HOW TO MANAGE CRD'S (Chronic Respiratory Disease) IN CHICKEN AND OTHER POULTRY BIRDS

As chicken keepers we learn new things everyday, and today I want to discuss about CRD's in chickens, what is CRD'S and how to manage them.
First , what exactly is a CRD? CRD stands for ( Chronic Respiratory Disease ) and there are many, including

1. Fowl cholera.
one of the symptoms is swollen wattle's.

2. Infectious laryngotracheitis

one of the symtoms is bubbles in eyes.

3. Infectious bronchitis
one of the symptoms is gasping

4. Infectious Coryza
one of the symptoms if facial swelling

Sadly once your chicken has become infected with one of these CRD's there is no way to treat or cure it, you can only manage it. This is because antibiotics cannot fully destroy cure the CRD. Most times the symptoms of a CRD look to be the same as those of a URI and can even be mistaken as a URI. So whats the difference between a CRD and a URI? A Chronic Respiratory Disease looks and acts the same way a respiratory infection would. Your chickens might seem weak, lethargic, maybe they are sneezing or coughing or have bubbles in their eyes. You treat them and soon all symptoms disappear making you believe they are cured, But the thing is the CRD hasn't been cured but is laying dormant. If the chicken gets stressed in anyway all of these infections may come back.
So you must give your chicken good care and always treat them of any infections before CRD come in, and they best way to keep your chicken away from infections and diseases is by making your chicken house clean and always dry , I mean always dry, when your chicken house is clean and dry, it will be difficult for infection and diseases to stay in your chicken house.
Dirty and wet chicken house is breeding place for infection and diseases.

THESE ARE WORST MISTAKES POULTRY FARMERS CAN MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

  When it comes to keeping  chicken and terrible mistakes we can make as poultry farmer,  some of these mistakes can be deadly. There are a lot of mistakes we make when keeping mistakes , like running out of feed . I've made several of these mistakes over the years . Which cost me great lost. A lot of these chicken mistakes are simple to prevent so hopefully exposing my mistakes will prevent your flock from having the same issues! The worst mistakes chicken keepers make 1) Unprotected Chicken coop When you have a chicken house or cage which is not well covered and this allows predator access to your chicken. Can a predator come down from above to get into the run? Are the ventilation holes big enough for anything to fit in? Are there spaces anywhere that a predator can fit through? Are there gaps below or above the door? Are the door latches easy enough for an animal to work? Can a predator dig underneath to get into the coop or run? Can the run wire be pried loose easily? Many urban chicken keepers don't worry about predator proofing much because they never see predators in their neighborhoods or they think the types of wild animals in the suburbs aren't truly predators. It's important to note that raccoons can open door latches, snakes will kill chickens even though they're too big for them to eat, squirrels will eat eggs and even chicks if they get hungry enough and stray dogs will chase chickens down tossing them about like toys until the chicken dies or escapes.

2) Not locking the chickens up before dark: Many predators are active around dusk. The waning light gives them a bit of protection from sight while there's still enough light to see what they're doing. It's an especially vulnerable time for the chickens to be outside. Many predators can see just fine at night and chickens have notoriously poor eyesight in the dark. This definitely tips the scale in favor of the nocturnal predator! By getting the chickens into the coop and shutting the door before dusk, you can prevent sneak attacks from waiting predators.

3) Not counting your chickens at lock up: I have a kid that was notorious for this! Sometimes chickens don't go into their coop at bedtime. If they are left outside overnight they have 8+ hours of time with any predator that may be in the area. Sometimes a chicken may be in a safe spot and be ok through the night, other times they got distracted and just decided to roost on the first close spot when night fell. Or the kid may have shut the door before the last chicken wandered in for the night and now she's stuck outside sitting on the ground outside the coop all night. The safest place for the chickens to be overnight is in their coop. We are now in the habit of doing a count each night and if all the chickens aren't in the coop, we grab a flashlight and go hunting for them. 4) Water hazards near the chicken coop: In the case of tall buckets they may lean in to drink and fall in upside down without enough space to right themselves. It's best to keep chickens away from all deep containers of water to prevent drowning.

5) Keeping the chickens area free from small debris: Hardware disease sounds like something that is made up but it's a very real affliction for farm animals. Chickens will eat almost anything including metal pieces like small screws, metal washers, staples, small pieces of wire, metal shavings...ya know, pretty much anything they may possibly find. The first problem is that when these sharp objects make their way through the chicken they can puncture the crop, stomach, intestines etc. The second problem is that they start to rust and breakdown which leeches dangerous metals into the chicken poisoning them. It's not a chicken 'disease' but it is an affliction that can kill them.

