What you feed your baby chicks not only helps them grow and thrive, but also ensures good laying ability and fertility when they mature. On the other hand, improper nutrition can slow their development and have long-term negative consequences to their health and laying ability. Shipping causes stress. Chicks hatch with residual yolk reserves that […]
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Chickens need a constant supply of fresh clean water in order to remain healthy and lay well. An easy and inexpensive way to ensure they remain hydrated is to water the chickens from a bowl. But should you water chickens from a bowl? Let’s look at why it’s not such a great idea as a […]
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Chickens, and people, commonly carry Salmonella bacteria in their intestines, but don’t necessarily get sick. Chickens shed the bacteria in their poop, which — you know if you have chickens — ends up everywhere chickens go. Bacteria that enter your mouth can result in a common intestinal infection (salmonellosis). You can easily avoid this infection by not […]
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Chicken keepers who overlook the importance of the rooster-to-hen ratio may wonder why their flocks experience problems. Too many roosters lead to fighting, stressed and over-mated hens, lower egg production, and poor fertility. Surprisingly, too few roosters create some of the same issues. Let’s look at why getting this balance right matters so much. The […]
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What is the number one cause of death in backyard chickens? If you said “disease,” you’d be wrong. The primary cause of death in chickens is predation. Let’s take a closer look at this problem. How common is predation? Even the number one cause of death in chickens isn’t overall that common, according to a 2014 […]
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A baby chick’s body is about 70% water. Therefore, water is the most important nutrient for a newly hatched chick. In fact, a hatchling can’t digest feed without water. So a chick should drink water even before it eats anything. Here are the ins and outs of how to water baby chicks. How long can […]
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Quite a large variety of bugs enjoy grain products as much as chickens do. Bugs eat the grain and propagate by laying eggs in the grain kernels. They can affect dried grains (chicken scratch), as well as processed pellets, crumbles, and mash. Let’s look at how to identify what kind of bugs they are, how […]
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Mud balls are dark, hard lumps clinging to a chicken’s toes and sometimes the shanks. Some mud balls consist of mostly chicken poop. Others consist mostly of mud. In either case, more poop, mud, and other debris adds to the accumulation. Before long the poor chicken is trying to walk with sizable cement-hard balls clinging […]
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Do you deworm your chickens too often, or not often enough? Whether your chickens need deworming, and how often, has no one-size-fits-all answer. Factors that influence whether or not you should deworm your chickens include the type of worms present in your environment, how you house your chickens, and your climate. Why deworming is important. […]
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Chickens that otherwise get enough to eat typically won’t eat anything that’s bad for them. Or at least they are unlikely to eat enough to make them sick. And feeding kitchen scraps can be a nutritious way to add variety to your chickens’ diet. But feed scraps only in moderation, and avoid feeding these four […]
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