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Miscellaneous Poultry Information
STARTING YOUR CHICKS
Have 1 gallon of water available for each 50 chicks. Make sure each chick has water as soon as you remove them from the shipping box and put into the brooder. As you put each chick into the brooder simply put their beak into the water and allow them to swallow once.
Create a draft free predator-proof dual environment with abundant natural daylight, where the chicks will self adjust.
Allow 1/2 sq. foot of space for each chick, increase to 1 foot by pasture time. Overall space needed is 1 1/2 sq. feet per bird in pen.
Allow 1 inch per chick feeder space, all birds should be allowed to feed at the same time. Watch for overcrowding and increase feeder space as necessary.
Brooder should be 90-95°F first week then reduce 1° each day down to 75° by week 3. If chicks huddle together it is to cold. If chicks scamper around, the temperature is comfortable. Put feeders away from heat lamp so chicks run out to feed and come back for heat. Allow a cool 65-70°F place to romp and roam.
Scatter grit and feed on paper when chicks are put in brooder (it is easier for chicks to find food).
Spend 30 minutes observing the chicks on arrival for normal pattern of activity. Observe chicks 10-15 minutes daily and make adjustments for brooder hood height, clean water, ventilation, etc.
DO NOT USE STRAW OR SAWDUST FOR BEDDING. Use wood shavings or ground cob make sure bedding is large enough that chicks can not ingest it
WORMING POULTRY
1st - Mix 1oz of Copper Sulfate to 1 gal of water to make concentrate-mix 24oz of concentrate to 5 gal of drinking water. -Treat layers for 3 day then off for 3 days. Re-treat as necessary.
2nd -Mix 1part D.E. (Diatomaceous Earth) + 1 part Fresh ground Garlic + 1 part Cheyenne Powder or fresh ground. Top dress feed troughs with mixture to layer feed 2 consecutive days per week for 3 weeks.
This will take care of the problems with no withholding period.
HEAT STRESS
Withdraw feed during extreme heat (103 degrees and 50% humidity) to help chickens survive heat waves. Birds that are digesting feed produce MORE heat. The extra heat from metabolizing that feed can raise their body temperatures another one or two degrees. They'll stop eating by the time it's hot outside, but by then its too late. To avoid this withhold feed BEFORE the birds are subjected to extreme heat. Withdraw feed about six hours before the temperature is expected to reach 90 degrees and put it back in when the temp reaches 90 on its way down. The actual temperature at which birds are stressed depends on the relative humidity. As the humidity rises, the temperature at which they are heat stressed gets lower. The birds may show a small decrease in weight gain but you should be more than compensated for by a lower death rate. The hotter and more humid the weather, the more beneficial feed withdrawal will be.
Another cooling method suggested is to provide COOL drinking water. 50 degree water can lower broiler body temperatures by about two degrees.
EGG STORAGE TIPS
Eggs are delicate. The egg shell may have as many as 17,000 tiny pores over its surface. Through them, the egg can absorb flavors and odors. Keep them pointed end down in their cartons to help keep them fresh.
Provided they are kept refrigerated, eggs can be stored for four weeks after the packing date without loss of quality. Try to avoid washing your eggs until ready to be used. And best of all take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before use to allow them to reach room temperature.
Egg whites will keep up to two days in the fridge or can be frozen. Thaw when needed and make sure to use them the same day. Eggs yolks can be kept in refrigerated and covered with water for one to two days at most.
CHICK PASTING
An old-time solution to chicks pasting up was to feed "chick scratch" for the first three days, rather than starter feed. This easily-digested, low-fiber diet reduces the volume of the droppings so there's less to paste up. Pasting up is usually only a problem for the first few days.
It's also usual to give the first feed on new egg flats or chick-lid trays (the lids of the cardboard chick boxes the chicks were shipped in). Baby chicks are more willing to eat feed they can stand in. These are phased out after a few days. So you can kill two birds with one stone by feeding chick scratch on flats (one flat per 50 chicks) or chick-box lids (one lid per 100 chicks) for two or three days, then add the feeders on the third or fourth day, and gradually reduce the amount of feed in the flats or lids. By day six or seven you remove the flats for good.
EGG EATING
All hens will eat eggs if they find a broken one. Some will learn to break eggs. Hens won't eat in the dark, so a really dark nest area helps. Lots of litter and frequent egg collections are also good. Putting flaps over the nest boxes helps, but the flaps always fall off or get pecked off sooner or later.
Tunnel nests or community nests used to be used to reduce egg eating and increase the number of clean eggs. A tunnel nest is typically two feet wide and eight feet long, with a door at each end. There are no internal partitions. The hens wander in and find a really dark place to lay their eggs. It's good for 100 hens. A community nest is typically four feet long and two feet wide, with a single door in the wide face. The idea is the same. It's good for 50 hens.
Another approach is to flip the nest boxes around backwards, so the hens enter along a little runway between the wall and the nest boxes. You collect the eggs from the outside by opening a door or shutter. This darkens the whole nest area.
EGG CARTONS
http://www.eggcartons.com/ call 1-888-852-5340 for egg cartons.
EGG CLEANING PROCEDURES FOR THE HOUSEHOLD FLOCK
Daniel E. Bigbee, Extension Poultry Specialist
Glenn W. Froning, Extension Poultry Products Specialist
Household poultry flocks may produce a high percentage of dirty eggs. Many of these eggs are soiled because they are laid in dirty nests or are being laid on the floor. Dirty eggs can be a health hazard if they are not properly cleaned and sanitized.
