Raising Happy & Healthy Chicks Purina Animal Nutrition LLC. All rights reserved.

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1 Raising Happy & Healthy Chicks

2 Today s Discussion Why Have Chickens? What to Expect Meet the Breeds How to Get Started Products for a Productive Lifetime Chicken Behavior Health Maintenance

3 Why Get Chickens? Why are so many getting chickens?

4 Raising Chickens Enhances Chickens Our Lives are fun to watch! Dozens of beautiful breeds Distinct personalities & can be quite entertaining and funny Excellent pets can live many years

5 Raising Chickens Enhances Our Lives The pet you love also gives you breakfast! Fresh, healthful, nutritious eggs (and/or meat) Partner in the Garden Produces fertilizer for gardens Insect/Weed Management Provides affordable 4-H projects, teaching children about competition, responsibility and sportsmanship

6 Egg Nutrition - Did you Know?

7 What Should You Expect? How many chickens should you get? May be determined by local ordinances and neighborhood covenants How much time do you have? How many eggs do you want? Baby chicks grow up. Plan for housing, protection, space Chickens begin laying at weeks Hens eventually stop laying; will they become pets? If this is your first flock, check local ordinances and consider beginning with 4 to 6 chicks.

8 How Long Do Chickens Live? Usually 5 to12 years, and as long as 15 Hens can lay for 5 or more years, though egg production decreases after 3 years According to Guinness World Records, the oldest living chicken (Muffy) is 22 years old

9 Meet the Breeds Which Type is Right for You? Classifications: Egg-Laying Breeds Dual-Purpose Breeds (Laying & Meat) Meat Breeds Bantam Breeds (Small size) Show Breeds

10 Popular Brown Egg Layers Barred Rock Buff Orpington Rhode Island Red Australorp Dual purpose Good layers Brown eggs Hardy Not Broody Dual purpose Good layers Brown eggs Hardy Broody Quiet & Gentle Dual purpose Good layers Brown eggs Hardy Not Broody Similar to Orpington

11 Other Breeds Silkie White Crested Polish Japanese Leghorn Bantam Many color varieties Tames easily Moderate egg layer Good sitter White Eggs Small Show breed Poor sitter Small white eggs Ornamental Good as pets Small size Many color varieties Super egg layer Common breed White eggs

12 Ameraucana Lays eggs blue eggs Birds can be many colors: Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Brown Red, Buff, Silver, Wheaten and White

13 Easter Egg Chickens Lays eggs in colors varying from light blue to light green and shades of pink. Has characteristic cheek feather tufts.

14 Cold-Tolerant Birds Cold-Tolerant Features Small comb Small wattle Heavy feathering Bearded Feathered legs Breed developed in a cold climate Cold-Tolerant Breeds Barred Rocks Wyandottes Orpingtons Brahmas Cochins Delaware Rhode Island Red Dominiques Buckeyes Araucana/Ameraucana Silkies Hamburgs

15 Heat-Tolerant Birds Heat-Tolerant Features Large comb Single Large wattle Finer feathering No beards or feathered legs Breed developed in a hot climate Heat-Tolerant Breeds Smaller breeds Leghorns Minorcas Rhode Island Reds* New Hampshire Reds Turkens Barred Rocks* *Breeds are both cold and heat tolerant

16 Other Poultry Turkeys Pheasants Quail Ducks Geese

17 Getting Started with Chicks Purchase from a reputable hatchery or feed dealer Suggest chicks be vaccinated for Marek s Disease and Coccidiosis

18 Supplies to Get Started Chicks Brooder Bedding Heat Lamp Waterer Feed Thermometer Cleaning supplies

19 Shelter For Baby Chicks Brooder, indoors For Adult Birds Coops (many types available) Free Range during day, coop at night Protection from Predators

20 Examples of Healthy Brooders Warmth Plenty of food Clean water Dry bedding Plenty of space Hatch to 6 weeks: Allow 1 2 sq. feet per chick 6 Weeks and Older: Allow 6 10 sq. feet per bird

21 What s Wrong in this Picture?

22 What s Wrong in this Picture? Answer: Birds are too cold

23 Getting Started Right Chicks never get over a poor start. If chickens can t drink, they won t eat and won t grow and/or develop strong immunity Chickens need to drink 2x what they eat. In the summer it may be 3 4x If you wouldn t drink their water, why should they?

24 Importance of Water Disinfect waterers prior to use then weekly Clean with 10% mixture of bleach and water rinse thoroughly! Use fresh (room temp) water refresh daily Dip beaks to induce drinking with new chicks Elevate waterer after 1 st week to keep clean Double water available capacity at 6 weeks Waterer should be set at level of chick s back to keep it clean Tip: Layer pavers to elevate waterer as birds grow

25 Bird Behavior Healthy, happy birds forage, peck and chatter Most active early morning, late afternoon Routinely take dust baths Preen feathers Appear alert, bright-eyed, inquisitive

26 Pecking Order Chickens have a social order One hen will be dominant Remaining hens will fall into an accepted order below the dominant hen Very stable structure until a bird is removed or new birds added; then order must be reestablished, often physically

