3/9/2021 0 Comments Caring for Baby ChicksIncubate Eggs or Buy Chicks? Many people who are interested in breeding their own chickens or raising egg layers decide to buy pullets or even point-of-lay chickens. This is largely due to the fact that many feel they are simply not set up for hatching eggs or raising young chicks. The process can seem impossibly complicated and time-consuming, but we’re here to simplify it for you. Breeding chickens can be quite easy, and there are lots of small incubators on the market now, so you can incubate seven eggs or less. There are a few reasons why you might want to try your hand at incubating eggs, with the main one being the rewarding experience you and your family can go through together. Children especially love watching chicks hatch and then the following experience of raising baby chicks. It can be an educational process as well, and the memories they make will stay with them for a lifetime. The incubation period is usually 21 days for chicken eggs, and you can refer to your incubator user manual for more information regarding that process. Chicks need basic care like heat, food, and water for the first six weeks of their life. After that point they will be feathered out and ready to live in a coop. Housing for New ChicksWhether you opt to incubate eggs or buy chicks, you will need a brooder set up for when the chicks arrive. Depending on how many chicks you end up with (please account for chicken math), your container size can vary from small to large. Cardboard boxes, wooden crates, plastic bins, and enclosures make for perfect brooders. Make sure you line the inside with paper towels and bedding that is suitable for baby chicks. You can use something like wood shavings to give the chicks stable, firm ground to stand on. A slippery surface can result in injury or developmental issues. Give your chicks enough space that their heat source is well away from their food and water. The chicks need to be able to cool off when necessary, and the chicks will start to require more space as they grow. Decide on the heat source you want to go with. Heat lamps are a common choice, but they also present a fire hazard and are not energy efficient. Heat plates, on the other hand, like Brinsea EcoGlow brooders, are extremely safe and use very little energy to keep your chicks warm. An EcoGlow also gives older chicks a nice place to roost. You will also need a feeder and a waterer. Bedding for the BrooderAs mentioned above, wood shavings make for great bedding for chicks. Sawdust or pine shavings are recommended, but do not use cedar shavings. Cedar contains toxic oils that can harm the chicks’ respiratory system. Straw is another option but it can produce an odor when it gets wet (and it will get wet), and it gives a place for mites and bugs to easily live. Newspaper can also be a problem because of potentially toxic ink that the chicks will peck at. Chicks can contract a number of diseases at this early stage, most of which can be avoided with proper sanitation. This means the bedding has to be changed regularly, at least every couple of days. Damp bedding should be changed more often. Heat SourceIf you’re hatching your own chicks they can be moved from the incubator to the brooder once they are completely dry, which means nice and fluffy. Until they have feathers, however, they will still need a heat source in order to stay alive. As mentioned above, EcoGlow brooders are a much safer option than heat lamps. This is largely due to the way the brooder warms the chicks. EcoGlows use radiant heat, which passes through the air without warming it. Solid objects, like chicks, will absorb the heat, but a thermometer underneath the brooder will not register heat. If operating properly, the heat plate on the brooder will not get hot enough to burn the chicks. This means you can put the brooder on a low height setting and the chicks can nestle up to it like they would a mother hen. Heat plates are a more natural way to brood chicks, and they do not provide a light source so the chicks can experience day and night the same as they would in nature. If you are unsure whether your brooder is warm enough simply observe the chicks’ behavior. Chicks will naturally move away from the heat source as they are comfortable, but if you notice them spread out and always away from the brooder they may be too hot. Panting also indicates overheating. Conversely, chicks that are huddled together underneath the heat source may be too cold. Shivering is another indicator of this. Six weeks is typically the age at which chicks can be acclimatized to the outdoors. This, of course, depends on your local outdoor temperature. If it is winter or particularly cold outside then you may need to acclimate the chicks gradually. Water When hatching your own chicks, remember that they will absorb the yolk for nutrition. This means they won’t need food or water for the first few days after hatching, which gives them plenty of time to dry off in the incubator. Once they are placed in the brooder set up they will immediately need fresh water. The waterer should be placed away from the heat source and should be cleaned regularly. Chicks will push bedding into the water and poop in it. If you are using a fountain waterer (as pictured) you will only need to worry about keeping it full and cleaning it. If you are using a saucer or a deeper waterer you will need to place marbles in the bottom to safeguard against drowning. FoodChicks instinctively scratch for food, which means they can make a mess if your feeder does not have a lid. A feeder like the one pictured to the side is a good option to save space in your brooder and to keep the mess down. Chicks may eat cooked egg yolk for a short time before you get chick crumbs. This is feed that is specially formulated for chicks and contains all of the nutrients they need. You can choose between medicated, non-medicated, or organic. You can also give your chicks treats, which can be fun for you as well as the chicks! After they are a week or so old you can give them worms from the garden. Greens are not recommended at this age because it can cause diarrhea. Adult chickens can feed on certain vegetation without issue. If diarrhea does occur, pasting up can happen over the vent area. This is also known as “pasty butt” and can prevent the chick from pooping if left untreated. Clean the vent area with a moist towel or some mineral oil and watch to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Play Time with ChicksIf the temperature is warm enough, week-old chicks can be taken out of the brooder. They are extremely curious at this age and can sometimes move quickly and get stuck in small spaces. Household pets like cats and dogs need to be monitored around the chicks to ensure safety. Some chicks may imprint or bond with their “mama,” and they may even follow you around. Chickens can become much like any other pet, and they can be trained to come when called.