6) unkept Rat poisons, pesticides and herbicides used near the coop: If you must use rodent, insect and weed prevention methods it's best to use non chemical methods near chickens. Mice can die from the poison and then be eaten by the chickens. Chemical bait that the insect takes back to the nest can be dropped or spilled by the critter then be eaten by your chickens. Plants treated with an herbicide can also be eaten by chickens. Try to use non chemical methods whenever possible to keep your chickens safe. When dealing with a mouse problem I put down snap traps nightly and pick them up in the morning before letting the chickens out. I also like this Magic Mouse Box trap from my Stoney Acres. I've had good results with dusting diatomaceous earth on ant hills. There are lots of non chemical ways to remove weeds like vinegar, salts, boiling water and just plain pulling them. If you must spray your lawn, keep the chickens confined for several days to allow the chemicals to dissipate before allowing them out.

7) Mixing different sizes of chicken in one coop:
Trying to just toss chickens of various ages and sizes together is a recipe for disaster! When introducing chickens to each other you need to integrate them slowly to keep squabbles to a minimum. Size and temperment should also be considered. Standard size chickens can be housed with bantam size chickens safely, but a standard sized rooster can hurt a bantam hen if he attempts to mate her. Keep this in mind when choosing your flock. Also be very careful of keeping ducks and chickens together. Male ducks (drakes) may attempt to mate a chicken hen and it will eventually kill her.

8) Putting heat lamp in the chicken coop: NEVER trust a heat lamp! If a heat lamp breaks loose from it's clamp and falls to the floor of the coop it can set fire to the bedding burning down the entire coop in minutes. For this reason you should never use a heat lamp to heat a chicken coop! Heating a chicken coop in winter is completely unnecessary and can be dangerous. For a chick brooder I zip tie my heat lamp to its clamp, as those little screw things that hold the clamp onto the light can come loose. I then zip tie the clamp to the wall also. I also place a screen underneath in on top of the brooder in case in somehow falls, it will not land on the shavings.

9) Not checking the chickens for parasites: A severe parasite infestation in chickens can cause anemia, weight loss, poor growth, abnormal droppings, poopy feathers which could lead to flystrike, decreased egg production and even death. Obviously parasite problems don't start off as severe so the idea is to catch and treat infestations when they're still small and manageable.

7 Reasons why your chickens will stop laying eggs

You wonder why your chickens stopped laying eggs? and the good news is, there is something you can do to solve and get your chickens back to laying eggs daily again.

There are many reasons why your chickens will stop laying eggs,
1. illness
2. stress
3 old age
  Some of this is in your control as their keeper, and some of it isn’t.

Let’s dig deeper into the issue to get to the causes of why your chickens stopped laying eggs in the first place.

These are 7 reasons why your chickens will stop laying eggs, and what to do to correct the abnormal situation.

1.Improper Diet

When your hens have stopped laying, diet is the first thing you should examine. Chickens need access to fresh, clean water all day long. A lack of water for even an hour on a hot day can disrupt the laying cycle. In the winter, make sure to keep your hen’s water from freezing.  It’s important to also make sure you’re feeding your flock a high quality layer feed and ensure each hen is getting enough to eat every day. Even the best treats, including chicken scratch, should be fed sparingly as they can really pack on the pounds without offering much nutrition, kind of like your favorite snacks!

2. Extreme Weather
Extremely hot weather and extremely cold weather can cause a decrease in egg production for your hens. To combat this, try to make them as comfortable as possible by insulating the coop in winter. Keep them cool and supplied with plenty of water in summer. 

You can also give your chickens some delicious chicken treats to improve their health and well being when the weather gets tough. Hot oatmeal with fruit in the winter or other winter chicken treats will be much appreciated and in the summer chickens just love frozen fruit!

3. Molting
Another reason that your chickens stopped laying eggs could be due to molting. Molting is when chickens shed their old feathers and re-grow bright shiny new ones. This process is taxing on the chicken’s body, and many take a break in egg laying so their body can put its energy into growing new feathers.

Most chickens molt in the fall, but we’ve seen our ladies molt at all different times during the year, some even molt in the winter! Poor girls!

Some chickens molt so lightly you can barely tell it’s happening. For these light molters look for ruffled feathers or bald spots on the head or around the vent. 
If your hens are molting, be sure to give them some extra protein. We love giving our hens Tasty Grubs when they’re going through a molt to help boost their system and grow those feathers back more quickly so they can get back to laying delicious eggs!

4. Change of Season
As summer moves into fall, the decrease in daylight signals the chicken’s body to lay less eggs. Chickens naturally take a break in laying eggs in the winter and hens can slow down to one egg per week or cease laying all together.

We here at Backyard Chicken and turkey bussines firmly believe in giving our beloved hens a much needed laying break in the winter, but every chicken keeper has their own views on this topic. If you don’t want to allow your hens a laying break, you can artificially light the coop in the winter. 

5. Age
We’ve found this to be the worst reason that chickens stop laying eggs, because there’s no fixing it. Just like females of any type, female chicks hatch with only a certain number of ova in them. Once those ova have all transformed into eggs and been laid, that’s it, they’re gone and there won’t be any more. This can happen at any time, but most hens reach this point in their life around two or three years of age.

