Ways to Improve Health?

[kjgoodman]

Hi, how much apple cider vinegar would you put in a gallon? thanks!!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Hi, how much apple cider vinegar would you put in a gallon? thanks!!

one tablespoon

 

[TwoCrows]

Quote: X2

And change it daily if you use it more than one day.

 

[Skelley1024]

thank you all for so much information. love the idea of making my own concoction too.

 

[ChickenManTN]

Here's a tip from Joe Salatin: I can't verify it myself because I haven't tried it yet, but I do trust his experience. He raises thousands of chickens & says that since they started using Fertrell's Nutri-Balancer they have stopped using liquid supplements and have gotten rid of their "hospital pens". It's a solid supplement that you mix with the food. It is supposed to be a more natural source of minerals, as opposed to the heavily processed supplements that are added to feed rations. I googled the name & found a retailer about thirty miles away. I think its worth the drive & will be picking some up this weekend. You can find a local retailer at www.Fertrell.com.

 

[maxismad]

I noticed a big change in my chickens when the weather changed to really cold. Some of them were losing weight and looking really bad. I already had space heaters in their coops. But they quit laying as many eggs, so I changed their diet.
I started giving my chickens cooked navy beans every couple of days(great source of protein). Every morning I slice half an apple (half for every 6 chickens) for my chickens. I have a special blend of ground up pellets and Quaker oats and I give each coop 1 cup in the mornings.

Hope this can help

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Quote:Originally Posted by greyhatch I use them as occasional treats only, they go nuts over them! But if overdone they make the egg shells thin, too.

Quote:Originally Posted by ChickenManTN Keep us updated! I've never heard of this one.

I live in MI too, and we had -20 windchill with a storm that blew through a few weeks ago. I didn't lose a one of my outdoor birds.
My setup is a camper coop, and a converted rabbit hutch coop. Camper has upper ventilation, hutch has the same and is clear plastic for walls.

What i do for extreme cold is
*put down a 1 foot layer of straw; not hay though since that has particles that can cause respiratory infection! Leaves are ok too if and only if you rake them when they are perfectly fresh fallen and dry, and haven't had rain on them to breed fungal spores. I used maple leaves one year and they smelled great when i put them down! I have tried wood chips but they just don't insulate very good in my experience. That alone raises the temps by 10 degrees and takes out the wind chill! I sat with them and felt it, plus had a thermostat in there. I don't deep litter, if it is looking wet or getting a layer of poop i change it out.

*I also use an old eskimo trick and make a 3 foot snowbanks at the coop bases before any serious dips. Also brings coop temps up! Snow is a wonderful and free insulator.

*Protein is good, but corn is better for cold. I give them a good toss of corn in there on cold days. It builds internal heat as it digests (so i've read) and they have a great time moving around digging up those last bits of corn. Good for hours of entertainment for them.


*Manna pro makes a great showbird pellet that has never failed to perk up birds for me. Has probiotics in it, and is concentrated. Gives the feathers a real noticable difference when fed at molt. If you don't have many of them You can hand feed a couple Tb to each one to see that they got the proper amount. It is high protein so it could offset the corn if you are iffy.

*Mine like baby spinach, which is high in calcium. Most dark leafy greens are!

Other than that and either tylan or duramycin during respiratory outbreaks i don't remember anything else. I don't use heat lamps.
I have been wondering about cayenne, too. I know in people it is good for arthritis, and elevating internal temps........?

eta that mine layed even on the coldest days; i don't use supplemental light just the light from through the windows. Water is super important in this cold, if you are late in the morning getting them the water it will affect their health and the egg production! (not saying anyone's not watering good enough, because not all breeds lay well in winter i just got lucky) I did want to raise this topic though because not everyone may know this!

 

[greyhatch]

I raise ags 2 or 3 birds to a cage wrapped to block the wind. Roosters dubbed, have not had any trouble with the cold so far. This cold i give them snow instead of water,water freezes so fast they get very little benefit.

 

[Lacy Blues]

They may eat the snow for a drink but they're not getting near enough water from that source. If you take a dish of water out you might be amazed at how much they'll drink from it. You just would have to do it several times a day if it freezes that fast.

 

[katbriar]

Greyhatch- you don't have to worry about their body temperature dropping from eating cold snow? All the survival stuff I've read and seen (for people not chickens, hee hee) say the volume of fluffy snow required to equal the same amount of liquid water would cause hypothermia.