Ensure your chicken’s health in 2021. Follow these quick tips to guarantee your chicken’s wellbeing and productivity is on track.
Check Your Chicken’s Droppings
An easy way to see if your chicken is healthy is to look at their manure and frequency. Digestive waste is the solid brown or greyish portion that is firm enough to hold its shape, and a white cap on the top of their manure signifies good health. A healthy chicken should pass this type of poo around 12-15 times per day. Just to note, every 12–14 days, the chicken will release toxins from its gut causing the manure to turn black—this should only last a day or two.
Get Their Digestive Tract on Track
For excellent chicken gut health, we recommend mixing 2 quarts of apple cider vinegar with 2 quarts of water. Once mixed, add 1 oz of this mix per gallon to your chicken’s water each day. This practice helps to inoculate the chicken’s digestive tract and regulate pH levels to ensure a healthier chicken.
If the chicken has a lot of bacteria or is sick, mix 1 oz of hydrogen peroxide 3% with 2 gallons of water for a one-week duration. After one week, switch back to the original vinegar mixture listed above.
Ensure Optimum Light for Winter
While colder weather attributes to a reduction in egg production, darkness is the main reason production slows down. To heighten your chicken’s productivity, provide your chickens with extra lighting in the winter. We suggest providing them with 14–16 hours of light per day to help maximize egg-laying.
If you’re still learning about what it takes to take care of and nurture your chickens, learn more about flock management on our website.
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