We have some hens that are 6 years old and still lay eggs on occasion, but have mostly stopped production. They’re just enjoying their retirement at this point!

6. Illness
Hens will stop laying eggs when they are ill. If your hen stops laying unexpectedly, watch her carefully for signs of illness. If you spot any of these signs of illness, be sure to separate her from the rest of the flock and give her some TLC. We like to keep a folding rabbit cage on hand just in case we need to separate chickens for any reason. While chickens are in the sick bay they receive easy to eat foods like yogurt and scrambled eggs and we put electrolytes and vitamins in their water. We’ve had many hens recover from illness and injury this way. 

Common Signs of Sickness in Hens:
Drop in energy level
Refusing to leave the coop
Droopy tail
Glassy, watery, or droopy eyes
Coughing, sneezing, wheezing, gasping
Vent discharge
Diarrhea
This handy printable offers even more signs your chicken is sick.

7. Stress
Chickens can become stressed very easily. Like any animal, stress affects chicken physiology and can lead to a decrease in laying. Try to keep your hens stress-free by avoiding swift changes in their environment, protecting them from predators, and keeping them comfortable year-round.

So, as you can see, there are a lot of reasons hens stop laying eggs. Some of them are in your control, and some aren’t. Eliminating stress, checking for pests, and making sure your birds are happy and healthy are the first steps to take when your nesting boxes suddenly go empty!
   Hope this list will help you identify reasons your chickens stopped laying eggs, and how to get them back on track.

GUIDE FOR THE BEGINNERS, FOR THE FIRST DAY AND 4 to 6 WEEKS OF RAISING CHICKEN CHICKS

The most delicate and difficult time in rasing chicken is when they are day old , 4 weeks and 6 weeks
  If you have been considering raising backyard chickens, I can’t recommend it enough. They’re the easiest farm animal, so it’s a great place to start when you’re transitioning into homesteading or a more self-sufficient lifestyle. Plus, who doesn’t love fresh eggs?

THE FIRST 4 WEEKS OF RAISING CHICKS – WHAT TO EXPECT
Here’s a nifty chart I made to help you remember what temperature your chicks need to be kept at, week by week. Feel free to save it or screenshot it for reference.

While you want to make sure your chicks don’t get too cold, it’s not as stressful and difficult as it sounds. Chicks are easy to read. If they’re huddled up together under the lamp, they’re too cold. If they’re trying to stay as far away from the heat as they can, they’re too warm. You’ll be able to tell when your chicks are completely content, because they’ll be active and spread out.

AT WEEK ONE
You day old chicks will need Temperature of 90=95*F for the first  one Week .
When you bring your chicks home, as tempting as it will be to cuddle them, they need time to adjust. Set them up in a brooder in a quiet, warm, draft-free area. Of course they will need food and water, but you might also need some electrolytes, especially if your chicks were mailed to you.

When you aree putting your chicks in the brooder for the very first time, make sure you dip their beaks in water to show them where and how to drink. Some people say to do this for each baby chick, while others say you only need to do it for some, and the others will follow. I personally did it for about half of the chicks, then waited to see them all take a turn.

Your chicks will already have individual personalities. It’s really neat to watch! Let your chicks settle for a couple of days, but don’t be afraid to handle them. They need to get comfortable with you. Give vitamin as at first day so as to get them more stronger.

WEEK TWO
What Temperature Do Two Week Old Chicks Need To Be Kept At?: 85-90° F at second week. If you notice , the temperature is going down as the week grown.

Your chicks are still fluffy little babies, but they already have some big girl feathers. (Mine started growing feathers by 3 days old!) They chirp, run around, and come to you when you stick your hand in the brooder. Unless, of course, they’re skittish.

You should really start trying to bond with them now. If you take them out to hold them, don’t do it for too long, and make sure they’re warm. This is a fun age. They’ll fall asleep on you and explore a little bit, but for the most part they’ll be too scared to explore very far.

WEEK THREE
What Temperature Do Three Week Old Chicks Need To Be Kept At?: They should be kept at 80-85° F

By this point, my bigger chicks were “flying” around, and were able to out of their brooder. To be honest, I didn’t mind. There was only one chick that was brave enough to do it. The others would simply perch at the top of the brooder and look around before going back to safety. Depending on your circumstances, you might want to cover the top of the brooder by this point.

Your chicks will seem to double in size some days. You’ll go do some chores, come back to look at them, and they have a ton of new feathers out of nowhere. I’m not even exaggerating! It’s insane.

WEEK FOUR
What Temperature Do Four Week Old Chicks Need To Be,  Kept At?: 75-80° F

Your chicks will almost look like chickens by this point! They have a ton of feathers, their feet are huge, and they’re extremely active. It was around this time that I started letting the girls run around in our backyard during the day, since it was finally warming up outside. It’s a good time to start, and it gets them used to the routine of “going home” in the evening. You can only do this if it stays between 75 and 80 degrees outside.