27 What to Watch for when Raising Chicks

28 Concern: Feather-Picking Can be caused by: Overcrowding (stressful, leads to competition for food and water) Overheating Boredom & or longer daylight hours Very bright lighting Poor nutrition - lack of protein Hormones kicking in at sexual maturity Mixing birds Corrective Measures: More space Better ventilation Less light/dimmer light More feed, water Barriers & places to hide Small handfuls of hay

29 Health Risks to Young Chicks Intestinal Disease - Coccidiosis Common disease of the intestines of young birds Caused by parasites (Cocci) Orally ingested through preening, eating off of the ground and water Parasites (cocci) enter intestinal cells, multiply, rupture the cells, cause intestinal damage Intestinal damage results in poor nutrient absorption

30 Health Risks to Young Chicks Coccidiosis, continued Symptoms: loose stool (sometimes with blood) birds look sick sitting, droopy & ruffled feathers Primarily disease of young birds Older birds generally develop some immunity Feeding Medicated Chick Feed with Amprolium is effective to help control coccidiosis Amprolium is not an antibiotic Should not be fed if the birds are vaccinated against coccidiosis Not a panacea for poor management!

31 Concern: Pasty Butts Caused by stress & changes in temperature Can cause serious illness and lead to death Treat by gently cleaning with warm soap and water and thoroughly drying the young chick May have to repeat for several days until the chick grows out of this condition

32 Protecting Chickens From Cold Like all other animals, chickens need food, shelter & water. Goal: Maximize health & safety Minimize stress from being cooped-up

33 Winter Housing Chickens need personal space Scratching behavior Inside: 4 sq. ft. per bird Outside: 10 sq. ft. per bird (minimums) Even more important when weather limits outside time

34 Housing Ventilation What s the best way to ventilate the coop? Ideally, windows/vents on all 4 sides Ventilation holes at top of coop Photo:

35 Housing Ventilation Don t try to completely seal the chicken house against the cold. Feathers = Insulation Fresh air: essential to maintaining healthy birds. Moisture & condensation come from breathing and droppings Lead to disease and respiratory issues. Chicken house must be well ventilated.

36 Housing Ventilation Avoid Drafts: Vents go at the highest points of the coop Above where chickens will be Can cover with wire to keep predators out Keep windows closed Repair cracks or holes in the walls Photo:

37 Is The Coop Ventilated Properly? Condensation If you see condensation anywhere, something s wrong Chickens Free from frostbite and/or illness No strong odors Ammonia

38 Winter Litter Important Features of Bedding (a.k.a. Litter): Non-toxic to birds Free of contaminants (i.e. pesticides) Absorbent Soft Quick drying Able to be composted Reasonably priced

39 Winter Litter Providing deep litter in coops is very advantageous. Chickens excrete more waste at night. Feed intake increases in cold weather More feed + more darkness = more waste. Deep litter enables scratching behaviors Alleviates boredom Promotes exercise Absorbs moisture from the increased manure Turns bedding in-house composting!

40 Winter Turn-Out Room to move outside! Ground cover for traction & scratching Leaves Spent crops (corn stalks, straw, etc.) Hay Gravel Encourage chickens to go outside for awhile Feeding outside Scratch grains / treats for outdoor pecking

41 Winter Turn-Out Chickens don t like to walk on snow Roof or cover over chicken run Shovel out a path through snow

42 Winter Turn-Out Shelter the run Construction-grade plastic around fenced areas Keeps snow out in the first place! Wind break Don t forget to leave ventilation holes at the top

43 Do I Need To Heat The Coop? No! Fire Hazard Chickens know how to warm themselves Coop that is properly built, ventilated and bedded is sufficient Chickens need to adapt to the cold, sudden heat loss can be fatal

44 Do I Need To Heat The Coop? Chickens maintain body temperature by eating more Chickens huddle to keep warm You CAN insulate the coop Helps retain heat

45 Do I Need To Heat The Coop? If you must Buy a high-quality product from farm store Avoid DIY s Have an electrician install a proper outlet Avoid heat lamps Don t use brooder lamps Radiant or flat panel heat Only raise temp a few degrees Plan for power failure!

46 Winter Feeding Chickens eat to meet their energy requirement. More energy needed in cooler weather to keep birds warm Amount of feed needs to increase Accommodate the extra energy requirements

47 Winter Water Always ensure plenty of fresh clean drinking water. Chickens do not like ice in their drinks! Don t allow the water to freeze Waterers with heated bases Check local farm store If chickens can t drink, they won t eat Lack of vitamins and minerals Insufficient food to keep warm

48 Eggs in Winter Egg production affected by exposure to light About 16 hours per day required Winter days = less daylight Less daylight = no eggs A light bulb will fix this!

49 Molting A natural process in which feathers are lost and replaced Can occur at any time but usually stimulated by decreasing day length in the fall Will re-occur each fall. Providing 16 hours of light may delay its onset Lasts 8 16 weeks; no eggs are laid Jump-starts egg production Allows birds to refresh and rejuvenate! Feather loss moves from front to back

50 Dust Baths Dust baths are a great enrichment activity for Chickens We provide a mixture of 1/4 sand and 3/4 peat moss Chickens will roll around in the mulch to give themselves an exfoliation treatment, that is reported to help keep the feathers/birds clean

51 Thank You To learn more about starting happy healthy flocks, visit Purinamills.com/Chicken-Feed Connect with other flock raisers on Facebook at Facebook.com/PurinaPoultry