What age to let baby chicks out to free range? - Gold Coast Chickens Australia

Gold Coast Chickens Australia - What age to let baby chicks out to free range?

Rule of thumb for moving chicks from the indoor brooder to the outside coop & run is to wait until the chicks are 8 weeks old or fully feathered. At this stage they should have been weaned off of the heat lamp already so will be quite fine outside once they get used to it. 

My coop and run are very sheltered as it is located between the house and the shed, so I put my first lot of chicks out at around 7 weeks, by this stage they had already been outside all day for a week or two and were not needing the lamp on any more as the weather was starting to warm up coming into spring. My lot went fine at this age but generally it's best to trust your common sense and keep an eye on them at first to make sure they are not too cold, I put a pet carrier inside the coop for my little ones when I move them out as this is a safe place for them to hide away from the hens if they are getting bullied at all and also a place for the little ones to all pile in and keep warm of a night if they need to. 

I then keep them cooped up for 2 weeks with access only to the enclosed run, I still let the big girls out to free range during the day but leave the littler ones in the run. After 2 weeks of this they will know that this is home and I allow them to free range with the big girls as at this point the little chickens will then know to come home at dusk with the big girls. 

I know some people have let their chicks out to the coop as young as 3-5 weeks old and it worked out well for them, so please if you have chickens of your own comment below and let us know what worked best for you! 

How to Feed a Sick Chicken Who Won't Eat - Gold Coast Chickens Australia

Gold Coast Chickens Australia

How to Feed a Sick Chicken Who Won't Eat

Step 1. Try providing the chickens favourite treat. 

Step 2. Dip the chickens beak into the food so they can get a taste for it and know it is there. 

Step 3. If the above didn't work try hand feeding the chicken rolling the food into tiny balls and holding it to the chickens beak, be sure not to force feed as this can result in death if the food goes down the wrong way. 

Step 4. If all of the above steps did not work you will need to drip feed, using a dropper slowly drop a drip on top of the chickens beak so it will roll down the  side of its beak and its natural reaction will be to catch the drop in its mouth. Be sure not to get it in the chickens nostrils and never force it into their mouth as you may drown the chicken. This will take some time but is necessary if you wish to bring your chicken back to health. Sugar water is good as it will hydrate and provide some energy. Olive oil or Apple cider vinegar is also good and will help a lot with any intestinal or digestive blockages. Clean fresh water is also a must.  You may also wish to administer liquid vitamins or antibiotics in this manner. 

Please post below if you have any specific questions or any great ideas for feeding sick chickens! 

Organic Dewormer / organic mash forsick chickens - Gold Coast Chickens Australia

Gold Coast Chickens Australia

Organic Dewormer / organic mash for sick chickens 

You can use this mash recipe for sick chickens as well as a Dewormer. 

Recipe is for a flock of 10 

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 hot chillis 

2 boiled eggs

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1/4 cup rolled oats

1 large clove of garlic

Place oregano. Fenugreek seeds, garlic and chillis into a blender pulse until Finley chopped. Add oats and boiled eggs and pulse until it is all combined. 

If a sick chicken is not eating this then try topping it with two tablespoons of olive oil. 

If chicken is not eating at all even with hand feeding then mix up some sugar water and let it drink this (hand feed if you need to as this will give the chicken much needed energy) then keep the sugar water and the mash along with their favourite healthy treat and regular feed available to the sick chicken.) 

Guide to Free Ranging Chickens - Gold Coast Chickens Australia

Gold Coast Chickens Australia

Guide to Free Ranging Chickens

Step 1. Check the fences on your property to make sure they are safe and secure. Fences should be high enough to keep the chickens in and the predators out. Any holes should be fixed. 

Step 2. Decide if you want to get a rooster. Roosters are great at protecting flocks of chickens and keeping them out of trouble. They tend to keep all the girls together and will sound the alarm if there is any danger, this is helpful not only to the chickens but also to you as you will know when to go to their aid. Roosters are great for protecting your chickens from predators but it's not the end of the world if you can't get one you may wish to just let them out for shorter times, only allow free ranging in secured paddocks or keep a better eye on them. Remember predators can come from above as well as on the ground if you are constructing an enclosed paddock. 

