WAYS AND HOW TO STOP CHICKENS FROM PECKING AT EACH OTHER

  If you have ever been to poultry farms such as the Ariyo's farm in Ibadan Oyo state of Nigeria, or just any other poultry farm, then you could notice that it’s almost a common phenomenon for chickens to peck at each other. And while this may seem like a norm in most poultries here in Nigeria and beyond, it is a bad habit that can most definitely be stopped. So today, we will be having a quick look at some of the ways a poultry farmer can stop their chickens from pecking at each other. But before we get into that, lets first have a better understanding of why these chickens, engage in such bad habit in the first place.
Why do Chickens have a Pecking Order
Why do Chickens Peck Each Other to Death
Why Do Chickens Peck at Each Other?

There are several reasons why chickens peck at each other and these include; They are a social Breed. They fight over ranking in the flock. This is where the term ” Hen Pecked” where the hens peck the male, rooster.

Pecking order comes in groups, Hens, Roosters, Roosters, and Hens, In Very large flocks there will be many groups of pecking orders.

Lowest in peck order size is usually from 15 – 20 in a number of chickens in the hierarchy, The lowest on the totem pole can get pecked by everything. These are What can Trigger a fight

Feed
Roosting
Water
Wrong Nest Box
Toys
Everything they can fight over

Peking each order is a natural process. It is the process where chickens structure Ranking order in the Coop. Who gets to eat first, who gets the best Box, Who’s been there the longest, usually older hens. Telling Everyone who is in Charge
Chickens will also peck at each other from boredom. Just having something to do they will fight and peck at each other. Below we have listed some ways to provide alternatives to decrease Boredom.

Find Creative ways to provide the entertainment
Natural Texture and Appearance
One of the reasons why chickens peck at each other is because of the natural texture and appearance of some of their features like feathers. Feather pecking, for instance, which is when one chicken pulls out a feather off the other chicken, is a destructive habit that can lead to a risk of skin damage.

However, feather pecking isn’t only limited to chickens, as most breeds of the bird family such as turkey and so on are also guilty of this habit. And feather pecking is always found amongst commercial chickens raised in less spacious quarts, which then takes us to the next cause.

Overcrowding
Overcrowding is one of the main factors why chickens peck on each other. This is because, in an overcrowded poultry setting, where all the chickens are kept in one confined space, it is often a reality for a competition to grow amongst the chicken, which often leads to the habit of pecking one another, in the battle of supremacy. So, ensure to take proper measurement of the poultry house’s inches and feet, in resonance with the volume of chickens you’ll be raising, so as to avoid overcrowding.

Overheating

Other than overcrowding and the natural appeal of their features, overheating is one way to encourage chicken pecking in your poultry. This is because higher temperatures will force the chickens to become uncomfortable, and thus, become more open to pecking one other. For instance, if you keep your young brood fowls, which are supposed to stay at an environment of about 95 degrees during the first week, in a temperature higher than that, let’s say, 110-115 degrees, you can rest assured that those fowls will start pecking at a very tender age.

Too Much Light

Same way with heat, having too much light shining in their faces could cause them to become more hostile, thus making them prone to pecking at each other. Put differently, exposing them to non-stop light rays for about 16 hours or more in a day, is undoubtedly going to stress them out. 

Nutrition

Studies have linked a deficiency in chicken’s dieting pattern, to the growth of cannibalistic traits such as pecking at one another. That’s why poorly feed chickens are often more susceptible to engaging in bad habits like pecking, more than the well-fed ones.
So, now that we’ve known the causes, how can a poultry farmer stop their chickens from pecking at each other?

HOW TO STOP CHICKENS FROM Feather PECKING

1. Proper Nutrition

Long story short, chickens will start to eat each other if they are not getting the proper nutrients from their food source. So, see to it that you feed them regularly with appropriate diets. Plus, you should do so on the floor, with litter (bedding material) cover on top of it, which invariably will decrease their tendencies to peck at each other.