Beyond the BrooderOnce the chicks are old enough they will need to be moved to a coop with a run. Their outdoor housing will need to be planned carefully to protect against predators and inclement weather, but that’s a topic for a different blog.
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2/23/2021 0 Comments My Chicken has worms what do?Chicken Wormers: Best Types & How to Use ThemChickens absolutely love worms. From creepy-crawly mealworms to deeply submerged nightcrawlers, there is nothing a chicken loves more than to feast on a scrumptious worm. And eating worms is great for chickens, too, providing them with a healthy dose of protein, fat, and essential vitamins and minerals. When it comes to other types of worms and your chickens, though, it’s a completely different story. Like most birds and mammals, chickens are susceptible to developing internal parasites (commonly referred to as worms). They can cause a wide range of short- and long term health issues for your chickens – if left untreated, some can even be fatal. Luckily, there are some easy ways you can keep parasite problems at bay. You might be taking some of these steps already without even realizing that you are doing it! Here are some of the easiest ways to address, prevent, and eliminate worms in chickens in worms – as well as some of the best chicken dewormers you can use. What Are Chicken Worms?Chicken worms are small, sometimes microscopic parasites that live inside the body of a chicken. Most can possess either direct or indirect infestation and life cycle patterns. Worms with direct life cycles live their entire life cycles inside a chicken’s body. When your chickens poop, they discard the eggs. When another chicken happens upon the poop and, as chickens tend to do, eats it, that chicken also becomes infected. An indirect life cycle generally involves an animal of another species, like a snail, slug, or earthworm. The worm is introduced to the body of the chicken when it eats it. For the most part, you don’t need to know whether the worms causing your chickens grief operate directly or indirectly. All you need to know is that it’s important to keep them away! 6 Most Common Chicken Internal ParasitesThere are many types of internal parasites that can affect chickens (in addition to a whole host of those that affect the outside of a chicken-like lice and mites – but we won’t get into those!). Knowing what kind of worms are giving your chickens trouble is important so that you know exactly how to treat and prevent them. 1. RoundwormsRoundworms are parasites that have direct life cycles – one of the few that affect chickens. These parasites live their entire lives within chickens, with infected chickens shedding eggs in their poop before another chicken picks them up and becomes infected themselves. Roundworms are some of the most common internal parasites in chickens, and they can luckily be seen without any kind of microscope. They are exceptionally long and can reach six inches in length, living in the small intestines of your chickens. These pests can cause a whole host of problems, including a decreased appetite, poor appearance, diarrhea, stunted growth, wasting, and a pale wattle and comb. Sometimes, they can be fatal, too, as they can create such severe intestinal blockages that your chickens can no longer eat or defecate. There are really three main types of roundworms: large roundworms (which exhibit characteristics most like those described above), small roundworms (which are less common in chickens and more common in turkeys and game birds) and cecal worms. Cecal worms are exceptionally common in chickens – which is the bad news. The good news is that they don’t usually cause very many problems. These pests are found in the ceca of chickens and have direct life cycles. When chickens become overloaded with cecal worms, they will look depressed and again, have a shabby-looking appearance. They are transmitted to other types of poultry, too. This is one reason why it’s not recommended that you raise turkeys and chickens together – cecal worms in turkeys can cause a more dangerous condition known as black head. 2. Gape WormsGape worms, as the name implies, are quite unpleasant little creatures. Also known as Syngamus trachea, these worms live in chickens’ windpipes and eat the blood from tiny blood vessels there. If you have a chicken with a severe infection, it may appear as though it is choking or even wheezing. This is because the worms lock together in a Y shape, partially obstructing the windpipe and making it tough for your chickens to breathe. Your chickens may also lose their appetite or seem shabby or tattered in appearance. Chickens will cough up the parasite eggs or poop them out. The next chicken can then easily pick them up, continuing the life cycle of this irritating pest. If young chickens contract tapeworms, it can lead to a permanent reduction in your chickens’ growth and development. 