Step 3. Coop them up! You need to keep the chickens cooped up in their coop and run if they have one that is fully secure so that they learn that this is their  home. You will need to keep them cooped up for around 2-3weeks for them to know this is home. Then when you let them out they will return all by themselves every night just before dark! All you need to do is open the coop once they have gathered and let them in. I also trained my chickens before letting them out too, every time I fed them in their coop I would say: "here chick chick chicks" this way if there are any running late, missing from the flock or walking towards danger I say my magic phrase and they come running! 

Step 4. Prepare their immune systems. When your chickens are Free Ranging they will come into contact with all sorts of different things. Birds and other native animals will spread diseases and viruses that your chickens may come in contact with. Generally they will be fine if you are taking precautions such as adding a splash of Apple cider vinegar and 2 cloves of garlic chopped in half to their water once a week. 

Step 5. Create a routine. I like to feed my chickens their feed first thing in the morning when I wake up. This way they will gobble this down and get all the balanced nutrients they need from the feed. Then a few hours later I will take out scraps for them sometimes once sometimes a few times depending what's happening in the kitchen that day. Between 10am- 12pm I check their nests for eggs. If they have laid I let them out if not I will wait until 1pm before letting them out. This saves me having an Easter egg hunt everyday as most hens will generally lay their eggs before 10am. When the sun is about to go down I head out to the coop and generally they will all be there waiting to go in to bed. If there are any missing I will call "here chick chick chick" and they will come one by one they simply walk into the coop, you will be surprised how clever they are! 

Tips for free ranging 

1. Make sure you have not been using pesticides or other toxins in the area or your chickens will likely fall ill and possibly die. 

2. Secure any areas you don't want chicken poop! They will go everywhere and poop wherever they go, if you have outdoor patios ect it is much easier to secure them if this will bother you. 

3. Fence off any vege patches or gardens that you don't want them to eat as they can quickly eat though gardens. 

Chicken Bath Treatment for Sick Chickens - Gold Coast Chickens Australia

Chicken Bath Treatment for Sick Chickens

All you need for this bath treatment is 1 cup of epsom salt for the bath and 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to mix with food for your chicken afterwards!

First thing you will need to do if you notice a sick chicken is remove them from the flock. Keep them quarantined until they have returned to full health. If you don’t have a vacant coop then place them in a box or pet crate indoors. If you have a pen you can erect for the sick chicken outdoors this will be best as sunlight will be good for the chicken but do make sure there is shade available and always be sure there is clean drinking water and food available.

When a chicken is sick you can never be sure what exactly is wrong unless you visit a vet. Generally this is an expense that most chicken keepers avoid by simple home remedies, antibiotics and simply letting nature take it’s course which may result in death to protect their flock and ensure that if breeding they are only breeding healthy chicks moving forward.

Because chickens show the same or similar symptoms when sick for a large number of diseases or illness it makes it difficult to determine what exactly is wrong with your chicken. The first thing to check for is respiratory symptoms, if there is sneezing or wheeziness then your chicken then DO NOT perform the chicken bath treatment for sick chickens. For respiratory problems you will need to see a vet, try antibiotics or euthanize depending on your situation. Making a diagnosis of your sick chicken if it is not respiratory can be near impossible.

Symptoms

·         Walking differently (somewhat like a penguin)

·         Not eating

·         Discolored Comb

·         Standing Hunched

·         Wings down

·         Droopiness

·         Drowsiness

·         Straining when laying

Possible Diagnosis could be but not limited to…

·         Cancer

·         Tumors

·         Peritonitis

·         Internal Egg Laying

·         Egg Bound

·         Ascites

·         Common Cold

Sometimes it is simply just the age of the chicken,  laying eggs does take it’s toll on our hens and the process of producing an egg is depleting and chickens find it harder and harder to replenish their system as time goes on. Often when this is the issue you will find that your hen will show a discolored comb, hunch up and barely move.

