An effort to raise healthy birds is required

[Toothpick]

Greetings all!

I’ve kept, raised, hatched, sold, etc, for 5 years now. And before then I’ve got my knowledge from several generations of family that have done the same. And this wonderful place of course

Raising and keeping healthy chickens is more involved than simply collecting eggs, feeding, watering, and picking up poop. We all know this. Although there are those among us that do the bare minimum. It happens.

Let’s discuss for a minute the absolute best you can treat your flock. Ok,…maybe not THE BEST. Because we will all have our own opinions and definition of how to BEST treat your flock. And as we all know…you can spend unlimited funds and time upgrading, and adding tech, and making your flock’s home THE BEST.

Let’s talk about a healthy flock. Where anyone, stranger, family, friend,…when they see or hear of your flock and how you take care of them think to themselves…”yeah, that’s a healthy flock. Very well taken care of”.

This is just my opinion of course. Please feel free to add your own. I would love to hear it.

IMO, a healthy happy flock consists of (in no order)

Food - layer feed, and occasional table scraps. Layer feed provided round the clock as much as they want. Table scraps 3-4x a week, basically whenever you have them.
Treats - meal worms or the like, maybe 2-3x a week. Just a handful tossed in. Not unlimited.
Fun stuff - Hanging lettuce to pick at, roosts in the run. Shade in the run. IDK if chickens have fun but some form of enrichment.
Calcium supplement. - Oyster shells - as much as they want
Dust bath - some form of dust bath for them. Maybe an old tire filled with sand, or Diatomaceous earth Or a combo of both.
A clean coop - cleaning daily, picking up the poo, scooping the poo boards, cleaning out the nest boxes. If you see poo try to get it.
Fresh water every day - if you can provide cold water during summer even better. Otherwise fresh daily
Protection from predators - flying and ground dwelling. Chickens need to feel safe. Especially if you don’t have a rooster with the flock.
Vaccinated for disease - if not vaccinated then at least the proper dietary supplements to prevent disease.
Your presence - spend time with your flock. Walk around in the run with them. Sit and watch them. Talk to them. Help your flock get used to you and bond together.

I’m sure I might be missing something but these are just off the top of my head. Admittedly some of these things I don’t do/provide for my own flock but they are on my mind and I know I need to get at it.

So what do you have to add??

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Really, layer feed is the absolute lowest quality food out of the different stages offered other than scratch grains for chickens. It's designed to have just enough protien to keep small, egg machine birds alive in places where they aren't eating anything else. Almost anything else fed to them is going to them make that super small amount of protien go below the minimum needed.

If they're getting oyster shell already, then there is no reason besides cost to feed them layer

 

[Holdthechicken]

Really, layer feed is the absolute lowest quality food out of the different stages offered other than scratch grains for chickens. It's designed to have just enough protien to keep small, egg machine birds alive in places where they aren't eating anything else. Almost anything else fed to them is going to them make that super small amount of protien go below the minimum needed.

If they're getting oyster shell already, then there is no reason besides cost to feed them layer

May I get your insight on if I can keep my girls on the grower feed they’ve been on since hatch? They just started laying in the last week and they are 17 weeks old. I am giving free choice oyster shell but I have a few different ages of chickens so would “all flock” or “flock raiser” be more appropriate than grower? My youngest chicks are 3 weeks old.

 

[Toothpick]

Same questions as @Holdthechicken for @JacinLarkwell

You suggesting if they are getting oyster shell then layer feed is not needed? Just table scraps/flock raiser? Treats every now and then?

 

[NagemTX]

I've kept mine on there chick/grower feed with oyster shell on the side. I've just switched to all flock. I weighted because I could get the Nutrena all flock at TSC or my feed store till like yesterday after I questioned the receiver at TSC.

The all flock is just 2% move protin than the grower from Nutrena.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Greetings all!

I’ve kept, raised, hatched, sold, etc, for 5 years now. And before then I’ve got my knowledge from several generations of family that have done the same. And this wonderful place of course

Raising and keeping healthy chickens is more involved than simply collecting eggs, feeding, watering, and picking up poop. We all know this. Although there are those among us that do the bare minimum. It happens.

Let’s discuss for a minute the absolute best you can treat your flock. Ok,…maybe not THE BEST. Because we will all have our own opinions and definition of how to BEST treat your flock. And as we all know…you can spend unlimited funds and time upgrading, and adding tech, and making your flock’s home THE BEST.

Let’s talk about a healthy flock. Where anyone, stranger, family, friend,…when they see or hear of your flock and how you take care of them think to themselves…”yeah, that’s a healthy flock. Very well taken care of”.

This is just my opinion of course. Please feel free to add your own. I would love to hear it.