By four weeks old, you might get fed up with the number of times you clean their water out every day. They’re messier than ever now. A tip I learned from a chicken Facebook group is to set their waterer up on a brick so the shavings aren’t constantly getting in it. I didn’t have a brick, so I turned a shallow Tupperware upside down and set their waterer on it. It works perfectly!

WEEK FIVE
Temperature for Five Week Old Chicks Need To Be Kept At?: 70-75° F

Your little chicks don’t seem so little anymore! You might even start hearing some “clucks” coming from the brooder this week. They love cuddling, but by this point they need some space. Again, if it’s warm enough outside, I highly recommend letting them have some time to run around free.

The chicks are stinky and messy, and if you still have them inside, it’s high time to move their brooder to a safe place outside. A shed or a garage would be perfect.

WEEK SIX
Temperature for Six Week Old Chicks Need To Be Kept At?: Wean from heat lamp and transition to the coop (above 65° F).

Hopefully, if it’s warm enough outside, you can transition your chicks to the coop this week. Your little babies are graduating! I’m in the process of doing this right now, so I’ll link an article here when it’s done. Your chicks probably won’t be laying any eggs for about four to five more months, but they aren’t really babies anymore, either. Say goodbye to the brooder! Until the chicken math begins, you should be able to put that heat lamp away.

ADVICE
Your chicks will be on starter feed until they’re 8-weeks-old.
You can feed your chicks little treats and a few table scraps, but keep it to a minimum, and always add chick grit to their diet, so they can digest the food.
There are several routes you can take when it comes to treating wry neck, but you definitely want to make sure they’re getting vitamin e and selenium. Some packages of vitamins and electrolytes don’t have selenium, so always check. You can also try feeding them a little tuna, sunflower seeds, and spinach. If they’re not able to eat, add water to a bowl of starter feed and help them out.
Order gloves and watch out for pasty butt.
Once you start, you’ll never want to go back to a chickenless life. If you can look past the dust and cleaning poop out of water every day, raising chicks is as fun as it is rewarding.
Don't forget to give them vaccines also , vaccines will protect them from disease as they grown up. Thanks for reading. https://chickenandsnail.blogspot.com.

WHAT YOU SHOULD NOT FEED YOUR CHICKEN. IS BREAD GOOD FOR YOUR CHICKEN ?

 

There are many home-made feeds for chicken , there are many home leftovers that your chicken can eat, It is actually the chickens natural behaviour to compete for fresh food and they will eat it quickly, no matter what you are feeding them.
One of the most commonly asked questions in the beginner chicken world is “can chickens eat bread?”
This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat, diagnose or prevent any disease. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions in partnership with a qualified health care professional in your area before you can use the information.

  Please read the Disclosure Statement Below we look at whether chickens can eat bread, as well as many other things that you should avoid feeding your chicken.
There are some common foods that you should not be feeding your chickens. What you don’t want is for the chickens to fill up their crop with low nutrient foods, and to miss out on all the goodness of the high nutrient foods.  
Bread is a common food for well meaning people to feed to chickens and ducks. The problem with feeding chickens bread is that it can easily form a ball in the crop which can lead to catastrophic blockages. Yeasts and sugars in the bread can ferment in the crop which increases the pH of the crop contents, which changes the bacteria and other microbiome that grow in the crop. This can then lead on to chronic cases of sour crop that are very hard to treat. So, in short, ideally you would not feed your chickens bread. If you do decide to feed bread to your chickens, try breaking it up and soaking it with some apple cider vinegar overnight. This will both increase the acidity, making it easier to digest, as well as breaking up the fibres to help stop it balling up in the crop. 

Feeding your chicken Milk ,
It turns out that chickens are lactose intolerant! Milk is high in protein and other minerals, but the lactose can give the birds upset stomachs. If you do give milk products, try small amounts of cultured ones, think yogurt or cheese as they have a lot less lactose in them.

Feeding Porridge to chicken,
There is nothing wrong with a small volume of porridge later on, but oats are very low in protein and fat, both of which chickens need. Porridge fills up a chickens stomach, so they don’t have room for the high nutrient foods they need to be eating. Oats have virtually no vitamin A, D or E and high in beta glucans that birds cannot digest. Too many beta glucans will form a sludge in the gut, causing blockages. So is not good for your Chicken.

Raw Eggs
Feeding raw Eggs to Chicken  can encourage the chickens to seek out and eat their own eggs. The Chickens can also carry salmonella, raw eggs from contaminated chickens will spread the disease amongst your flock. Here are some other foods that you should avoid giving your chickens: Onions and garlic can give the eggs an off taste Fresh potato peels, especially those tinged green, contain a toxin called solanine. Avocado pits and skins both include a potentially fatal toxin called persin. Avoid feeding your flock rhubarb and citrus.
Undercooked or dried beans contain an avian toxin called hemaglutin. Generally speaking, a well fed chicken will not attempt to eat toxic foods as their only taste buds are ones for bitter food, bitter foods are usually toxic, and they are quite good at not eating them! The best advice is to feed a balanced, commercial feed first, then let the chickens eat their other food, treats or forage later in the day. This will ensure they are getting all the nutrition they need for growth and larger egg production, it will also promote good health and give higher profit in case your are into commercial poultry bussines.