Chicken Bath Treatment for Sick Chickens

What can it help with…

·         Minor blockages

·         Treating chickens who have ingested toxic plants

·         Imbalance of inputs and Outputs (what goes into the chickens system and what comes out)

·         Mild glitches with Intestinal or reproductive tract

·         Egg Bound chickens

·         Internal egg laying

·         Minor Illness

·         Balancing Minerals

What to do…

Add 1 cup of Epsom salts to a large bowl, bucket or tub. Add enough warm water so that the chicken will still be able to sit with it’s head well above the water and the body of the chicken is half covered. Most chickens will sit down and enjoy the bath, if not you may need to hold the chicken there and try to calm it. If the chicken wont sit down you can also gently pour water on the chicken, just make sure this is continuous so the chicken wont get cold being half in half out of the water and all wet. If  the chicken has dirt or droppings you need to wash off then do so with some soap just before you’re ready to take the chicken out however you will then need to repeat the Epsom salt soak again after washing. (I would only wash if really necessary as the less stress you cause for your sick chicken the better)

Once the soak is complete pat dry with a towel and put some olive oil on the chickens vent to avoid any discomfort which may be caused by diarrhea ect. This will make it easier for laying also should the chicken be having trouble with this. Then put Vaseline on the comb of the chicken. The vasaline isn't necessary but a little pampering for your sick chicken is always a good thing!

Once this is done you can blow-dry the chicken on low heat and low pressure settings. Chickens generally like the blow-dry so again they should be ok with it but if not simply hold them in place and try to keep them calm, if they are really not liking it then simply place them outside in the sun until 100% dry.

After the chicken bath treatment make sure the chicken has plenty of fresh drinking water, you can add some sugar to the water to help them increase energy if they haven’t been eating well. You will also need to feed the chicken 2 -3 tablespoons of olive oil this will help to unblock anything in the digestive system.  To feed the olive oil simply mix it in with their favorite treat. If the chicken is not eating at all or even pecking at her favorite treat then the chicken bath treatment is likely not to work in this case as the chicken is too sick.

Some great healthy treats for sick chickens include oats soaked in hot water and honey then cooled down with 2 tablespoons of olive oil mixed in. I also added 3 blueberries as well cause I know my chickens love those! 

If this bath treatment has helped your chicken you will be able to notice a positive change within the next 24 hours if there is no change or the condition of the chicken declines then unfortunately the illness is probably too serious for the chicken bath treatment to work. If so it wouldn't have hurt the chicken to give the bath and you will have narrowed down the possible causes of illness.

One of my chickens was sick, one closed eye and very droopy and drowsy, was hardly eating all day and after the bath she gobbled lots of water and the healthy treat including the olive oil! It worked very quickly for me within a matter of hours! I then gave her some oregano, cinnamon, and coriander all dried herbs as these help sick chickens too!

Please do let us know how you go if you try this, the more feedback the better for all of us chicken lovers!

If you would like more information on symptoms, illness and treatments please CLICK HERE

If you would like a list of healthy food to feed sick chickens CLICK HERE 

Healthy Food to Feed Sick Chickens - Gold Coast Chickens Australia

Gold Coast Chickens Australia

Healthy Food to Feed Sick Chickens

The top 3 foods to include for sick chickens are cinnamon, star anise, olive oil and sometimes turmeric, on top of the standard garlic and apple cider vinegar. 

Cinnamon – Especially good for runny poo

Cinnamon helps to fight bacterial infections and is often used by farmers on livestock along with Oregano. Cinnamon can simply be sprinkled on top of food.

Garlic - disease prevention e.g. for worms, plus antimicrobial and antifungal.

A natural anticeptic and great for any illness or to prevent illness. Simply chop 1 or 2 cloves in half and add to the chickens water along with a splash of apple cider. Or you can chop up and mix into the chickens food raw or dried.

Apple Cider Vinegar – Great for chickens intestines and also treats thrush

Apple cider vinegar causes an alkaline effect in the animal which reduces the likelihood for illness and helps to fight existing illnesses by helping to support the immune system. It also helps in repelling ticks and lice when drank by the chickens. Add a splash to their water once a week for health benefits,when the chicken is already sick add a splash to their water to help boost their immune system.

Oregano – Great for killing bacteria

As mentioned above farmers use oregano on their livestock and it can also be used to help sick chickens or as a preventative. You can feed the oregano directly to your chickens or alternatively chop up some fresh oregano and put it in their water along with some garlic and apple cider vinegar. It is a great combination to place 1 or 2 cloves of garlic chopped in half and a splash of apple cider vinegar in your chickens water also.