This principle is important because, even when food is readily available, chickens still have the natural urge to peck around for food particles that are off the coop. And if you don’t raise them in an environment that allows for this, like the type with some bedding material, it will leave them with no other choice than to start pecking at each other.

2. Take out Wounded or Dead birds immediately

Whenever a chicken is wounded or injured, you should immediately take it out the poultry space because, again, chickens are naturally very curious, and won’t hesitate to start pecking on the red injury spots of the wounded one, thus imbibing the habit, and then using it on others. So, always ensure you take such chickens off as soon as possible.

Severe chicken pecking can lead to cannibalism. They can literally peck at a chicken until it bleeds, then many of the chicken’s peck at the sight of blood and kill the chicken

3. Separation of Groups

Another way to stop chickens from pecking at each other is by separating them based on age, color, breeds, and putting them in different coops. This way, there won’t be a state of chaos amongst the chickens when their struggle for supremacy begins as a result of mixing different ages, colors, and breeds in one space. And as I said earlier, conflicts like these amongst chicken often lead to pecking. 

4. Monitor Closely

If pecking starts to become aggressive, then you need to start by looking for reasons why the birds are acting out. Is the environment, okay? How many chickens do you have in the area? Does it fall within the appropriate ratio? There are many reasons for pecking that we have already discussed, so you need to identify the problem. Once you identify the problem, then you need to resolve it. Once you do that, then the problem might go away.

5. Isolation Pens

One of Your Chickens becomes a target and has had some of her feathers pecked off. Then the Blood, red color compounds the pecking. You need to separate the one pecked on. Put Her in an isolation Pen and let her heal up.

Chickens are Omnivores, meaning they will eat meat also, that is why they are attracted to blood.

Once the Chicken is healed up, normally it not a target anymore, feathers have grown back

6. Structured Feeders

Some farmers have experienced where the larger Hens, Bully the smaller chicks and do chase them away from the feed. You can modify a Feed Set Up where you build an opening where only the little guys can get the feed they need. Physically preventing the Older Hens from chasing them off.

7. Distractions method

Given that chickens will always be chickens by pecking around either on the floor or themselves, you can distract them a little by installing toys around their coop, which is going to take their mind for some moment off pecking the floor or one another.
Free-Ranging Your Chickens
When you free range your chickens, they have a lot more space, spend their time investigating, scratching, exploring, looking for bugs, scratching apart animal feces looking for parisite eggs, chasing bugs, butterflies, etc,
All these mentioned above will greatly lessens the problem of Chicken Pecking each other.

THE ANTICHRIST

  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. Revelation 13.1

“Anti-Christ” means opposition to our Lord Christ. The mission and purpose of the anti-Christ is to put himself in the place of Christ. He, therefore, opposes the Father and the Son (1 John 2:22; 4:3). He also denies that Jesus came in the flesh (2 John 1:7). There have been many antichrists (1 John 2:18), but there is also the coming  of the antichrist”. In the end time, a man will arise to oppose Christ and His followers more than anyone else in history. Likely claiming to be the true messiah, the antichrists will seek world domination and will attempt to destroy all “careless” followers of Jesus Christ and the nation of Israel during the period of the great tribulation. The world is drifting at a fast lane towards the appearance of antichrist in full force. The antichrist will be revealed at the beginning of the period of the great tribulation – after the rapture. 2 Thess. 2:3-4.

There could not have been a better description of the antichrist than what Apostle John saw in his revelation. He said, “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” Rev. 13:1

This blasphemous beast has the nature of a leopard, bear and lion. These three animals have been long age enemies of the sheep and lamb. Like the mighty Goliath, who could make war against him? 1 Sam. 17: 34-36, Rev. 13:2-4. But glory be to God, David killed both the bear and the lion and cut off the head of the leopard (Goliath). We have a Captain in the Son of Jesse and a Champion in the Root of Jesse, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. 1 Sam. 17:37; Romans 15:12