IMO, a healthy happy flock consists of (in no order)

Food - layer feed, and occasional table scraps. Layer feed provided round the clock as much as they want. Table scraps 3-4x a week, basically whenever you have them.
Treats - meal worms or the like, maybe 2-3x a week. Just a handful tossed in. Not unlimited.
Fun stuff - Hanging lettuce to pick at, roosts in the run. Shade in the run. IDK if chickens have fun but some form of enrichment.
Calcium supplement. - Oyster shells - as much as they want
Dust bath - some form of dust bath for them. Maybe an old tire filled with sand, or Diatomaceous earth Or a combo of both.
A clean coop - cleaning daily, picking up the poo, scooping the poo boards, cleaning out the nest boxes. If you see poo try to get it.
Fresh water every day - if you can provide cold water during summer even better. Otherwise fresh daily
Protection from predators - flying and ground dwelling. Chickens need to feel safe. Especially if you don’t have a rooster with the flock.
Vaccinated for disease - if not vaccinated then at least the proper dietary supplements to prevent disease.
Your presence - spend time with your flock. Walk around in the run with them. Sit and watch them. Talk to them. Help your flock get used to you and bond together.

I’m sure I might be missing something but these are just off the top of my head. Admittedly some of these things I don’t do/provide for my own flock but they are on my mind and I know I need to get at it.

So what do you have to add??

This would all presume that the flock is being raised in a coop and run, as opposed to free range. Considerations are going to be radically difference for a flock that free-ranges 24/7.

 

[Sussex19]

I agree with @JacinLarkwell, grower/all flock/what ever you want to call it, is much better than layer.
Higher protein is very beneficial for any hard working chicken, whether that is a young chick, laying hen, or very active rooster. As long as there is oyster shell on the side, of course.

@Toothpick I agree with most of you points, but these are the few I (personally!) don't.

Maybe an old tire filled with sand, or Diatomaceous earth Or a combo of both.

I don't like what I have heard and read about DE, and can't see the point. Just dry soil is good for preventing lice/mites, and if they do get them use pyrethrum to actually treat them.

A clean coop - cleaning daily, picking up the poo, scooping the poo boards, cleaning out the nest boxes. If you see poo try to get it.

This is a very good point, but there are different ways of keeping things clean.
In my coops, I have deep litter, (is that what its called? I mean the kind where it just dries it out, rather then composts it) and with that system most of the poop stays there for a fair while, but in a very dry state. It might not look quite as 'clean' to humans, but my chickens seem very happy with it.

Vaccinated for disease - if not vaccinated then at least the proper dietary supplements to prevent disease.

This is another very personal one, but I don't agree with most vaccinations.

Other then that, I think you covered most things! The only other thing I can think of, is to regularly check all your chickens for good health. (where possible)

 

[rosemarythyme]

May I get your insight on if I can keep my girls on the grower feed they’ve been on since hatch? They just started laying in the last week and they are 17 weeks old. I am giving free choice oyster shell but I have a few different ages of chickens so would “all flock” or “flock raiser” be more appropriate than grower? My youngest chicks are 3 weeks old.

All flock and flock raiser (and hatch to hen) are the same thing (and often the same as grower as well), it's a branding thing. What's more important than the name is checking the nutrition tag - you're looking for a feed that's around 1% calcium, and usually anywhere from 17-20% protein. Those would be appropriate for most chickens of any age.

The only other concern would be to make sure the size of the feed isn't too large for small chicks. A crumble is appropriately sized for all ages, but chicks can probably manage micro pellets, whereas large pellets would be tough, especially for tinier chicks.

You suggesting if they are getting oyster shell then layer feed is not needed? Just table scraps/flock raiser? Treats every now and then?

Oyster shell is sufficient for their calcium needs provided they actually eat it (some birds won't). You don't even need the table scraps and treats - offering some table scraps are a good way to reduce food waste, but not necessary for the well being of the flock.

In my coops, I have deep litter, (is that what its called? I mean the kind where it just dries it out, rather then composts it)

Deep bedding.

 

[Holdthechicken]

All flock and flock raiser (and hatch to hen) are the same thing (and often the same as grower as well), it's a branding thing. What's more important than the name is checking the nutrition tag - you're looking for a feed that's around 1% calcium, and usually anywhere from 17-20% protein. Those would be appropriate for most chickens of any age.

The only other concern would be to make sure the size of the feed isn't too large for small chicks. A crumble is appropriately sized for all ages, but chicks can probably manage micro pellets, whereas large pellets would be tough, especially for tinier chicks.

Oyster shell is sufficient for their calcium needs provided they actually eat it (some birds won't). You don't even need the table scraps and treats - offering some table scraps are a good way to reduce food waste, but not necessary for the well being of the flock.

Deep bedding.

Thank you for the info, my chickens love their crumble feed but I haven’t witnessed them eating the oyster shell, but the shells on their very small newbie eggs have been very nice. Should I assume all is well? I’ll double check my feed nutrition label today to confirm percentages.

 

[Toothpick]

My chickens are in a coop & run 24/7 so yes, my suggestions/ideas are specific to my conditions. I don’t vaccinate my birds but I have heard that adding a little apple cider vinegar to the water does something for them. I’ve only done that once a long time ago with a different flock. I feel like keeping a clean coop, giving them a dusting area, and good diet is more important than vaccinating for disease that a healthy well cared for chicken likely won’t catch anyway.

But I do strive to do all these things. I do eat the eggs after all. And friends/family I give the eggs too. So knowing that I’m doing all I can to raise healthy birds eases my mind a bit when those I care about eat their eggs.