REASON WHY YOUR CHICKEN WILL LAY SOFT EGG

When you take a regular walk to the chicken coop, open the door, reach into the regular nesting box, And what you get is a IRREGULAR-looking egg. So, what does it mean when a chicken lays a soft egg? And how can you prevent it?

Today I’m going to share some of my natural remedies and hopefully ease way to easy your mind a bit. After all, we definitely want our chicken to start laying some regular eggs, now don’t we? Unless you prefer “mushy-water-balloon-like-eggs”, in which case feel free to continue to live happily in your mushy bliss.

WHY WILL MY CHICKEN LAY A SOFT EGG?

Sometimes things don’t go as planned and your chicken may lays a soft egg. Why is this exactly? Well it could be due to some few problems.

1. Could be a calcium deficiency. Chickens need calcium in order to produce hard shells. When a chicken lays a soft egg, it could be as simple as a calcium deficiency. One of the easiest supplements for chickens is to provide crushed eggshells (yes the very same ones from your chickens) or oyster shells. A handful of alfalfa thrown in the coop weekly will also make sure their calcium levels are high enough.

2. Could be that your chicken is young. Young chickens often lay tiny eggs, odd-shaped eggs, or flimsy-water balloon soft eggs. When a young chicken lays a soft egg, it’s nothing to be concerned about because they usually grow out of it pretty quickly. If your chicken doesn’t,

3.  she might have a disease or major deficiency. If this is happening to your hen, I’d suggest looking into Newcastle disease or infectious bronchitis symptoms as these could be the culprit.

4. Could be that your chicken is under stress. If a chicken is dealing with hunger, thirst, extreme temperatures, or even danger of predators, it could make her release her egg early, before the shell has completely hardened and this could be the reason why your chicken lays a soft egg. It’s a good idea to go through the checklist and make sure she’s happy & relatively stress-free.

IS THE SOFT EGG STILL EDIBLE?

Absolutely. When your chicken lays a soft egg it will feel very similar to a water balloon. Simply wash the egg with soap/water, then break open as usual. If you don’t feel like eating it, I’m sure any dogs or cats in your home would love it:
To stop your chicken from laying soft eggs, you need to practice and follow and the explanation above.

Best ways to maintain Healthy poultry Bird weight

Birds weight mean alot in poultry bird, However, if you suspect a loss in weight, you must immediately schedule an appointment with the vet and get a proper diagnosis. Weighing and measuring livestock is a primary step in ensuring the animals’ and birds’ health.

Understanding the Reason Behind the Weight Loss
Take your bird to an avian veterinarian to identify the root cause of the sudden weight loss. He can recommend a course of action to help the bird get back to a healthy weight. However, if no illness or problem has been detected, then the bird might need a change in the diet to get back to a healthy and ideal body condition. Probably, giving the pet larger amounts of its favorite foods may stimulate its appetite.

These are tips to Maintain Healthy Bird Weight
1. Feed a Balanced Diet

You must choose a feed that is rich in nutrients, which can ensure that the bird reaches the optimum level of production. Feed variability will benefit them; feed the birds less human food and give them a high-fibre content to improve their overall nutrition intake and resistance to diseases.

2. Make sure you provide the Right Food Supplements

Supplements help in boosting the birds’ health and productivity by encouraging the growth of beneficial microbes in the rumen. Find supplements that help in absorbing dietary protein and increasing the appetite of the bird. Few supplements prevent gastrointestinal acidosis as well.

3. Using Technology

You must take advantage of technology like livestock scales to monitor the bird’s health in a consistent and accurate way. Moreover, technology can provide you with timely and accurate interpretations in the form of structural statistics. Various imaging tools and floor scales allow you to monitor the birds’ health remotely, thus helping you make informed decisions about rearing and feeding patterns from any location.

It is recommended that you use automated livestock scales as they are durable, accurate and cost-effective. They also help in monitoring birds’ health, evaluating their performance and measuring the feed conversion. These scales deliver accurate data; therefore, you can rely on them for making good management decisions.

4. You must prevents Diseases

If the birds are imported from temperate climates, they would lack the resistance to humidity, parasites, heat and tropical diseases. Therefore, it is important to keep them in clean stalls to avoid disease vectors. Understand what the bird is prone to and take appropriate measures to combat diseases.

5. Stick to Traditional Farming Practices

Your bird can lose weight if you stop traditional farming practices and conventional grazing and replace them with industrial systems that don’t take natural factors into consideration. Changing farm practices will benefit only when the local breeds, resources, and feedstuffs are used and wastage is reduced. If you feed the local breeds with a balanced diet along with fresh water and supplements, they will remain healthy and be productive.

