With the recent chicken discussions.......

General Lee · May 15, 2017

Thought we could discuss care and maintenance of the chickens. My first question is do any of you de-worm your chickens say, once or twice a year or only when you see evidence of worms? Also any coop maintenance like diatomaceous earth in the coop for mite control?

Kentuckyfarmer · May 15, 2017

Worm ours about every three months. As far as coop maintenance clean nest boxes every month or so and sprinkle DEarth in them. I clean the coop every week and pressure wash a couple times a year. I've seen some never clean and crap was feet deep. I myself couldn't. I'm OCD though. I've got 4 steers that weigh about 600 and they can go in part of the barn at will. It's 10 X 20. I clean it twice a day and shake fresh straw in it.

ning · May 16, 2017

I scrape clean regularly and fresh straw a lot. I've considered DTE for the wet season, but most of the time mine find great dirt/dust baths outside. I've never seen evidence of worms in 25 years of having chickens and haven't wormed.

lexluther · May 16, 2017

What is the evidence of worms and how do you treat it?
We clean / move it a couple times a year tops, No issues I know of...

Kentuckyfarmer · May 16, 2017

Poop on the chicken eggs is what I go by as a sign of worms. I use diatomaceous earth. Just mix in about a table spoon per chicken in their feed about every three months. Doesn't hurt them at all. I also dig up and loosen dirt about a half bucket and mix in a couple cups of it and have a big pan about eight inches deep and pour it in there. They dust like crazy in it and keep away the mites. I think there is you tube vids about how to spot if the chickens have worms.

General Lee · May 16, 2017

Wow, Never heard of poop on the eggs is a sign of worms. My understanding since the chickens eat of the ground their gonna get worms. Pale colored legs, combs, won't put on weight can be a sign also since the worms are robbing the chickens nutritional value. If the chicken is over run with worms you will see them in the poop piles.

Stimw · May 16, 2017

just a side comment, a friend bragged that she only buys "free Range eggs"!
I told her great! They have a diet of worms, bugs, spiders and what ever is left in the other chickens poop!
I told her I prefer the cheaper eggs that eat mostly corn feed!
She said she might re-think her choice! ???

Kentuckyfarmer · May 16, 2017

General Lee said:
Wow, Never heard of poop on the eggs is a sign of worms. My understanding since the chickens eat of the ground their gonna get worms. Pale colored legs, combs, won't put on weight can be a sign also since the worms are robbing the chickens nutritional value. If the chicken is over run with worms you will see them in the poop piles.

It's just one sign and the easiest for me to know they need worming. You can inspect their poop, check their legs, combs and waddles but it's hard for me to notice their legs and combs are lighter than the day before. I really don't sit and dig thru their poop I mostly try and not step in it but if there was worms in it and I can see without getting close and inspecting it I would worm them. Another sign is poop all around their vent in the feathers. Kind of like they got the runs. If I see that I will treat them. I like having clean eggs and if there is poop on them when it's dry out and every thing is clean I know it's time. I try and do it at least every 6 months weather they need it or not. It doesn't hurt them and I always have it on hand for the dust box. I have what I call controlled free range chickens. I have them in a portable coop inside of a electric chicken fence about 40 X 40 and move it every three days to new ground. Have a 4 acre area just for them and takes quite a while before I end up where they started. I can't let them run free because of neighbors dogs, cats, foxes, Hawks, and every other vermin that wants to eat them.

As far as the other comment about free range chickens eating bugs and worms and other stuff, chickens will eat just about anything, they will even eat one another given the chance. They are Dino's with feathers. They are destructive as can be, they can plow up ground like a 200 hp tractor and a 25 foot disk. As far as chickens just eating grains well I've see lots of chicken poop and you can't tell if it was grain they were eating or mice. It just looks like chicken crap. A well balanced diet for a chicken is grasses, grains, and proteins. Proteins how ever it come doesn't matter. That's what makes a good egg. Not a chicken that is in a 2 X 2 cage for its whole life getting some processed feed and never seeing the light of day. After it quits laying Campbell chicken soup gets it.

General Lee · May 16, 2017

Kentucyfarmer - Is all you use for worming is DTE? Not a specified de-wormer for chickens/livestock?

General Lee · May 16, 2017

Stimw said:
just a side comment, a friend bragged that she only buys "free Range eggs"!
I told her great! They have a diet of worms, bugs, spiders and what ever is left in the other chickens poop!
I told her I prefer the cheaper eggs that eat mostly corn feed!
She said she might re-think her choice! ???

Are you being sarcastic? I can't tell lol. Have you ever had farm eggs? Taste way better then corn fed store bought eggs