chickens
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HOW TO DETERMINE GENDER ON YOUR CHICKS
It’s that time of year when every second post on every chicken group is asking people to sex their young birds. Here are some tips on how to figure it out for yourself. 1.) Colour. In many breeds, other than solid colours (buff, white, black etc.), the cockerels are more colourful than the pullets when they begin to feather in. 2.) Pullets may feather in faster than cockerels. 3.) Leg size. Cockerels will have thicker legs. 4.) Comb colour. If your chick’s comb is turning reddish by 8 weeks old, it is probably a cockerel. 5.) Comb size. If you have purebred chickens, the ones with larger combs are probably…
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Deworming Poultry
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Garlic and Chickens
MYTHBUSTING POST! Who is excited? Today, I take on GARLIC. We all know that members of the allium family (onions, garlic, leeks, chives, scallions, etc.) are toxic to most animals. That includes chickens. However, the use of garlic is persistent among chicken keepers, perpetuated by popular “chicken bloggers” who unfortunately, are not qualified to be making veterinary recommendations regarding feeding chickens garlic or anything else, really. In today’s mythbusting, we’re going to look at both sides of the garlic debate. Is it good? Is it not good? Are there things it might actually be good for? Keep reading to find out! **Anecdotal aside** I get a lot of private messages…
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Deworming Poultry
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THE CHICKEN CHEAT SHEET
The Ultimate Chicken Cheat Sheet: Coops 4 sq ft per bird indoors 10 sq ft per bird outdoor run space 1 sq ft of ventilation per 10 sq ft of coop floor space 10″ of roost space per bird – use 2×4’s on the flat 1 nestbox for every 5 hens 14×14 minimum nestbox size for most breeds Insulation is a must!! Keeps it warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer. Heat is not necessary if you keep practical breeds (see below). Use stucco wire for fences, back that up with hardware cloth to keep out small predators like weasels. Use flight netting over top Heat vs. No Heat…
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Deworming Poultry
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SO YOU’VE BOUGHT SOME CHICKS …
This is a thread on chicks for the new chicken keepers out there. I got 33 broilers, 7 Sex-sal-link brown pullets and 4 Red Rock Cross pullets last week. I have raised many chicks of many different breeds in the past. How to raise chicks successfully: If you have used your brooder before, use Virkon to disinfect it before you add new chicks. This goes double for any equipment (feeders, waterers, etc.). Mix according to the label and apply to all surfaces liberally. Surfaces must be wet for 15 minutes to properly disinfect so you may have to reapply. I use a small garden sprayer to apply mine. When you…
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Deworming Poultry