Tumeric - disease prevention plus treatment of arthritis and liver disease.
Tumeric has many wonderful properties and can be used to treat many conditions in chickens. It is also used as a treatment for coccidiosis. Great for boosting the immune system, simply sprinkle a small amount (a pinch or two) into the chickens food (do not overdose) 

Olive Oil - Clears out intestines, lubricates
Olive oil is a great treatment for sick chickens to clean out their intestines and allow them to flush anything through which may be stuck. Simply feed 2 tablespoons to the chicken mixed in with their favourite treat and make sure they eat the lot. If not try another treat with the oil mixed in until you beleive they have consumed the 2 tablespoons.


SICK CHICKEN DIET

Feed every morning for three days or until it looks and acts better - up to 3 weeks.

This amount feeds one bird. Each serving consists of:

½ to 1 x cooked egg yolk… crumbled into mixture
1 teaspoon of cod liver oil
1 very small drizzle of honey
2 x tablespoons natural yoghurt - no sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons rolled oats or Baby rice
1 dessertspoon of beef tin cat food (Not dog food)
A few grains of multi vitamin powder
2 tablespoons of grated apple

Mix together to make a crumbly mixture not runny, if you have to roll into pellets and force feed, and then gently massage the neck in a downward motion to get it down into the crop, then do it, the bird may be too weak to eat or have lost the desire to eat.

If not fully eaten with in 12 hours throw it out... make another one the next morning.. don't add to it.. clean out the dish it was in also before adding the new mixture.

Always have fresh clean water available at all time for the bird and good quality food. Also have her ordinary feed and fresh clean water available at all times. 

HEALTHY CHICKEN TREAT

Give this as a weekly treat to keep your birds healthy:

Bring milk to the brink of the boil and then add enough apple cider vinegar, while stirring, to force the milk to separate into white curds and clear whey. Add enough good quality multigrain bread to soak up the whey and cool before feeding out to your poultry. 


If you have any additional healthy chicken foods that have worked with your sick chickens please share in the comments below! Also if you do try our healthy chicken treats or foods please comment and let us know how and what worked for you in your own personal experience, the more we learn the healthier all of our chickens will be! 

Common Chicken Illnesses, Symptoms and Treatments - Gold Coast Chickens Australia

Gold Coast Chickens Australia 

Common Chicken Illnesses, Symptoms and Treatments

Serious illnesses in chickens is usually unlikely in a backyard flock, especially if you have vaccinated your chickens. However it is still good to be aware of them in case you ever are wondering, is my chicken sick? Diseases can spread from wild birds and pests, so keep an eye out during your daily health checks for the symptoms listed below. Also check your coop weekly for things such as wasp nests, rodents, and any other pests. I know it can be scary when you have a sick chicken from experience but do try not to worry too much, hopefully some love care and simple treatment can help. 

As a first step you can also check out our post Chicken Bath Treatment for Sick Chickens.

Secondly, check the birds skin for ticks incase it has a paralysis tick on it which can be removed, the sooner a tick is removed the more chance of survival. 

·         Avian Pox/Fowl Pox:

Symptoms: White spots on skin; combs turn into scabby sores; white membrane and ulcers in mouth, on trachea; laying stops; all ages affected.

How contracted: Viral disease; mosquitoes, other chickens with pox and contaminated surfaces.

Treatment: Supportive care, warm dry quarters, soft food; many birds with good care will survive.

Vaccine available: Yes; recovered birds are immune and do not carry the disease.

·         Botulism:

Symptoms: Tremors quickly progressing to paralysis of body, including breathing; feathers pull out easily; death in a few hours.

How contracted: Caused by a bacterial byproduct and by eating or drinking botulism-infected food or water

Treatment: Antitoxin available from vet but expensive. If found early try 1 teaspoon Epsom salts dissolved in 1 ounce warm water dripped into crop several times a day.

Vaccine available: None; locate and remove source, usually decaying carcass, meat near water, or insects that fed on the meat or the water the carcass is in.

