Unsecure chicken perches

[the bradley bunch]

hi guys,

i've being keeping hens since May, and just want some advice on my shopping list for the winter weather!

incase it's relevant to your replies, i have 3 ex-bats and a 5 month old chick (rescued - breed unknown; def some silkie & poland there though!).

 

i'm currently using the following 'health' supplies:

cider vinegar with garlic (in water) FOR GENERAL HEALTH & WORMING

diatom powder (in house, on bedding & directly on girls) FOR RED MITE

 

i'm planning on getting some poultry spice, for extra help during the colder weather (as advised in the F&Q section).

and i'm also thinking of getting a proper worming treatment (pref Verm-X because i try to buy only natural products) - i was advised cider vinegar in the water is sufficient for worming but i guess i'm abit anxious about whether this will be enough or if i'm giving the right dosage for it to have this effect (i give 1 capful per litre of water).

 

are there any other supplements i need or any alternatives that are better or do the job of two? there are so many products out there it's very confusing!

 

i also need to get some sort of anti-pecking spray, so if anyone can suggest one that would be great

 

i'm going to wait for replies before i put in a big order for all of the above plus cleaning and bedding supplies, so that i only have to pay the £8 delivery once!

 

it was also suggested in the F&Q section about using SnuggleSafe to keep chooks warm in the colder weather. our ex-bat girls still haven't grown all their feathers back and i've been told that polands & silkies aren't very hardy, so i'm abit worried about them coping over the winter.

has anyone used SnuggleSafe and can i just put the pad directly into the house underneath the bedding where my girls sleep (none of them roost they all sleep in the next boxes)? nb: i have a wooden coop raised off the ground not an eglu.

 

thanks in advance for your help me & my girls x

[Plum]

I keep purple spray and veterinary powder in my kit for emergencies.

 

With supplements you can go on for ever. I have quite a supply I do rotate them and use ACV, Lifeguard, or Herban. Last year I used poultry spice when Pigeon was moulting but this year on Lifeguard her feathers have come back a much richer colour. Looking at the ingredients it has a wider range of minerals and vitamins.

 

Guess you have to look at how much you have to spend as well.

 

Snugglesafe do warm up the area in really freezing weather but would overheat them otherwise which isn't good for chickens. Also they go cool after 6-8 hrs so will cause hot then cold fluctuations. I had a couple and used them when it was well below freezing and reheated them before I went to bed. They would have been fine anyway but it made me feel better.

[Redwing]

Lifeguard tonic is very good

 

Flubenvet for worming, its the only licenced wormer. Herbal preparations may cause the gut to be inhospitable to worms though - it depends on whether you are happy to rely on this or not!

 

Snugglesafes arent needed, chooks dont feel the cold like we do and suffer more from being too hot. A coop with no draughts and good high ventilation will keep them warm

[The Dogmother]

Vet wound powder

Purple Spray

Life-guard tonic

Nutri-drops

Licensed wormer

Lice preventative

Anti-mite spray

[the bradley bunch]

thanks for your advice redwing & plum

 

i'm going to get some Life Guard Tonic instead of Poultry Spice then. i will use this over Winter (from say Oct-Feb) in their water instead of the Cider Vineger with Garlic. i'm also going to get some Flubenvet as suggested by redwing.

my question is - if i'm treating for worms with flubenvet year round, then is there any point switching back to using cider vinegar or would it be more beneficial to use Life Guard in their water continuously?

 

i'm also still confused about which product to buy for feather pecking as there are so many! there's the actual 'anti-pecking spray', the 'violet spray', then there's the 'stockholm tar' type spray

which one would you advise is best, some of them are so expensive the gentian violet spray is the cheapest but is this effective against feather pecking because it's advertised as antiseptic spray?

 

i also forgot to mention on my initial post that one of my ex-bats seems to have stopped laying. she went through a phase of laying softies and had a prolapse, after which she laid one egg but now thankfully seems to have accepted retirement! are there any extra supplements just she should be having? she is still a bit feather bare and is believed to have brittle bones.

 

thanks! x

 

edited to say thanks to clare too (i've only just saw your post!)

[The Dogmother]

ACV is a good general conditioner, I tend to alternate that with Life-Guard just because I have both.

 

Flubenvet needs to be dosed quarterly, there's no reason why you can't continue to use ACV as well as it's only an un-trialled preventative with regards to intestinal worms.

 

Purple spray is for wounds and overly re bottoms (the NAF one with aloe in is good for sore looking skin) it doesn't work as an anti-peck spray, you will need one of the specific - and foul smelling - preps for that. Ukadex or Net-Tex are both good ones, but be careful to follow dosing instructions very carefully.