Diseases:
Chickens are generally healthy and robust if you look after them properly. The single most important thing is to make sure that the water pots are kept clean, and fresh water is used each time you replenish it.
Diseases will occur if the birds are short of minerals, if they are not wormed regularly or if the house is not cleaned out often enough.
Chickens are generally healthy and robust if you look after them properly. The single most important thing is to make sure that the water pots are kept clean, and fresh water is used each time you replenish it.
Diseases will occur if the birds are short of minerals, if they are not wormed regularly or if the house is not cleaned out often enough.
Pests: By far the worst pest that will be found in the chicken house is the red mite. These tiny creatures live in the chicken house, hiding in the cracks and dark areas until nightfall, when they crawl down to the birds and spend 2-3 hours sucking the blood from their captive victims. This picture shows both the grey mites who have not fed and the red mites that are full of blood. They are very difficult to eradicate, but it is possible, with due care and attention, to keep it under control. You can tell if you have an infestation as your birds will go off lay, become listless and have a pale comb and wattles. They are reluctant to go into the house at night and very often the hens will lay outside the house rather than in the nest box. If the house is badly infested and undetected, the bird can drop dead from anaemia. You will feel itchy after closing the pop hole at night. The whole house needs to be cleaned out. Mites will survive for up to 7 months without food, so take care to destroy the litter, which will be full of mites. Make up a solution of *Poultry shield or something similar and spray liberally the inside and outside of the house. Clean the perches, doors, roof and nest boxes. Allow the house to dry out before replenishing the litter. Add *Diatom to the litter and into the nest boxes. This is a natural product that strips the waxy coat from the mite causing it to dry out and die. Respray the inside of the house every 7 days for the next month, then keep a close eye on the state of things. If you want to go down the insecticide route a good product to uses is *Total mite Kill spray. This works very well, has a fast knock down rate and will keep the house mite free for up to 3 months. * Poultry Shield is a natural product while Total Mite Kill is an insecticidal product. Parasites: Chickens, like all farm animals, will suffer from infestations of worms. They become lethargic, have pale combs and go off their food. These are easily dealt with, however, and if a natural substance is used, will not affect egg collection. The best organic product to use is *Verm X, but you can also use *Diatom dissolved in water. There are other chemically based products available, but you must discard eggs while treatment is underway. Worming should be done as a matter of routine every month, as chickens re-infect themselves every time they forage. Make sure that the only water the birds have access to is the treated water. Poultry can become infested with lice and mites that live on their bodies. Regular dust baths will deal with these efficiently so remember to keep the bath replenished with *Diatom powder especially if it has been raining. *All these products are available from Ascott Smallholders and Homestead supplies and they will post to France. |