I am excited to share some of my wisdom learned from the Purina
Flock Conference. I love passing information along to our readers. This article
was prompted by one of my first customers of the day.
Here was her situation: My chickens are not laying. They feel
skinny when I pick them up and I just lost one last week for no reason. They act like they
are starving. They are losing a few feathers and I recently treated for mites. I
feed them twice a day and they free range.
Here is my reply: Seasonal changes effect our chicken, much
like it effects us. We are going to slow down a little because if we are
outside people (or chickens), there is less daylight to get out and the days
are chilly. Chickens are naturally triggered by the shorter days to shut down
egg production, shed summer feathers and put on some new winter feathers and add
some weight.
So you can try these things to help them adjust. First put a
low wattage light bulb in their coop. Do not leave it on 24 hours a day. Give them 16
hours of light during daylight hours and 8 hours of darkness, this can be done
with a timer. Keep this up daily until the days begin to lengthen in the
spring. Give them as much outside day light as possible, only shut them up at
night. Extend your lighted coop hours in the morning if possible.
If they are not laying, take them off Layer feed. I suggest
you put them on either Purina Flock Raiser or Purina game bird maintenance (14%
protein) or complete ration (20% protein) depending on the age and condition of your birds. These feeds are higher in protein
and do not have the high mineral elements needed for laying at this time. The
protein will help your birds gain and maintain healthy weight and develop firm and healthy feathers. I
suggest in January start them back on Layer feed to get their bodies back into
laying shape.
A healthy bird is more likely to be resistant to both
internal and external parasites. Even though we know they are out there and
eventually they will find our chickens. It is recommended to ONLY treat when you know that is what you need,
rather than do a preventive worming and mite dusting. Providing a dust bath all the time and fresh vegetables
in the off season, I suggest using Diatomaceous Earth in moist feed even though many people say
it doesn’t do what is claimed as a wormer. I have also used cayenne pepper in a
mash on occasion, an old folk remedy for parasites.
Providing good food, free choice even if your birds are free
ranging will keep up their weight. Keep scratch grains and snacks to a minimum. Fresh clean
water is a must. Dirty water containers carry a lot of bacteria and potential
for disease.
Look for signs of a predator visiting your coop at night. Night visitors such as owls, rats, racoons and opossums can throw your birds off track and make them nervous and go off their feed. Like we have a few restless nights we start feeling a little cranky, chickens do much the same.
11/13/2017
Anice Taylor-Maloy
