As
every chicken producer
can attest, keeping the birds in
optimal health is a finicky task, and failure can
lead to serious losses.
1. Put clean water in
the right containers/drinkers
You
can also use a large flat bowl or container, but put some rocks in it so that
the young chicks don’t drown.
Remember
to change the water every after 6 hours to keep fresh water running – many
poultry diseases are carried by dirty water.
2. A safe enclosure
Although
chickens can wander about the farmyard during the daytime, they should have a
safe place to sleep at night. You can easily make a chicken hutch out of wooden
poles and chicken wire, with a corrugated iron or thatch roof.
Build
it on slightly sloping ground and dig a drain around it so that it does not get
flooded when it rains. Put perches or branches inside for the chickens to roost
on, as they often get sick if forced to sleep on the ground.
Providing
perches and cleaning away bushes and long grass around the hutch also protects
poultry from rats and snakes.
As
you have to put the chickens in the hutch at night and let them out in the
morning, you will be checking twice a day that they are healthy.
3. A regular source of
food
If
backyard chickens are an integral part of a mixed farming system, they may be
able to survive on feed spilled onto the ground
Fly
larvae provide another source of poultry food. Sub-standard vegetables and
table leftovers (except raw meat) can also be thrown out for poultry to eat.
However,
it is a good idea to buy layer rations for the hens that will incubate eggs and
produce chicks. Small chicks also require an extra source of feed such starter
feed or Chick-Chick Number 1 ration, until they are strong enough to start
foraging for food.
Green
food is important for backyard chickens too...
4. Calcium and other
minerals
A
lack of minerals, especially calcium, can result in joint and bone
abnormalities as well as soft-shelled eggs.
Oyster
shell grit is a well-known source of minerals for hens and chicks. Diatomaceous
earth also contains many minerals, including calcium, and can easily be
included with the ration.
5. Hygienic surroundings
Chicken manure
can be composted for use in vegetable
or flower gardens, but can be a source of disease if it is allowed to build up.
Flies
breed rapidly where chickens roost; keep the area as clean as possible to keep
your birds healthy. Always remove and bury dead birds.
6. Breeding and hatching
If
you want chicks, you will need one rooster for every five to six hens. Remove
or slaughter other male birds as soon as they are mature to prevent noise and
fighting. Hens start laying at about six to eight months.
If
you collect eggs every day, they will carry on laying. If you leave the eggs in
the nests, the hens will become broody and want to hatch the eggs.
Select
about six clean eggs for a broody hen if you want to breed chicks. Avoid
cracked eggs; these will not hatch.
Veld
grass or straw is ideal for nests, but must be changed fairly often to prevent
a build-up of red mites. Hens sitting on eggs need water and food close by. Chicks
must be kept in a pen with the hen for the first two to three weeks.
7. Parasite management
Red mites can stop hens laying or sitting on eggs as they are an irritant. Tampans can cause paralysis and death in chickens.
8. Vaccinate and prevent
disease
Newcastle disease
is a virus that is deadly to unvaccinated chickens. It can kill your entire
flock in a very short time.
Although
commercial birds are automatically vaccinated, this does not always
happen in backyard flocks.
9. Check the chickens
daily
Probably
the best way of keeping your chickens healthy is by keeping an eye on them and
reacting quickly if something goes wrong.
If
you enjoyed this post about poultry health and would love to see more, join us
on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook & X !
Comments
Post a Comment