Obsessed.
Here is a list of some of obsessive things that casual
chicken owners do. Remember, do NOT take advice from some jerk on the internet
just because he writes a blog about it! Research!
1)
A little vinegar (cap full) in their waterer
will keep bacteria down and aid their digestion. Of course, only the finest
organic apple cider vinegar for our girls! Note: A little vinegar in the
waterer may be good for the chickens, but if you have a galvanized steel font,
it will rust out in a quick season! Lesson learned!
2)
A spoonful of diatomaceous earth stirred into
their feed will prevent intestinal parasites and also aid in digestion. Note:
This is true, but only use FOOD GRADE d.e. Pool grade contains harmful artificial
silicates.
3)
Hot oatmeal. Yes, I give my girls hot oatmeal
each morning with vegetables stirred in on a bed of greens. Things like this
are extra, the main stay of their diet should be their regular feed. In late
fall, we’ll add spices to help them metabolize the cold weather better. In
winter, I’ll add sardines once a week. Usually, a banana goes in the oatmeal as
well. Our pig Ruby loves this, she always gets the peel (and a piece or two of
the banana!) Note: best is to have their regular feed available at all times.
Best addition to this is as much time foraging the property for bugs and wild
greens as possible. After that come treats … they’ll eat almost anything, but
DO read up on what NOT to give them!
4)
Frozen treats in summer. Into a muffin pan I ladle
out vegetables (peas, beans, whatever) into a muffin tin, top off with water,
and freeze. Heat waves can be tough on fully feathered birds, so I’ll pop out a
couple of these and the frozen veggies help them cope. Note: Corn is a fine
treat to give them, even if it is a little devoid of nutrition, but the act of
grinding and digesting the husks generates heat. They get more corn in winter
than summer.
5)
Heat lamp. This is its own topic. Do NOT use a
heat lamp unless you are SURE it is properly secured! An unsecured heat lamp
that falls and comes into contact with the coop’s bedding can cause a fire and
kill your birds. In a bad, bad way. Also, your birds don’t need it (if you have
an all weather or cold weather breed). Silkies, for instance, have a hard time
staying warm in winter so they would probably need the heat lamp. If you ARE
going to use a heat lamp, besides being secure, I recommend a ‘thermocube’.
This is a simple set thermostat usually used for heater waterers in livestock
situations. When the ambient temperature reaches 35 degrees, it turns on. When
the temps rise to 45 degrees it turns off again. My heat lamp and heated font
(yeah, my spoiled chickens have that too) are plugged into this, it isn’t
running constantly. It is only running when the bitter cold sets in. With a
number of birds inside the coop at night, all generating their own heat, it doesn’t
turn on right away even if OUTSIDE temps have dropped into the 20’s.
6)
Chicken swing. This is a swing that some
obsessed people (including us) install in a run so that when the chickens get
bored they can perch on it and keep themselves occupied by gently rocking back
and forth. Thus far, our chickens have tried it exactly twice and it is in the ‘nope’
category for them.
There are a thousand other ways folks will spoil their
chickens. Most of them completely unnecessary, but we do it anyway. At any rate,
healthy, happy birds make healthy, happy eggs. They also make healthy, happy
company.