3. Hair WormsAs the name suggests, hair worms, or capillary worms, are extremely thin. Smaller than a couple of centimeters long, hair worms are difficult to see with the naked eye. Sometimes you will be able to see them when they are mixed up with water, where they will look like narrow white threads. They’re also known as capillary worms. They are tiny, thread-like creatures. They are so small, in fact, that you will need a magnifying glass to see them – this is part of what makes them so hard to detect. There are multiple types of hair worms, all of which live in the ceca, intestines, and crop. In bad infestations, however, capillary worms can move as far up as into the mouth and throat of the chicken. These parasites are indirect, moving into the body of a chicken when it eats a slug or earthworm or picks through built-up bedding. If your chicken has capillary worms, its comb will become pale. It may have a decreased appetite, have diarrhea, or look exceptionally thin. It will also become very weak, and in extreme cases, it can die. To treat capillary worms, you will need to use a dewormer medication. Don’t just run to the store and buy the first one you see, though, because some are not approved for poultry applications. You will want to consult with your veterinarian first. 4. Eye WormsIf you live in a colder, northern climate, you luckily don’t have to worry much about eye worms. Also known as Manson’s eye worm, this problem was once excluded to tropical areas only. However, in the last few years, it has migrated north into some more temperate zones, like the southern portion of the United States. Eye worms are incredibly unpleasant to deal with. They live in the eye of the afflicted bird, with infection generally caused and transmitted by cockroaches. However, infected birds can also spread eye worms to each other through bedding, poop, or feed, too. These parasites cause an unpleasant, cheese-like ocular discharge, which often leads to the eyelids sticking together. Your chicken might scratch or dig at her eye or experience symptoms like blindness, a droopy head, decreased appetite, or conjunctivitis, too. You’ll need special medication from your vet in order to treat this disease. 5. Tape WormsTapeworms tend to be the parasite that most people have heard of. These flat, segmented worms look like ribbons. They’re quite long, attaching themselves to your chicken’ intestinal lining. They are some of the easiest to see, as they are long, flat, white, and rectangular. However, tapeworms are relatively rare in chickens (they are far more likely to appear in other species of livestock). They usually are contracted when a chicken eats an egg that has been shed from the tapeworm’s many segments. They can also eat a snail, slug, or beetle that has eaten one of the eggs (which is more likely). This results in the continuation of the life cycle, which in chickens, can lead to depression, emaciation, and a failure to put on weight. 6. ProtozoaAnother parasite that you won’t hear a lot about is the protozoa. Protozoan parasites are very common in backyard poultry species, but they are usually lumped into their own category separate from internal parasites because they are so malignant. The most common protozoan parasites in chickens are coccidia. There are nine different species that affect chicken, and they are species-specific despite the fact that coccidia can affect all kinds of animals. Coccidiosis, which you’ve likely heard of, is the result of a coccidia infestation. It can cause diarrhea, weight loss, and other symptoms. It is most common in young birds, as chicks develop immunity as they age. Therefore, you’re most likely to see issues before your chicks reach six years of age. Many people feed their chicks medicated feed to prevent this problem while other hatcheries vaccinate against it. First Things First: Contact a Veterinarian!Before you decide to treat a case of worms yourself, particularly if you are going to be using chemical-based medications instead of natural remedies, make sure you contact a veterinarian. You can quickly gather up some feces from your chickens and bring it over there for afloat or smear test, which will tell you whether warming is actually necessary. Not only is this test cheap and effective (sometimes even free), but it will eliminate the need for you to purchase and use costly medications that, if not necessary, can harm your chickens. There have also been several documented cases of chicken worms becoming resistant to worming medications – so don’t use them if they aren’t necessary! It’s also important to note that if you do have to treat your chickens with medications, that you contact your veterinarian to make sure the drugs are approved for use in poultry. You cannot eat the meat or eggs for a certain amount of time after you have treated chickens with medication, either. This information will usually be specified on the administration information for the medication, and it’s important that you adhere to it. There’s a chance that your body could have an allergic reaction to the medication, and repeated exposure to these medications can also cause microbe resistance – which is something you don’t want to have to deal with if you are battling a more serious disease of your own. How to Prevent Internal Parasites in ChickensThe easiest way to prevent worms from becoming problematic in your backyard flock is to practice good principles of animal husbandry. