitis. The other diseases may cause bubbles in eyes or swelling of the eyelids, coughing or wheezing. But if they are looking active and eating well, I wouldn’t think there is a problem.

Vitamins are not usually necessary if they are eating a balanced diet of chicken feed and getting outside to free range. Occasional use would not hurt. An easy one to use in the food or water is human vitamin B complex tablets (not B12.) You can crush a tablet or two into a pan of feed, and sprinkle a few drops of water and mix it into the food. Many vitamins have electrolytes, such as Poultry Cell or NutriDrench, as well as vitamins. You can have some of that around to use on a very sick chicken for a boost, but electrolytes are not good every day. SaveAChick electrolytes with vitamins in packets are also good to keep for dehydrated or very wesk chickens. But the the B complex is inexpensive and not easy to overdose. If giving to a single chicken 1/4 tablet a day is plenty.

 

[stevecatlin]

Thanks, my chickens are out all day and only go into the coop at night to sleep. They are very active all through the garden, digging and scratching around for bugs and such. We are going into Winter now so I will see how it goes.