ATTRIBUTES OF ANTICHRIST

i. He is the imposing, boastful king. Dan. 7:25
ii. He established and broke covenant with Israel. Dan. 9:1-27
iii. He is the abominable king of desolation. Mark 13:14
iv. He is the lawless man. 2 Thess. 2:1-12
v. The impersonation of the man of peace. Rev. 6:2
vi. The beast from the sea. Rev. 13:1-9
vii. The little horn. Dan. 7:8
viii. The man of sin. 2 Thess 2:3
ix. False Christ. Matt. 24:24-25
x. The liar. 2 Thess. 2:4
xi. Son of perdition. 2 Thess. 2:3
xii. The deceiver. Matt. 24:4-5
xiii. Vile person. Dan. 11:21
xiv. The wicked. 2 Thess. 2:8

THE MISSION OF ANTICHRIST

i. He will receive power from Satan to rule the world. Dan. 7:25-26; Rev. 13:2
ii. He will work great miracles to deceive people. Rev. 13:11-13
iii. He will position his images in strategic and holy places and force people to worship them. 2 Thess. 2:4; Matt. 24:15
iv. He will speak great thing s and blasphemies. Rev. 13:5
v. He will make war with the tribulation saints.13:7
vi. He will persecute the remnant that will be faithful to God and kill them. Rev. 12:17
vii. He will speak and prophesy lies to confuse people. 2 Thess. 2:4
viii. He will take control of both the political and economic powers of the world. Rev. 13:16-17
ix. He will give identification number to those who will accept him. The number is 666. This number will allow people to buy/sell, access social amenities, and them for eternal destruction. Some of those who reject the number will be killed. Rev. 13:18

        END OF THE ANTICHRIST

i. The antichrist and his followers will be bound and cast into the lake of fire towards the end of tribulation. Rev. 19:20.
ii. The antichrist will lose the kingdom to Christ and Christ will reign for ever and ever. Daniel 7:26-27.
iii. Christ will establish a millennial reign on earth. Rev. 20:6
The days of the Antichrist and his followers are fast approaching. Similarly, the day of Christ second coming is very near.  prepared.
Believers should prepare to go with Christ when He appears, to avoid staying behind with Antichrist. So be prepared. God bless you as you read.

CREATIVE WAYS TO LOWER YOUR POULTRY FEED BILL

Poultry farming have become very popular for both homesteaders and urban farmers. They provide eggs, meat, and others. However, feeding poultry feeds is most important in poultry farming, organic poultry crumbles can sell for as much as $25 per 50 lb bag. And at 1/3 to 1/4 lb per chicken per day, the costs can add up quickly! So to help lower your chicken feed bill, I have collections of most creative ways you can use to reduce your poultry feed budget.

These are how you can Lower the feed bill of your poultry Feed Bill

1. THIN THE HERD

This topic is probably the most difficult topic first. For a lot of us, our poultry birds are our pets. However, hens will slow down their egg production as they get older – making it not economical to continue to feed them. If each hen eats 1/4 lb of feed a day, a young hen will take that 1/4 lb and turn it into an egg a day. An older hen will still continue to eat that 1/4 lb a day, but only give you an egg every few days. So when should you cut them off? Like most things, it depends. Most heritage chickens breeds will lay less eggs a year, but will lay consistently for 3-4 years. Hybrid breeds will likely produce a TON of eggs, but only for the first 2 years. I just picked up some Isa Browns (a hybrid breed) that can produce 300 eggs a year, but probably only for the first year or two of their egg-laying life. Culling the older members of your flock ensures that the feed you are using results in the best production possible.

2. IDENTIFY YOUR PERFECT FLOCK SIZE

If you have been around chickens at all, you have heard of “chicken math”. Basically, more chickens = more happiness. However, as Justin Rhodes from Abundant Permaculture says chickens (and especially those adorable baby chicks) are pigs with wings. If your family only goes through 10 eggs a week, you only need 3 or 4 hens of egg-laying age. If you want to sell eggs or baby chicks as a source of side income, you may need more. I keep extra hens to give away eggs to a local food bank, but I understand that the money I spend on feed gets transformed into a donation, and I’m comfortable with that. If you only have the number of hens you need, you’re feeding the minimum amount to support your family’s needs.
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3. MEASURE OUT YOUR CHICKEN FEED