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and nowhere is that truer than in preventing health problems with your animals. Practice Good Animal HusbandryStart by maintaining a clean, sanitary coop and run. Don’t let chicken waste pile up to the point where it starts to stink. This is a surefire way to develop problems with parasites along with a whole host of other health problems. Cleaning your coop on a regular, weekly basis is recommended. However, if you use the deep litter method of bedding your chickens (by which you leave a large pile of chicken bedding and manure to compost down, only changing it once or twice a year), that’s fine, too. Just make sure you’re adding fresh bedding each and every week. If you do develop a problem with parasites, it may be necessary to do a deeper cleaning. In any case, a monthly deep clean can be incredibly beneficial. To do this, make sure you scrape out the nesting boxes and roost bars, wash the waterers and feeders, and even scrub things down with vinegar to get rid of pests. This is an excellent way to get rid of flies, too. You can also add a sprinkle or two of diatomaceous earth to the coop. This should help keep down the number of internal parasites that are found there, and it will also help keep certain external parasites, like mites and lice, at bay, too. If you let your chickens free-range (which is an excellent way to improve their overall health and reduce their susceptibility to most types of parasites), you can still do this even if you’re worried about worms. However, you should move your chickens to new pastures on a regular basis so that parasites don’t accumulate in the soil. A good rule of thumb is to let a piece of land set for at least six weeks before allowing chickens to graze on it if you know that there were parasites present there. Many people also incorporate chicken tractors, which are small, mobile pens that you move each day. The parasites never really get a chance to build up in the soil because your chickens are moved so frequently. Most worms thrive in warm, humid environments – you aren’t as likely to have a parasite infestation in the middle of a cold, dry winter. If you can, keep your chicken’s run and coop as dry as you can. If you have a lot of mud puddles or mucky areas, try filling them in to discourage the development of standing water. Reduce vegetation as much as possible, too. Weeds and brush not only harbor parasites that can harm your chickens, but pests that can harm you, too – ticks! Cut grass short, as the sun’s UV rays can destroy a lot of different pests and their eggs. Natural Chicken WormersWhen you feed your chickens, make sure all feeding is done off the floor. This will prevent contamination, as will placing your feeders and waterers in places where your chickens cannot poop on or in them (using hanging feeders and enclosed drinkers can really help with this). You should also make sure your chickens have plenty of fresh, clean water available all the time. Apple Cider VinegarSome people swear by supplementing with apple cider vinegar, which can be added to the water. This can discourage the growth of mosquitoes and algae and is said by some to reduce the likelihood of internal parasites, too. SALE Dynamic Health Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother | Vegan, No Gluten, Non-GMO, Unpasteurized | 128 FL OZ, Btl-Plastic
−$1.20 $24.99 Buy on Amazon Apple cider vinegar is natural and will boost your chickens’ overall immunity, so there’s really no reason not to give it a try. One word of caution, though – if your waterers are made out of galvanized steel (and not plastic), you will want to steer clear. When exposed to the sun, the drinkers will begin to wear away at the drinkers and can cause contamination of the water. GarlicAdding garlic to the chicken’s water or food supply is another great way to prevent parasites. You can add this to the food or water. Your chickens will love the taste, and garlic is an excellent way to prevent parasites and boost immunity. All you need is a few cloves for each full drinker or feeder to do the trick. Pumpkin Raw Shelled Pumpkin Seeds-Pepitas, 3 lb
$19.49 Buy on AmazonAnother natural dewormer you might consider is pumpkin. Pumpkin – in particular pumpkin seeds – have compounds that are incredibly effective at helping a chicken prevent internal parasites. You can feed out pumpkin free-choice or even just sprinkle some seeds atop the food. Diatomaceous EarthFinally, you might consider diatomaceous earth. Just as diatomaceous earth can help keep the coop clean, it can also be useful when fed directly to the chickens, too. Sprinkle it just enough so that the grain has a light sheen, and you’ll find that your parasite problems are greatly reduced. SALE DiatomaceousEarth DE10, 100% Organic Food Grade Diamateous Earth Powder - Safe For Children & Pets 10 LBS