·         Fowl Cholera:

Symptoms: Usually birds over 4 months — greenish yellow diarrhea; breathing difficulty; swollen joints; darkened head and wattles; often quick death. Does not infect humans.

How contracted: Bacterial disease; wild birds, raccoons, opossums, rats, can carry. Also transmitted bird to bird and on contaminated soil, equipment, shoes, clothing contaminated water and food.

Treatment: None — destroy all infected birds if recovery occurs the bird will be a carrier

Vaccine available: Yes, but only your state Department of Agriculture can administer it.

·         Infectious Bronchitis:

Symptoms: Coughing; sneezing; watery discharge from nose and eyes; hens stop laying.

How contracted: Viral disease; highly contagious; spreads through air, contact, and contaminated surfaces.

Treatment: Supportive care; 50 percent mortality in chicks under 6 weeks.

Vaccine available: Yes. Give to hens before 15 weeks of age because vaccination will cause laying to stop.

·         Infectious Coryza:

Symptoms: Swollen heads, combs, and wattles; eyes swollen shut; sticky discharge from nose and eyes; moist area under wings; laying stops.

How contracted: Bacterial disease; transmitted through carrier birds, contaminated surfaces, and drinking water.

Treatment: Birds should be destroyed as they remain carriers for life.

Vaccine available: None.

·         Mareks Disease:

Symptoms: Affects birds under 20 weeks primarily; causes tumors externally and internally; paralysis; iris of eye turns gray, doesn’t react to light

How contracted: Viral disease; very contagious; contracted by inhaling shed skin cells or feather dust from other infected birds.

Treatment: None; high death rate and any survivors are carriers.

Vaccine available: Yes, given to day old chicks.

·         Moniliasis (Thrush):

Symptoms: White cheesy substance in crop; ruffled feathers; droopy looking; poor laying; white crusty vent area; inflamed vent area; increased appetite

How contracted: Fungal disease; contracted through moldy feed and water and surfaces contaminated by infected birds. Often occurs after antibiotic treatment for other reasons.

Treatment: Yes. Ask a vet for Nystatin or other antifungal medication. Remove moldy feed and disinfect water containers.

Vaccine available: No.

·         Mycoplasmosis/CRD/Air Sac Disease:

Symptoms: Mild form — weakness and poor laying. Acute form — breathing problems, coughing, sneezing, swollen infected joints, death

How contracted: Mycoplasma disease; contracted through other birds (wild birds carry it); can transmit through egg to chick from infected hen.

Treatment: Antibiotics may save birds — see a vet.

Vaccine available: Yes.

·         Newcastle Disease:

Symptoms: Wheezing, breathing difficulty, nasal discharge, cloudy eyes, laying stops, paralysis of legs, wings, twisted heads, necks

How contracted: Viral disease; highly contagious; contracted through infected chickens and wild birds and is also carried on shoes, clothes, and surfaces.

Treatment: None. Birds under 6 months usually die; older birds can recover. Recovered birds are not carriers.

Vaccine available: Yes, but the U.S. is working to eradicate the disease.

·         Omphalitis (Mushy Chick):

Symptoms: Newly hatched chicks — enlarged, bluish, inflamed naval area, bad smell, drowsy, weak chicks

How contracted: Bacterial infection of naval from unclean surfaces or chicks with weak immune systems. Can spread from chick to chick on contaminated surfaces.

Treatment: Antibiotics and clean housing sometimes help, but most chicks will die. Remove healthy chicks immediately to clean quarters.

Vaccine available: None. Use caution handling — staph and strep that cause this disease may infect humans.

·         Pullorum:

Symptoms: Chicks are inactive, may have white diarrhea with pasted rear ends, breathing difficulty, or die without symptoms. Older birds — coughing, sneezing, poor laying.

How contracted: Viral disease; contracted through carrier birds and contaminated surfaces, clothing, and shoes.

Treatment: Destroy all infected birds — birds that recover are carriers. Most chicks infected will die.

Vaccine available: No vaccine, but there is a blood test to find carriers. While the U.S. is trying to eradicate this disease, buy chickens from Pullorum-negative flocks only.


I hope these help, if anyone has any further illnesses, symptoms and treatments or personal experiences with sick chickens please share in the comments below, the more we share the healthier our chickens can be!