Chickens will eat as much as you let them. In fact, backyard chickens will often become overweight which can lead to Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome. In a nutshell, Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome is where the liver becomes too fatty and bleeds, leading to death. Generally this only happens when flocks are given too much fatty foods like table scraps. However, it’s a good example of how chickens will eat to excess. Each hen should eat no more than 1/4-1/3 lb of feed per day. To find the sweet spot for your flock, cut down to measuring out 1/4 lb per hen per day for a week to see if it affects egg production. If it does, up it to 1/3 lb per hen per day and see what happens.

4. FERMENT YOUR CHICKEN FEED

Whether you’re using store-bought feed or a homemade mix, fermentation can actually create new vitamins for your flock – specifically B vitamins and Vitamin K2. In addition to creating new vitamins, soaked grains will plump up in size and make your hens feel fuller for longer. Fermenting your feed is super simple. I have a large metal trashcan next to the coop that I put feed in and then simply add water. Make sure your feed is covered by a few inches of water to ensure your feed ferments instead of molds. Simply continue to add more feed and more water and scoop out what you need for the day with a slotted spoon.

5. SPROUT SEEDS AND LEGUMEs

In addition to your store-bought feed, you can add a portion of sprouted seeds and legumes. Sprouting seeds increases protein digestibility by up to 30% and unlocks additional vitamin, mineral and enzymes. Wheat and barley are the two most common grains for chickens, but you can sprout oats, sunflower seeds, alfalfa, lentils, clover, mung beans, soybeans, etc. Having nutritionally dense foods means you can feed less of it. To sprout your seeds, soak them for 24 hours and the pour out the water. Rinse your seeds every 24 hours until they have sprouted, generally in 1-4 days.

6. FORAGE FOR YOUR CHICKENS

Whether your chickens are kept in a run 24-7, or you free range them, you can always go out and forage weeds for your chickens. If you’re already weeding garden beds, or walkways, or simply want to give the kids something to do, forage dandelion, burdock, lamb’s quarter, stinging nettle, clover, etc. to give to your girls. If you don’t have a ton of weeds (luck you!), you can always forage wild nuts and seeds like acorns, or berries like blackberries.

7. COVER CROPS

Similar to foraging, if you’re already growing a cover crop, grow something that can feed your flock after it’s done covering your garden. Winter wheat would be a great cover crop to collect the seeds from and sprout, or simply cut down and throw it in the coop with them. Between our hop rows, we’ve laid down a crop of clover to add additional nitrogen to the soil. Once the clover is tall enough, we run the chickens over it in a chicken tractor. Anything they miss, I then harvest the clover flowers, dehydrate them and make medicinal remedies with it! I love anything on the homestead that can serve three or four different jobs!

8. FEEDING YOUR CHICKENS COMPOST

If you have cook a lot from scratch or gardening, you’re going to have srything from cut grass, to veggie trimmings,leaves, weeds, manure, etc. Chickens are garbage disposals with wings. Make sure you chickens can access your compost area and let them eat what they will, you can also bring it to them.

9. GROW MEAL WORMS FOR YOUR CHICKENS

Bugs are a concentrated source of protein. Meal worms are the larvae form of a beetle and growing them is super easy. A female adult Darkling beetle can lay 500 eggs in only a few months. All you need is dark container like an aquarium or Tupperware container. You’ll need about 2-3 inches of feed for the meal worms to live in – usually wheat bran. If you can’t get your hands on wheat bran, then rolled oats, chicken mash, or cereal crumbs will work as well. You can buy your worms either online or at a local pet store, but make sure you know what they’ve been fed and ensure they have not been given a growth hormone.