−$1.50 $20.99 Buy on Amazon Dewormer MedicationsThere are plenty of medications on the market that you might try, too. Again, it’s best to consult a veterinarian if you plan to do this. Not all are chemically-based, however. For example, Verm-X is a natural wormer that can be used safely with a flock, as it’s an herbal preparation that has been around for quite some time. Another herbal option is Vetrx. Other common chicken wormers include Ivermectin, Wazine, and Avitrol. Vetrx Poultry Aid, 2 fl.oz
$10.00 Buy on Amazon How to Deworm Your ChickensHow to deworm your chickens will vary depending on which kind of dewormer you use. For most natural treatments, like diatomaceous earth or garlic, you can just sprinkle it on the food or put some in the water. Some people sprinkle these items directly on the ground, but there are some risks to doing that. Your chickens will go nuts if you sprinkle pumpkin seeds or garlic on the ground, and what will they do? They’ll begin scratching and pecking the ground…where you have a known parasite problem. You might end up having to do even more work to get rid of the worm problem as a result! Other medications are meant to be administered in the water or by oral distribution to affected chickens only. How Often to Deworm Your ChickensIf you’re doing everything right – that is, maintaining clean, sanitary conditions and feeding your chickens natural supplements to help maintain optimal nutrition and keep pests at bay – you may not ever need to deworm your chickens. In fact, there are some chicken owners who have never had to apply any kind of medication to their flock, and have chickens that are close to a decade in age! Otherwise, dewormers should be used with caution. While natural remedies can usually be fed out as often as you like, you should avoid using any kind of chemical dewormer with abandon. It does not need to be part of your regular care regimen and should only be used if there is a documented and severe problem that can’t be addressed with other modifications. Don’t Bug Out Over Chicken WormsWhile the thought of a worm crawling through your chicken’s digestive tract might be enough to make your skin crawl, don’t let chicken worms get the best of you. In most cases, with a little bit of thoughtful management and preventative care, you can keep these pests away so that you never have to worry about them. Here at Crane's Coop we use Noromactin. Its a injectable De- wormer that is easily applied into your chickens water. 1cc per gallon of water, will kill internal parasites. Hold eggs for at least 2 weeks. it kills tape worms, pin worms, scaly leg mites, and round worms. for Gape Worms inject .5cc into mouth. 2/12/2021 0 Comments Hatching Your Own ChicksGreat video on explaining in detail how to hatch your own chicks with your own eggs or bought hatching eggs. This explains what to look for in the eggs and what size and shape to use for incubating. 2/9/2021 0 Comments Egg Candling day 1-21Here at Crane's Coop we have to candle a lot to make sure eggs are fertile or not during different stages of incubating. After searching for a good video we felt like this one was a great video of showing what an embryo is suppose to look like inside candling day 1 to day 21. This will give you a good idea of what you're suppose to see inside on different days. 2/9/2021 0 Comments Sexing ChicksThis Video shows how to sex male and female chicks at just a few days old. Some Breeds are nit able to be sexed until a later age when adult feathers help identify cockerel & pullets. This video shows how the digestive system works inside the chicken. Very educational and great for children to watch and learn from. 2/9/2021 0 Comments How Chicken Eggs DevelopDid you ever wonder how a chicken egg is made? This video is very detailed on each step go the development off a chicken egg. Brinsea Mini advanced 11We love this small 7 egg incubator made by Brinsea! Here at Crane's Coop we have 2 Brinsea minis. We have the very first Mini model that is still running after 12 years and going strong! We also have the mini 11 advanced model. We love how they are ver accurate and have high hatch rates. Basically these are set and forget! Great little incubator for small hobbyist just starting out, great for class room. Your able to view your eggs through the clear dome, self turning, auto humidity. Very was to use & Very affordable.
This is neat video of the development of a chick growing inside the egg shell. if your into incubating your own eggs this video gives you a great idea of what's going on inside the egg day by day. The video is also very educational and would be great to show children in a class room setting or at home.
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AuthorAbout the author Katie Crane. I like to research about things that I find interesting, rewarding & educational. CategoriesAll Candling Eggs Caring For Baby Chicks Development Of An Chicken Egg De-worming Digestive System Of A Chicken Hatching My Own Chicks Incubating Eggs Sexing Chicks Small Incubators Starting Out Archives |
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