Preparing Your Chickens for Autumn/Winter
- Donna Weekes
- Sep 10, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 22
As we transition into Autumn, there are certain tasks we undertake.
During molting season, providing your chickens with a starter/grower feed that contains 21% protein, which is essentially Amino Acids (the components of protein).
Amino acids form a protein chain, with methionine and lysine being the most crucial at the top. If your chickens don't get these proteins in the correct balance with the other amino acids that follow, they cannot utilize them effectively. The elevated amino acid content in the starter/grower feed provides nutritional support by supplying the higher protein needed for efficient feather regrowth.
Preparing for the colder months will aid in the regrowth of their new feathers, helping them get ready for winter.
Feathers consist of 80% protein, requiring significant energy for regrowth. During this period, egg production halts due to the high nutrient demand and resumes only once the feathers have fully regrown. This process can take between 8 to 12 weeks, depending on the chicken's health.
Providing them with just any protein won't meet their nutritional needs; they require specific proteins (amino acids) tailored for poultry to satisfy their unique dietary requirements. The most effective way to aid in their feather regrowth is by using a poultry Starter/Grower Feed.
PARASITES
There are two types of parasites.
Internal and External.
Going into Autumn, making sure your chickens are the healthiest they can be by doing two things.
EXTERNAL parasites are obviously easier to see.
Some common signs of any type of mite or lice infestation in a chicken are:
-dirty looking vent feathers
-decreased activity or listlessness
-a pale comb
-changes in appetite
-a drop in egg production
-weight loss
-feather pulling
-bald spots
-redness or scabs on the skin
-dull, ragged-looking feathers
-crawling bugs on a chickens skin or nits on feathers
COMMON EXTERNAL PARASITES IN CHICKENS:
Northern Fowl Mites
Red Roost Mites
Enter the coop after dark with a headlamp and a partner (an extra set of hands can be helpful). Pick the chicken up off the roost (chickens have poor night vision and are much calmer when they can't see). One person should hold the chicken while the other parts the feathers around the vent area. If the skin appears healthy and you don't notice any tiny bugs crawling, great! They are free of mites and lice, and you can relax with a beverage. Your task is complete.
If you do see tiny bugs crawling, treatment is necessary.
Chickens live outdoors, and it's quite common for them to occasionally encounter mites and lice. It's not a big deal! Just treat them when it occurs.
Migrating birds, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, rodents, etc., can all carry mites and lice. If left untreated, the chicken can become anemic or even die.
CHICK' N PROTECT- Preventative for mites
Recommended for coops, roosting bars and nesting boxes
*Natural Insect Repellant- helps to repel insects from the poultry environment
*Neutralizes odors that attract insects
*Free of deet and toxic products
*Antibacterial
*Anti-parasitic
*Insecticide
*Safe to use everyday
ELECTOR PSP- Treatment for mites and lice
Elector Psp has no egg withdrawal period and only one treatment needed.
No expiry date when not mixed with water.
Safe for humans and animals as it is all-natural.
We offer Elector Psp in 9ml viles mixed with 3.75 liters will treat 50 chickens. We also have mixing instructions to use with smaller flocks. We include the mixing instructions with the treatment. $30 if picked up in Roslin, Ontario or for an extra $20 we can ship it anywhere in Canada.
SAFE GUARD FENBENDAZOLE AQUASOL-DEWORMER
INTERNAL parasites are a lot harder to detect as you can't see the inside of your chickens gut health.
Deworming your chickens is important when necessary as it has effects on your chickens over-all health.
A healthy chicken can manage a reasonable worm load but when a chickens gets sick or stressed, their immune system is taxed and the parasites have the opportunity to overpopulate.
When worms do become a problem they can cause disease, infection and death.
Symptoms include, worms in eggs, abnormal droppings (diarrhea, foamy-looking, etc.)
weight loss, pale comb/wattles, listlessness, dirty vent feathers, worms in droppings or throat, gasping, head-stretching and shaking, bald butts (inability to regrow feathers) reduced egg production and sudden death.
The ideal way to detect worms is have a fecal float test done by dropping off a stool sample from your chickens droppings and at your local veterinarian office.
Not all Vets will do the fecal float test, so we are left to deal with things on our own. Most deworming medications are not made for food producing animals, so when you need to deworm your chickens you find yourself having to dispose of the eggs from consumption for at least 14 days.
There is one deworming product available for laying hens with no egg withdrawal and we offer it here.
Fenbendazole AquaSol has no egg withdrawal period.
Expiry is approximately 6 months.
We offer it in a 9ml vile concentrate, will treat 800+ lbs of poultry, (the mixing instructions go by the total weight of all your chickens combined) for chickens being treated.
The chickens need to be treated for 5 consecutive days via their drinking water. we include mixing instructions with the treatment.
PLEASE NOTE: It is possible that Fenbendazole AquaSol could affect feather regrowth during molting but chances are very low. Unless your chickens are in a heavy molt it is perfectly safe.
$25 per 9ml vile, will treat 800+ lbs of chickens.
-6 month shelf life.
Pick up one or both products in Roslin, Ontario or for an extra $20 we can ship anywhere in Canada.
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