10. ROTATIONAL GRAZING

This is possibly my favorite one. We don’t have other livestock, yet, but plan on doing rotational grazing next year. If you have other livestock on grass, you can keep your cows, horses, llamas, pigs, etc. on a specific piece of land until they eat it down. When you move them to the next plot of pasture, run your chickens (in a chicken tractor), over the spent land. Not only will they be able to eat and spread the manure, but they’ll eat the bugs that the manure attracts, and any grasses or grass seeds, leftover. We’re planning on running our pigs in our hop yard next year. We have fairly compacted, clay-y soil that does not drain water well at all. The pigs will turn over the soil, and add organic material (their poop), which will help the soil drain better. We’ll run the chickens after the pigs to spread the manure, eat the bugs the manure attracts, and add their own nitrogen-rich manure to the now exposed soil.

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.

THESE ARE THE NATURAL HERBS FOR YOUR CHICKEN HEALTH

Chicken health is very important to their growth, laying and high reproduction , natural herbs are one of the safest way to promote good health in your chicken.
First, let’s discuss why you want to use herbs for your chickens.
Herbs can benefit your chickens in many ways. Just as various herbs can promote relaxation (lavender) for humans, they can do the same for chickens. Other herbs like mint can help deter mice and insects from the coop. And you can feed some herbs to your chickens to add a beautiful yellow color to their egg yolks or just provide some variation to their diet.

These are Easy herbs to use in your chicken bussines ,There are so many herbs that are beneficial to chickens that it was hard to narrow down the list, but these are some of my favorites. Keep in mind that every flock is different and some chickens will enjoy some herbs more than others.

1. Mint – Mint is my favorite herb to use in the coop. It is a very prolific grower and while it smells nice to us, most rodents and insects don’t like the scent at all. When planting mint for your chickens, plant it in a container. Mint is very invasive and will take over your garden otherwise.

2. Oregano – Oregano is said to have antibacterial properties. Some studies have shown that it can boost a chicken’s immune system.

3. Garlic – Many chicken keepers use garlic in their chicken coop. Up to 4 cloves can be added to a gallon of water for help in preventing viruses and bacteria in your flock. However, garlic is not a substitute for proper treatment if you have a sick chicken kindly get drugs.

4.Lavender – Lavender is supposed to be a stress reliver for humans but studies have suggested it can also reduce stress in chickens. And a calm and happy hen will lay more eggs than a stressed chicken.

5. Aloe vera plant , aloe vera is one of the most important plant in poultry , it contains antibiotics , which can fight  viral infection in your chicken.

WAYs TO USE HERBS IN YOUR CHICKEN COOP

There are several ways to use herbs in your chicken coop. I listed a few above with the individual herbs, but the methods below can be used with almost any herb. HANG THEM IN THE COOP One easy way is to gather a bunch of fresh herbs, tie them together, and hang them from the rafters of your coop. Depending on the herbs you choose, they can repel insects and help the coop smell nice. FRESHEN NEST BOXES Herbs can also be used in the nest boxes to provide a relaxing environment for your hens. While you can use fresh or dried, I prefer to use dried herbs in my nesting boxes because I don’t have to worry about fishing them out in a couple days. Important note: If using fresh herbs in the coop where your chickens can eat them, be sure to remove them within 2 days so they don’t start to mold. Any kind of mold can be toxic to your chickens.

HOW TO FEED HERBS TO YOUR CHICKENS You can actually feed most herbs to your chickens. A few cloves of garlic added to their food can provide an antimicrobial benefit to your chickens.  As a side note: I also feed my chickens plants that I pull from the garden. They love to pick through it and they often find a few bugs to eat.

MAKE AN EASY FLY SPRAY FOR THE COOP

Herbs can also be made into a spray to help repel flies and other pests in the coop. I usually use mint (since I have an abundance) or a combo of mint and lavender. Boil 1 cup of packed fresh mint leaves (or 1 cup total of mint and lavender) in 1 cup of water. Allow to cool. Strain out the herbs. Add 1 cup of witch hazel and the herb scented water in a spray bottle. Shake to mix. Spray liberally along the coop walls to help repel flies and rodents. It will need to be applied every few days for maximum protection. If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can use a few drops of peppermint and lavender essential oils to make the fly spray.  personally wouldn’t buy these herbs fresh to use in my coop. I think they would cost more than it would be worth. However, purchasing dried herbs for the chicken coop can be a cost effective option if you choose not to grow your own. And remember…If you want to grow herbs for your chickens, you don’t actually have to plant a separate herb garden just for them. You can add a few of these herbs to your existing garden or even your flower bed. Knowing when to move chicks to the coop is so important. How to help your chickens through their molt. The essential items you need when building a chicken coop. Mint is a great herb to use in the chicken coop. Hope you enjoy the post ? Thanks for reading.