6. Track your birds Performance

You can track the performance of the bird using weighing scales and identify whether it is healthy or not. By monitoring its performance, you can identify diseases early on and even avert dangerous diseases from spreading to other farm animals. It would be wise to invest in a well-made, quality bird scale and keep a log of the bird’s weight every day. If you notice any fluctuation from the normal weight amounting to an ounce or more in either direction, check with an avian vet to ensure that your bird’s diet is on the right track. There are numerous scales available in the market to use in other to update your birds weight, you can get it at various store around you.

THE BEST WAYS AND HOW TO SET UP NESTING BOXES FOR YOUR POULTRY BIRDS

As a poultry farmer, it is a difficult things loosing eggs because of lack of good place or nest where poultry  birds can lay eggs without stress  of fear of loosing  eggs 
  When you build a new chicken coop, how many nesting boxes will you need? How do you set them up?

Learn about this basic chicken care topic in this article.

When Do You Need The Nesting Boxes?

If you are just getting started raising young chickens, you will not need the nesting boxes until they are about 4 months old. If you put the nesting boxes in before that, they may start sleeping in there.
The last thing you want is chickens sleeping in nesting boxes because many chickens (most chickens) poop a whole lot while they are sleeping. That would mean lots of poop in the nests where they are going to lay those precious eggs.

Wait until your chickens are just about old enough to begin laying, until you begin to think of nest in your coop.

How many nest do you need in your chicken coop ?
When you build your chicken coop, the next question people often ask, is “how many nesting boxes do I need?”

First of all, you need to know that chickens do not sleep in the nests. I know there are lots of people that think that is the case. But generally chickens sleep on the roost and lay in the nest. As I stated above sleeping in the nesting box should be discourage. Unless of course you have a broody hen who is hatching eggs. Then you leave that mama be!

Secondly, chickens share nests. You definitely do not need to have a nest for every chicken. It would be a waste of space and resources.
A good rule of thumb, is 1 nest per 5-6 hens., 6 hens can used the same nest. Hens not only share nests, but they will pick their favorite one and even fight over it. I have had three hens squeeze into the same nest all at once because they wanted to lay in “the best nest.

What Kind of Nesting Box Should I Use?

There are many type of neet and there many things you can use for a nesting box. You can purchase commercial, pre-made wooden boxes at the farm supply store. You can order kits for nesting box sets also.
But here’s the thing. Chickens aren’t that picky. In my large coop, I have what I call the “egg box condominiums.” It is a large, metal, commercial box set that has 10 nests in it.

In my A-Frame chicken sled, I have two milk crates with one side cut low.
There are all sorts of inexpensive options. The rectangle buckets that kitty litter comes in are a great, cheap (free) option. You can do a search online and find all sorts of creative ideas.

Very simply, you need something that the hen can easily get into, something that is a “nest” shape, you want it easy to clean, and you need to put some bedding/nesting material inside it.

Nesting Box Placement
Once you decide upon the number and type of nesting box you are going to use, you need to decide where to place them.

There’s really three rules to follow.

You want the nesting boxes in a location that you can easily get to. You’ll need to be able to gather eggs every day as well as be able to clean them out as needed.
The nesting boxes should always be lower than the roosts. This is another method of encouraging them to sleep in the correct location.
The nesting boxes should never be directly under a roost, or should have a roof/cover of some sort. This is to keep them clean. Remember, a roosting, sleeping chicken is going to poop. You don’t want them dropping that right down into the nests.

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How Do I Get Them To Lay in It?
Here’s the thing. A hen is going to lay any place she thinks is a good spot. To encourage them to lay in the nesting boxes, I simply place a fake egg inside the box when they are about the age to begin laying. It shows them that “eggs go here.
You can get ceramic or wood eggs…but here’s a tip. If you have a golfer in the family, just use a couple golf balls. To a chicken, it looks enough like an egg to do the trick.

Once one chicken lays in there…they all seem to figure it out right away, immediately this happened many of your birds will also go there to lay their eggs.
When have a good meeting box for birds, this will make it easier for you to collect your eggs and it will also help in loosing eggs, it also allow your eggs to look neat and fresh.

Ways to sex baby Chicks if they are Roosters or Hens

  A very common question is my chick is a rooster or a hen and how to sex baby chickenss. In this article, we will discuss some ways you can tell when it comes to sexing chicks!

When it comes to getting chicks, one of the most exciting parts is waiting until your pullets grow up to be layers.

But t’s pretty much a given that at some point in your chicken keeping career, you’re going to wonder about the chicken sex: whether the chicks you picked up at the local farm store are really pullets (which will grow up into hens), OR little roosters in disguise.

We’ve all been there – thinking our chicks will be great layers, only to find out 7 months later, it would take an act of God for them to lay eggs.

There are some ways you can tell if your chick is a rooster or hen and how to sex baby chickenss – they’re not 100% accurate but they’ll help you take a good guess.