The best control method is to prevent soiling of the eggs. We can't stop the production of floor eggs, but we can keep them to a minimum if we start training the flock early. When the pullets are 16 to 18 weeks of age, let them have access to nests during the day. Provide at least one nest for each four hens. In the evening remove all birds from the nests and close the opening so that the pullets cannot re-enter them for overnight roosting. Nests should be opened again in the early morning. These steps will get the pullets in the habit of using nests. Persistent floor layers can be trained by picking them up and putting them on the nest.
Gather eggs at least three times a day. The longer you leave eggs in the nest the better their chances are of being broken and fouling the nest. Gather them twice in the morning and once in mid-to-late afternoon. Nests should be cleaned once a week to remove dirty litter and manure. Replace the soiled nesting material with clean straw or shavings. Frequent gathering and clean nests are the keys to producing clean eggs.
Even under the best of conditions, some dirty eggs will still be produced. These eggs should be placed in a separate container at gathering time so they can't soil clean eggs. The dirty eggs can accumulate with each gathering, but must be cleaned at the end of the day. This helps to prevent hardening of the dirt and reduces the chance of microbial penetration of the shell.
Dirty eggs should be washed in water that is at least 20°F warmer than the eggs. A good water temperature is 120°F or as hot as the hands can tolerate. This causes the egg contents to expand and prevent entry of microbe contaminated water through the shell pores. Use a nonfoaming, unscented detergent. The fragrance in scented detergents will be absorbed by the eggs, giving them an off-flavor or odor when eaten. Unscented automatic dishwasher or laundry detergent can be used. Rubber gloves should be worn as these materials can be irritating to the skin. Home laundry bleach can be used as a sanitizing dip. Prepare the sanitizer according to the manufacturer's directions for a weak disinfectant.
Follow these directions for cleaning eggs. If you have only a few eggs (12 or less) wash them under the water tap and dip them in a sanitizer. The water and sanitizer should be as hot as the hands can tolerate. Larger numbers of eggs require greater attention. Make up basins of detergent, rinse water and sanitizer, each containing 1 to 2 gallons of solution. Change the detergent and rinse water after cleaning each 3 to 4 dozen eggs. The temperature of each solution should be no more than 120°F and no less than 110°F.
Hands in rubber gloves can tolerate these temperatures. Wash each egg separately. Do not soak the eggs before or during cleaning. Each egg should be rinsed in clean water, dipped in the sanitizer and set aside to dry. Place clean eggs in the refrigerator after they are completely dry. Refrigerated eggs should be stored in sealable plastic containers such as large food bags or bowls. This will prevent absorption of flavors and odors from other foods in the refrigerator. It will also help retain the eggs' initial high quality.
Follow these steps to have clean eggs from the household flock:
1. Provide one nest for each four hens.
2. Begin training the pullets to the nest before they start to lay.
3. Clean nests once a week.
4. Gather eggs twice in the morning and once in the afternoon.
5. Separate dirty and clean eggs at the time of gathering.
6. Wash dirty eggs in water that is 110° to 120°F.
7. Do not soak eggs before or during washing.
8. Change the wash water after each 3 to 4 dozen eggs cleaned.
9. Rinse each egg in clean water, dip in a sanitizer and air dry.
10. Keep eggs in a closed container in the refrigerator.
LICE DUST
84 % Coarse limestone, Barn Grit
5 % D.E. (Diatomaceous Earth)
5 % Tobacco Dust
5 % Sulfur flour
1 % Rotenone Dust, 1%
Mix well and offer in dusting boxes. A good dusting box will be 18" x 18" x 6" deep. Use 1-2 inches of material in the bottom of the box. Change dust weekly to keep it clean. The spring and fall seasons are the most critical times of year. The parasites are looking for a winter home. You may also use old wood or coal ashes in this mixture.
Mites are very quick and are hard to detect. You would need to do a nighttime inspection with a flashlight to see them. Mites are generally near the fluff feathers around the vent. Parasites detected in this area during the day would be lice.
Dusting boxes are always a good idea for layer flocks. The older the flock the more prevalent the mites or lice will be. Once a year the hen house should undergo a complete clean up with a strong disinfectant and allowed to air out for several days without chickens.
HEAT STRESS
Withdraw feed during extreme heat (103 degrees and 50% humidity) to help chickens survive heat waves. Birds that are digesting feed produce MORE heat. The extra heat from metabolizing that feed can raise their body temperatures another one or two degrees. They'll stop eating by the time it's hot outside, but by then its too late. To avoid this withhold feed BEFORE the birds are subjected to extreme heat. Withdraw feed about six hours before the temperature is expected to reach 90 degrees and put it back in when the temp reaches 90 on its way down. The actual temperature at which birds are stressed depends on the relative humidity. As the humidity rises, the temperature at which they are heat stressed gets lower. The birds may show a small decrease in weight gain but you should be more than compensated for by a lower death rate. The hotter and more humid the weather, the more beneficial feed withdrawal will be.
Another cooling method suggested is to provide COOL drinking water. 50 degree water can lower broiler body temperatures by about two degrees.
JOIN
American Pastured Poultry
Producers Association | 
