Chickens sometimes go through rough patches. The yearly moulting period before or after the winter, the breeding period ... these aren’t fun times to be a chicken. How can you support your birds so that they stay in top shape and don’t get sick and thin? We’ll give you some crucial tips, including the right minerals and vitamins, grit and protection against red mites.
In autumn, chickens moult over an average of about ten weeks. A balding hen may look a bit sad, but the moult is completely harmless. It ensures that your chicken gets a warm plumage to get through the winter. However, moulting can be hard on a chicken. Because it takes a lot of energy to grow new feathers, they lay fewer eggs during this period.
A hen can also moult in the spring, although the effect is much less dramatic. In any case, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to give your animals extra minerals and vitamins during both autumn and spring.
Chickens have no teeth. The food they eat is ground up in their gizzards by small pebbles and grit. So give your chickens extra grit fortified with vitamins. This will help their digestion and make their egg shells hard. Moreover, they can then roam around looking for grit whenever they feel like it.
Lastly, protect your chickens against red mite or red bird mite, especially in the warmer period of the year. This parasite hides in cracks and crevices during the day and sucks blood from chickens at night. This can lead to lower egg production and make your chickens sick and skinny, resulting in pale combs and anemia. On top of that, red mites can transmit other pathogens such as bird flu. Definitely an enemy to be taken seriously!
Regularly disinfect your chicken coop so that pathogens don't have a chance to proliferate. Did you notice red mites? Get rid of them with a specialised pesticide.