Chicken sex: How do I tell whether my chick is a rooster or a hen? There’s a few ways:

1. Check the vent
2. Look at combs & wattles
3. Watch feather growth
4. Look at down color
5. Examine behavior
6. Listen for crowing

1. Check The Vent

Now, before I explain this one, let me state for the record that unless you’ve gone through extensive training to vent sex chickens to tell if your chick is a rooster or a hen, I suggest skipping this step.

Vent sexing involves squeezing out manure (if needed) then checking the vent for male or female “parts,” and it’s the only 100% surefire way to tell if your chick is a rooster or a hen.
However, as you can imagine, this is fairly invasive, and you could possibly permanently harm or kill your chick – so I would leave this method to the experts.
Professionals who sex chicks for a living go to school for years to learn how to do it properly.

Look at Combs & Wattles

While this is definitely not a 100% surefire way for how to tell a rooster from a hen (some roosters are pretty androgynous and some hens like to crow), I’ve found it to be pretty accurate.
The comb of one chick is more pronounced than the other chick. This is a fairly accurate indicator that the chick with the more pronounced comb is likely a rooster.

Another indicator is the wattles.

In young roosters, the wattles grow longer faster, and are redder than pullets. So, if you start to notice your chicken’s wattles when they’re fairly young, it’s possible you got a rooster in your hatch!
Note this only works with breeds that grow regular combs – so pea comb breeds might not exhibit these characteristics at a young age.

Watch Feather Growth

Feather growth is another way you can try for how to sex baby chickens. Female chicks – aka pullets – grow feathers faster than males. Learn more about chicken feathers here.
This only works for about the first 3 days of life – after that, the feather growth on each chick will be about the same.
Pullets in some breeds grow their primary feathers faster, so their secondary feathers will be shorter. Young roosters will have feathers about all the same length.

Feather sexing

This is also sometimes breed specific, so if you don’t notice that some chicks grow feathers faster than others, don’t worry, you still might have pullets!
Once the chicks are older – about 12 – 16 weeks, you’ll also start noticing young roosters develop saddle feathers – which hens won’t have. Here are more tips on caring for chicks from 7-16 weeks old.

Down Color

Some breeds will produce chicks with different color down or different markings based on their sex.
For example, Black Sex Link and Red Sex Link pullets will have different markings than roosters of the same breed. This is a characteristic selected for by breeders so they can tell the sex of the chicken right after it hatches.
In this cross, male chicks will have a white dot on their head while female chicks will be solid black.

Sex link chickens don’t necessarily breed true – so if you cross a black sex link rooster with a black sex link hen, there’s no guarantee the resulting chicks will also be sex linked.
This is, again, breed specific – so it will only work with chicks of certain crosses.

Examine Behavior

Now, this is just drawn from my own personal experience, but I believe you can also start to tell the sex of baby chicks based on behavior.
Naturally, this isn’t universal, and pullets might exhibit some of the behaviors we’ll discuss, but I’ve noticed over the years that roosters will do somethings that pullets naturally wouldn't.
Now let me explain. The stink eye is when you look at a chick, and they look up at you, cock their head to one side, and stare you straight in the eye.

I’ve noticed that it’s typically roosters that are this bold. Pullet chicks tend to not be so aware of their surroundings, or look to other chicks for behavioral guidance and security.
You might also notice some chicks fighting earlier in their lives than others. For example, you might notice them flying up at each other, bumping chests like football players, then going back to their corners.          
In my experience, these are young roosters testing their strength against other roosters.

Listen For Crowing

Something else you might notice is young chicks testing out their lungs. Young roosters will sometimes crow very early in life – as early as 4 weeks in some cases.
While there are hens that’ll crow, it’s not usual, so if you notice your chick trying to make a little baby crow (maybe succeeding, maybe not!), you might just have a young rooster on your hands.
While nothing will ever be 100% certain except vent sexing, hopefully now you no longer wonder how to sex baby chicks.

WARNING SIGNS TO DETECT SICK CHICKEN

As a chicken owners and poultry farmer, there are some skill you should know in helping you to maintain healthy flock.
Luckily to make your job a bit easier, chickens like all animals have several warning signs to tell us when they are sick. In the beginning, those signs are subtle, but if you know what to look for you can save yourself and your chicken from loads of these sickness.

Warning Signs Of A Sick Chicken are :