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD RAISE GUINEA FOWL

Chicken and Turkey are most popular birds when it come to poultry farming, there are other birds that are also profitable and easy to raise. Guinea Fowl is one of those birds,
  Guinea Fowl aren't for everyone, that's just the straight truth. They are loud, annoying, funny looking and bird than you can believe. However they have several redeeming qualities that make farmers and backyard poultry keepers to be a big fans of this silly looking bird. I started raising Guinea fowl some years back, I've decided you may either love guinea fowl or you hate them. I happen to love them and have found a whole bunch of reasons why I think everyone should get a few Guinea fowl.

Why you should raise guinea fowl:

1) For Tick control  Yes, chickens will eat ticks that are in your yard and so will Guinea fowl. Guineas though, will forgo personal safety and enter the brush and woods to hunt out these minute pests which will help keep your kids and pets safer from tick borne illness like Lyme disease.

2) For Security (Watchdog)  Ever hear a flock of Guineas "go off"? It's like someone tripped the alarm system! It's pretty darn loud but it's a good indication that someone drove down the driveway, the neighbors dog is in the yard, a hawk is overhead etc etc.  When you start to hear really loud Guinea fowl sounds, it's time to look out the window because something is up.

3) Predator alert.  Your chickens will learn pretty fast that when the Guineas see a hawk and freak out, it's time to run for cover. Of course it could just be a leaf blowing by that causes the guineas to freak out, but the chickens seem to learn the difference in guinea alerts. They also let you know about things you might not notice are in the yard like snakes or the neighbors cat.

  4) Guineas hate snakes!  They will actually kill small snakes. The guinea fowl will start hollering and alert you to the presence of larger snakes. Many time this will scare the snake away, especially if the guineas all surround it, which they tend to do as they are screaming their heads off.

5) For Bug control  , They also like to eat bugs like fire ants, earwigs, grasshoppers, Japanese beetles and yes, guinea fowl eat stink bugs. They'll eat pretty much everything but ladybugs and adult tent worms. They are kinder to your garden then chickens are.  They don't scratch as deeply as chickens and are usually more interested in searching for bugs then snacking on your zinnias. Usually.

6) For eggs,  Their tasty little eggs are triangular shaped and very hard shelled. They break like porcelain when you crack them. Backpackers like to pack Guinea eggs since they're so much harder to crack then chicken eggs. Plus, guinea eggs have twice as much protein than chicken eggs!

7) For Beautification! They leave those lovely spotted feathers everywhere! Plus, guineas come in about 30 different colors. Other than the white guinea fowl, many of the different colors of guineas sport feathers with the little white dots on them.
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8) Cold hardy  , For a bird that is originally from Africa, Guinea fowl are surprisingly cold hardy and can tolerate winter better then some chicken breeds. They have no problem going out in the snow and will even try to sleep in the trees in the winter if you let them!

9) Little money in raising them,  in summer Guinea fowl don't need much feed spring through fall. They would much rather eat the bugs they catch. This is good news for your feed bill which will dip every summer. I let my guinea fowl out in the morning and they don't return to the coop till evening. 

10) Highly resistance to Disease,  Guinea fowo get sick far less often than chickens. In my 4 years of raising guineas I've never had 1 case of illness other then the occasional mites dropped by a wild bird. They love dust bathing though and DE and wood ash in their dust tub solves a mite problem real quick! .

  Keeping guinea fowl is  less amount of money that you will use in rasing chickens . They require the same type of housing and care like chicken. They can also eat the same feed you feed your chicken . They consumed less feed and they don't sick often like chicken.