Ways to Improve Health?

[Karenlou]

They make a powder form of meds you can get at the feed store, to put in there water, I always use some for my babies...

 

[HEATHERINOTSEGO]

You mentioned a respiratory infection. Make sure you have good ventilation! From what I hear, heat and close proximity equals moisture, hence respiratory infection.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

If it gets really cold, I make oatmeal with milk/water & yoghurt. They seem to love the stuff! One word of caution - don't stand close by, you're liable to get hit by flying oatmeal - chickens are such messy eaters

sue

Oh, NO kidding!!! I had a sick chicken in the house over the holiday's and finally had to drape a sheet over her dog crate because my cabinets and floor were spattered with her oatmeal, purred squash and yogurt.

 

[sparky134]

I make the oatmeal mash with flaxseed, yogurt, cottage cheese a little layer feed, sunflower seeds, peas, white northern beans but like you I live in Northern Indiana and our wind chills are in the negatives and if they won't eat that mash within a hour it freezes and is useless. so unfortunately I only give on warmer days. I too use the acv and alternate with vitamins in the water.

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

If you're interested in probiotics for your flock and all the healthy benefits it provides, take a look at the fermented feed thread ! There is a ton of good info and lots of good folk willing to answer questions is need be !

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds

 

[Joan71]

twocrows... do you think electrolytes would help get my girls through this cold snap? and its going to last all week. should I do it till the weather breaks or not?

chick rookie - During these cold days, I use protein items to help build up their body warmth and immunity. My girls love the following items: plain spaghetti, rinsed (they think its worms and go crazy over it.) It is inexpensive, too. I give the warm oatmeal just before their bedtime, (that's the way it was recommended to me). Some people fed the oatmeal in the early morning. I put cooked crumbled hamburger meat rinsed of the excess fat in their oatmeal. Dish is empty the next day. You can add yogurt to the oatmeal and you will get the probotics from the yogurt. Scrambled eggs are all protein and they love them. I give them greens and grapes. The grapes are their special treat. I fed them the best layer crumble I can buy from Tractor Supply. Plenty of clean water.

Fresh air, I have found that my girls like it colder than I thought. They want out even when the temp was too cold for me. (Here is my lol for this winter - I thought it was too cold for them one night so I brought them in on the enclosed back porch, put a red heat lamp above their perch on one end thinking them would get under it to keep warm. Guess where I found them - perched on the opposite end of the perch away from the heat and huddled together. Lesson I learned- they are tough and have a way of dealing with the weather.)

I use the deep litter method in their coop. It provides lots of warmth for them. I keep it fresh, take out the soiled and add new straw. Hope you will have a good winter. Hope some of this may help.

 

[chick rookie]

chick rookie - During these cold days, I use protein items to help build up their body warmth and immunity. My girls love the following items: plain spaghetti, rinsed (they think its worms and go crazy over it.) It is inexpensive, too. I give the warm oatmeal just before their bedtime, (that's the way it was recommended to me). Some people fed the oatmeal in the early morning. I put cooked crumbled hamburger meat rinsed of the excess fat in their oatmeal. Dish is empty the next day. You can add yogurt to the oatmeal and you will get the probotics from the yogurt. Scrambled eggs are all protein and they love them. I give them greens and grapes. The grapes are their special treat. I fed them the best layer crumble I can buy from Tractor Supply. Plenty of clean water.

Fresh air, I have found that my girls like it colder than I thought. They want out even when the temp was too cold for me. (Here is my lol for this winter - I thought it was too cold for them one night so I brought them in on the enclosed back porch, put a red heat lamp above their perch on one end thinking them would get under it to keep warm. Guess where I found them - perched on the opposite end of the perch away from the heat and huddled together. Lesson I learned- they are tough and have a way of dealing with the weather.)

I use the deep litter method in their coop. It provides lots of warmth for them. I keep it fresh, take out the soiled and add new straw. Hope you will have a good winter. Hope some of this may help.

all good info thank you... I got a question... I have tried to find the answer myself but... no go... so what is "the deep litter" I have seen lots of people say they use it and I just cant find it any place. I would really love to know what everyone is talking about.

 

[Brookliner]

all good info thank you... I got a question... I have tried to find the answer myself but... no go... so  what is "the deep litter" I have seen lots of people say they use it and I just cant find it any place. I would really love to know what everyone is talking about. 

Put "deep litter method" in the search. It is not so much a kind of litter but a way of managing the litter in your coop by letting it build up.

 

[purplesquirrel]

Probiotics!!! AND Apple Cider Vinegar!! Both of these help boost the immune system. 75% of the body's immune system lies in the intestinal tract of all animals. And the best way to give it a boost is with probiotics. The good bacteria. The intestinal tract takes a beating and many pathogens take hold in the tract first. So combat them out with good bacteria. Bacteria don't stand a chance in oxygenated healthy environment.

Apple cider vinegar or ACV is a wonderful tonic to good health. Try to use the stuff that is unfiltered and unpastureized, and says it has "the mother in it". All that stuff that floats around in it is good. ACV will help increase appetites, gloss up the feathers, helps prevent sour crops, contains many trace minerals and vitamins not normally in their daily diet. But the best thing about ACV is it has the ability to raise the PH of the body. ACV itself is actually not that high on the ph scale. But once the body processes it, it turns the body more alkaline. That is what you want. Bacteria, virus's and other things, can not survive in high alkaline environments. It takes time for ACV to make big changes on PH of the body, but if used long enough, over time it does wonders. 1-2 tablespoons ACV per gallon of water, changed daily if used more than one day.

What I like to do is alternate ACV, probiotics and plain water throughout the week. I have been doing this for years and my birds seem to thrive on it.

I get my probiotics on line here, a product called. "Probios". You can get them on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.com/Vet-Plus-Probios-Dispersible-Digestive/dp/B001BM1QRC

It never hurts to add a good vitamin/mineral supplement to their diet as well occasionally. Make sure they are getting outside during the winter too for fresh air and exercise. And provide good ventilation in your coop so that they are getting plenty of fresh air throughout the coop. Will do wonders for them too!

Good luck with your birds!

It's weird that you say cider vinegar because I left a massive pile of rotten apples in the garden (because I never got round to moving them) and they smell very vinegary, and lately I've seen my chickens absolutely stuffing their faces with the stuff! I guess they do know what's good for them if they have the opportunity to get it

 

[BlueRavensFlite]

Are human probiotic supplements ok for Chickens? Wonder if I can just grind up ours and sprinkle on their feed? tg