Dull feathers with or without bald patches. This is an easy one to spot and can mean many different things. Hen pecking, external parasites, seasonal molting or illness should be first on your radar if you see lackluster feathers. A healthy and happy hen should have shiny thick feathers.
A dull comb and/or wattle. A healthy chicken will have a bright red comb and wattle. The comb and wattle are the extra skin above and below the head. If you notice the color is dull and the comb or wattle looks dried out it is time to look further. Illness, poor diet or overcrowded conditions can all lead to this so you will need to dig a little deeper.
Disinterest at feeding time. For me, one of the top warning signals with any animal is loss of appetite. Feeding time is the best time to look over your birds since they tend to stay at least somewhat still. If you have a bird off to the side or completely away from the flock you may have a sick bird. If it is warm out, check immediately for heat stress.
Coughing or raspy breathing. Although this is a late term warning sign it is not always a death sentence. I have had coughing hens before that recovered completely to return to the flock. The trick is to act fast to first save your hen and second keep any possible contagious illness from the rest of your flock.
Dirty back end. This one is easier on some birds than others. This year, I have all Black Star Hens and unless the mess is white I will miss it. In my case, I need to check my coop and run at every feeding. Yes, by inspecting my chicken’s poo I am able to catch any parasite problems before they become widespread. Runny is normal for some hens, but if it is different than normal or has an overly foul odor take note.
Hunched up Hen. If you notice one of your gals is hunched up, something is wrong. She is either in pain or sick. Usually, my hunched up hens are moving pretty slowly or not at all so they are a bit easier to spot.
More often than not when I pick up a hen with one or more of these symptoms I will see she is thin and weak. Chickens like most animals will hide when they are sick and unless you are watching daily you will miss the early warning signs.
So, what do you do if you have a hen with one or more symptom on this list? I always err on the side of caution. I have found that isolating the hen in question is the best and most effective way to keep my flock healthy.
Anything will do to house your sick gal, but if you need ideas you can ready my post What to Do If You Have a Sick Chicken to get tips. Once you have your hen away from the flock you will be able to inspect her more closely and decide on a plan of attack. Choosing between home care and calling on a vet all depends on the situation.
Watch your animals daily so you will notice any changes as soon as they happen. Catching things early can be the difference between life and death in livestock so keep your eyes open.
These skills are very important to chicken owners.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHICKEN GET SICK

Taking good care of chicken is most important in poultry farming, there are some things you do if Your Chickens get sick.
Most chicken illnesses are curable if they are detected in time! If you suspect one of your chickens may be sick, take the precautionary measure of isolating it from the rest of the flock. This will help prevent illness from spreading. (And of course, make sure the isolated chicken has access to food, water and treatment.

Second, make an appointment with your veterinarian right away. You need to find one that specializes in Avian medicine or farm animals, and we recommend that you find the nearest one prior to help you to know what wrong with your chicken.This site has great tips for keeping you and your birds healthy. http://www.chickenandsnail.blogspot.com .

The following symptoms indicate illness in you chicken.

Mangy appearance
Visible mites
Abnormal stool, including blood in the stool, visible worms, diarrhea, droppings that are all white. (Normal stool is brown with a white cap.)
Sneezing
Loss of energy or depression
Sudden, drastic reduction in position in pecking order
Loss of appetite
Stunted growth, these are sign that your chicken is sick.
Immediately you notice these sign in your chicken, please give your chicken the right treatment immediately, if you can do it youself please consult your veterinarian immediately.

HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO KEEP YOUR CHICKENS AND TURKEYS HEALTHY AND PROFITABLE

Healthy chicken brings healthy profit, as a poultry farmer , you need to keep your chicken and turkey healthy .
Here are some ways to keep your chickens healthy and happy.

1.Cleaning the chicken  house. Cleaning the house is very important for keeping happy, healthy chickens. If you don't clean the house you risk an invitation of lice, mites, and other parasites. Cleaning your your chicken  house isn't always easy but a must. Start by getting all the bedding from the floor o and the nesting boxes and clean it. If any eggs have cracked then make sure to clean up that mess too. Then if needed you can scrub any really soiled spots with some soap and water. Dry it then put some fresh shavings in. you can use a Garden and Poultry Dust to dust the house to keeps out parasites.  Clean out the poop in the nesting boxes everyday or when needed. there will be a lot of poop up there. Scrape it off.

2.Cleaning Feeders and Waterers Cleaning these out around every two weeks is a good idea. If you have a plastic waterer it gets pretty slimy so you will need to scrub that with some soap and water. If you want to put some Apple Cider Vinegar in the water, but only in plastic waterers not in metal. If there is any poop in the water dump it out and give them some fresh water. Make sure your chickens have fresh clean water at all times. The feeders aren't very dirty unless they have been pooped on or have gotten dirt or something in them. Clean the with soap and water. And make sure you rinse them well.

3. Keeping Feed Clean; Make sure that you store your feed in places were bugs, mice, and rats wont get into. Plastic containers or metal trash cans work fine. Always make sure that the tops are closed and make sure that the feed inside cant get wet and turn moldy. Make sure there is no poop in the feed (like mice and rat poop.

4.Deworming Your Chickens;  If you want to deworm  your chickens then deworm them if you see any worms in there poop or if your chickens have been around other poultry that has them. There are a lot of different dewormers, and you can easily find them in your local stores.

5.Letting your chickens free range; This is a great way for you chickens to get some nutrition by eating fresh bugs and grass. Also getting out in the fresh air is good for your  chicken .
Remember , an healthy chicken is the joy of every farmer, the healthier  your chicken the more happy  you are and the more profit you make. Thanks for reading.