Raising-Chickens.org Newsletter #16
Welcome back or if this is your first newsletter we are excited you are with us. We look forward to being your guide to everything chicken.
Before I get started with the newsletter I want to tell you about something that has changed my life. I am so excited that I have to tell everyone I know about this amazing whole raw food I have discovered because I have been searching all of my adult life for anything that would help my migraines, depression and energy level. I have tried almost every health product on the market as well as prescriptions (which have some terrible side effects).
This is the first product that actually lifts my depression while giving me much more energy. I have been using the whole raw food for 4 weeks and I have had only one headache and it wasn’t a migraine. Now mind you I was averaging 4 migraines a week. I have the proof it works because it worked on me, my children and my husband.
I have researched and researched the product and I haven’t found anything negative about the product because it is a whole raw food not a vitamin or supplement.
Click here to watch the video on what the whole raw food is. If you have any health issues at all please please watch this video. If you have questions about the whole raw food please email me at raisingchickens.org@gmail.com.
I am going to be doing a webinar in July and will email you the info for the webinar shortly. Please join me so you can learn how to feel better, gain more energy and become the healthy happy person you are meant to be.
Now for my newsletter……….
Summer Heat
Most chicken breeds tolerate summer temperatures and heat waves just fine. The exception would be breeds developed for climates with very cold winters and short mild summers. Healthy chicken breeds developed for your area or similar should tolerate the coldest temps without the need for artificial heat and the warmest without the need for fans and air conditioning.
Hot weather means it’s time to make sure your chickens have access to shade and plenty of clean and fresh water. Water bacteria levels will increase in warm and hot weather making frequent cleaning of water containers extremely important. I keep a scotch-brite type scrubber sponge in the chicken yard. I empty and rinse the water jug, then scrub all water surfaces inside and out. It’s the type that snaps into a red tray, so I always remove the jug and make sure to scrub everything. I rinse the jug, tray and sponge well. I ring out all the water from the sponge and leave it tucked in the fence near a post where it will dry and be disinfected by the sun, and where my chickens can’t reach and eat it. You’ve probably noticed algae and a slimy film on the surfaces of water containers. The slime is often a growing collection of bacteria thriving on food and other particles that get into water containers. Most algae are harmless, but should be scrubbed away every day or so along with the slimy film inside waterers. Keeping water containers out of the sun will keep them cooler and less likely to grow algae and bacteria, if scrubbed out regularly. Keeping water in the shade is the kindest thing to do so your chickens don’t have to drink hot water on a hot day.
THINGS TO REMEMBER
1. If you are hot and uncomfortable, so are your chickens. Make sure they have at least 2 days worth of water that is kept in the shade and free from droppings and other debris. Scrubbing water containers daily will prevent disease. Always keep at least twice the water available that your chickens need each day. That way if you are late coming home or there is some other delay in their care, your chickens aren’t going to run out and suffer.
2. During repeated days of high heat offer Electrolyte and Vitamin water to your chickens daily. This will help prevent heat stroke and keep them healthier during the stress of high heat. Don’t wait until after your chickens are showing signs of heat stress and stroke to offer electrolytes. 3. Make sure chickens can get to shade. If the only shade available is in the chicken house, make sure that the chicken house has good ventilation. Heat rises, so the hottest air must be able to escape near the roof. This will help create a flow of the hottest air leaving and cooler air moving through. In a 4-sided building, at least 2 sides should have good-sized windows to allow air to move. If you can’t get a good cross draft going in the chicken house, you may want to install a fan. If there isn’t enough shade for your chickens make some. A sheet of plywood against the sunniest side of the yard will create good shade low to the ground.
4. Keep the chicken house clean. Warm temperatures also mean that ammonia fumes from droppings will be evaporating during the warmest part of the day. This is the time of day that chickens need to rest and have plenty of good fresh air. Strong fumes added to heat stress can lead to respiratory problems and infection.
5. Try to allow chickens to free-range. In an open and safe environment chickens will be able to move more freely to cooler areas and maintain a good body temperature. Feeding on fresh greens, bugs and seeds will help give them a good balanced diet and better health. If free-ranging isn’t an option offering grass clippings free of fertilizers and pesticides, and excess produce from your garden or purchase extra for the chickens. A natural diet will give them better health than living off processed feed every day.
6. Watch for signs of parasites. Leg mites, intestinal worms, lice, fleas and other mites may plague your chickens and make them too weak to survive a hot summer. A great natural treatment for most parasites, that is totally natural and safe for chickens, humans and other animals, is Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth. Sprinkling this on chickens, into floor litter and nests, and mixing it with feed will help keep chickens parasite free and healthy.
7. Deep clean your coop. The hottest day is best for this. Strip floors and nests of all litter and hose it out from top to bottom. Scrub roosts, nests, walls and anywhere droppings are built up and rinse well. Sweep out any standing water and let it dry for a few hours, if possible. The hottest days make this a quick job. If you’ve had a parasite problem you might want to spray down the coop with a pyrethrin spray. Spray walls, roosts, nests, floors and let dry before replacing floor litter and letting chickens back in. Some pyrethrin sprays can be used directly on chickens, too. This cleaning is a great way to break any life cycle of parasites that have just begun or are trying to take over your flock. Preventing parasite infestations will help your chickens cope with the high temperatures of summer. It’s always best to be prepared and to do everything you can to prevent chicken health problems all year. Each season has its own challenges. Summer and winter are the most intense in many areas. Spring is a great time to get your chickens out free ranging and enjoying the bounty of greens and other foods they have lacked all winter. Each season leads to the next, so try to think a season ahead. Fall means molting in most areas. This is a demanding time when most adult chickens will lose and regrow nearly all their feathers. A hard summer can lead to a slow molt and chickens that aren’t ready for the challenges of winter.
Remember if you have any health issues or just want to remain healthy I encourage you to watch this video. P.S. This whole raw food is excellent for dogs, cats and horses. I am contacting the company now to see if they have done any studies on chickens. Stay tuned!
Got Chicken: New Auction Site catering to backyard chicken enthusiest. Raising-chickens.org has launched an auction site for the buying and selling of poultry and other domesticated birds.
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IH8kY&m=3bm4P9TltdDKmgM&b=5K.wHqDPT06TKzJexkKfsw
If you are interested in or already have backyard chickens, our web site offers much needed information that may help you avoid or solve problems. We have a library of over 1000 questions and answers from people all over the world, plus articles, that can help you get started learning what you need to know.
Previous Newsletter (click here)
Stay tuned for our next newsletter! Your Guide to Everything Chicken Mel www.raising-chickens.org, 101 Preston Court, Macon, GA. 31210
To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit: http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?jJwsbEyMnLSsTByczCyszLRGtIwsHAyc7Exs
|
