As a farmer, it is your utmost duty and responsibility to ensure the chickens you raise are healthy and free from any illnesses and diseases. Many farms raise chickens in close quarters that lead to the spread of many illnesses and diseases. To prevent this from happening, the chickens are injected with various kinds of antibiotics that not only make them weaker, but also affect their eggs and meat that we consume.
In addition to using the safest hatchers and brooders equipment, you must give utmost priority to keeping them healthy and happy. The following are few tips on raising healthy chickens.
Commit To Daily Dusting and Cleaning
Neglecting to clean the backyard will only raise the chances of bacteria and other substances harming your chickens. Chicken droppings and loose feathers can accumulate quickly over time and be the cause of many illnesses and diseases. Committing to daily cleaning and dusting is essential for keeping the backyard free from filth and other kinds of organisms. Take a few minutes of your time everyday to clean the backyard using a shovel, scraper and metal rake.
Use Apple Cider Vinegar
We know the many benefits of apple cider vinegar on health. But, you will be surprised to know how beneficial it can be just as for your chickens. Mixing a few drops of apple cider vinegar with the hen’s drinking water can go a long way in boosting the health of your chickens. The apple cider vinegar helps to change the properties of the water by altering its PH. This helps to improve the digestive system of chickens and deters the growth of harmful organisms on their bodies.
The mixture can also be of benefit in making it easier for chickens to handle the hot weather in summer days, keeping them happier and more comfortable.
Give the Right Feed
The importance of giving your chickens the right feed cannot be overstated. Although this may seem as common sense, farmers need to provide more nutritious feed to ensure their chickens are able to stay healthy and live longer. Furthermore, chickens at different stages of their life require different nutrition. Chicks that are old between one day and eight weeks need to be given starter feed. Once they reach adolescence or become 18 weeks old, you need to provide layer rations consisting of extra calcium. This will ensure their eggs are more nutritious.
Keep Treats to a Minimum
Although treats can seem harmless, giving too much of these to your chickens can make them become unhealthy in the long run. This is because regardless of how healthy the treats are, they tend to compromise the daily portion of nutrients required for healthy chicken growth. Feeding them too many treats can lead to protein deficiencies, malformed eggs and heat stroke. Make sure to limit your treats and maximise your healthy feed.
Provide Clean and Spacious Quarters
Great care must be taken to ensure there is adequate space for chickens in their quarters. Keeping them too close together will make them uncomfortable and unhealthy and can also lead to the rise of infectious diseases.
