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The article "BOREDOM Busters" provides tips and activities to keep backyard chickens active and happy during the winter months. It emphasizes the importance of fresh air, sunshine, and outdoor activities for chicken health and well-being. Suggestions include shoveling out the run, spreading straw, adding treats, creating pine tree huts, free-ranging, making a winter dust bath, hanging fruits and vegetables, serving flavorful oatmeal, and engaging in coop boredom busters like treat balls, baby mirrors, chicken swings, and chicken xylophones. The article also offers recipes for homemade chicken treats using ingredients like pumpkin seeds, apples, peanut butter, and flax seeds. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the importance of probiotics in a chicken's diet to boost health, production, and longevity. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria and yeast that line a chicken's digestive tract, protecting against harmful bacteria and yeast. Supplementing a chicken's diet with probiotics can help combat and prevent salmonella and E. coli outbreaks, improve egg quality, enhance the immune system, and promote overall health. It is recommended to add probiotics to a chicken's daily diet through feed or water, and to choose probiotics specifically formulated for chickens that include lactobacillus. [Extracted from the article]

The article "BABY BLUNDERS" provides essential tips for new chicken owners to avoid common mistakes when raising chicks. It emphasizes the importance of checking local laws, understanding costs, purchasing healthy chicks from reputable sources, selecting the right breeds, and providing proper care and nutrition. The article also highlights the significance of creating a safe environment, preventing overcrowding, and protecting chicks from predators. By following these guidelines, novice chicken-keepers can ensure a successful and fulfilling experience in raising their flock. [Extracted from the article]

The article "CHICK Nutrition" emphasizes the importance of proper nutrition for raising healthy chicks. It provides detailed information on essential supplements such as Grogel, chick feed, grit, eggs, oats, probiotics, sea kelp, brewer's yeast, oregano, fennel, yarrow, and dandelions to support the growth and health of baby chicks. The article offers practical tips and guidelines for incorporating these supplements into the chicks' diet to ensure they develop into productive, long-lived hens. [Extracted from the article]

This article provides tips and activities to keep backyard chickens active and happy during the winter. It emphasizes the importance of fresh air and sunshine for the chickens' health and suggests ideas such as shoveling out the run, spreading straw, sprinkling treats, creating pine tree huts, and allowing for supervised free-ranging time. The article also suggests creating a winter dust bath, hanging fruits and vegetables, serving flavorful oatmeal, and providing boredom busters in the chicken coop. It emphasizes the importance of spending time with the flock and offers recipes for homemade chicken treats. [Extracted from the article]

This article provides a countdown of the top 12 brown-egg-laying chickens, which are commonly found in backyard flocks. The breeds mentioned include the Rhode Island White, Barnevelder, Buff Orpington, Welsummer, Swedish Flower Hens, Dominique, Marans, Wyandotte, New Hampshire Red, Speckled Sussex, Delaware, Australorp, Rhode Island Red, and Plymouth Rock. Each breed is described in terms of their egg-laying capabilities, temperament, and color varieties. The article emphasizes the popularity and appeal of brown egg-laying chickens for backyard flock owners. [Extracted from the article]

The article "BACKYARD Biosecurity" discusses the importance of practicing biosecurity to keep backyard chickens healthy. It explains that biosecurity involves preventive measures to avoid introducing harmful pathogens to livestock and humans. The article provides practical tips such as keeping a closed flock, quarantining new birds, and avoiding poultry shows and swap meets to maintain the health of the flock. The author, Erin Snyder, emphasizes the significance of biosecurity in daily routines to protect chickens from diseases and parasites. [Extracted from the article]

This article provides information on 17 different breeds of ducks that can be raised for various purposes, including profit, pleasure, or both. The breeds are categorized into four classes based on weight: bantam, light, medium, and heavy. Each breed is described in terms of its characteristics, such as size, color, temperament, egg-laying abilities, and suitability as pets. The article also mentions the need to check local regulations before acquiring certain breeds, such as Mallards and Muscovies. [Extracted from the article]

This article provides guidance for chicken-keepers who are considering adding new chickens to their existing flock. It emphasizes the importance of careful planning and consideration before purchasing new birds. Factors to consider include breed selection, feed costs, and providing adequate space in the coop and run. The article also discusses different methods of acquiring new chickens, such as purchasing chicks from hatcheries or adopting adult birds. It offers tips for integrating new members into the flock and advises against overcrowding. The author, Erin Snyder, is an experienced chicken-keeper who is passionate about poultry care. [Extracted from the article]

While we know that probiotics help control salmonella, E. coli and other bacterial infection outbreaks in backyard flocks and commercial chicken farms, you might wonder what else probiotics do. Studies have proven chickens fed probiotics have more than double the antibodies in their blood and intestines than chickens raised without probiotics. Chickens raised without probiotics are 99% more likely to spread salmonella or E. coli to humans through the consumption of their eggs or meat, then chickens raised on probiotics. Before diving into different ways probiotics benefit our chickens, let's look at how probiotics can help combat and avoid salmonella and E. coli outbreaks. [Extracted from the article]

MOLTING A chicken's annual molt is traumatic for each hen in the flock, but for older chickens, it's an extremely difficult time. This is a natural part of molting, as a hen's food intake usually decreases during a molt, and all the food she does eat is being converted into making new feathers. A lthough aging hens are more prone to health issues than younger hens, with some extra vigilance from you, they can still live full and enriched lives. Roosters age just like hens and are prone to the same nonegg-related health issues that are common in backyard hens. [Extracted from the article]

Peppermint is a popular herb among chickens during the summer months. It has various benefits, including relieving respiratory problems, improving eggshell quality, repelling insects, and increasing feed intake. Some experts even believe that peppermint can help lower body temperatures and reduce the risk of heat exhaustion in chickens. There are different ways to serve peppermint to your flock, such as in a salad, as a herb bundle in the coop or run, or as a tea. The author, Erin Snyder, has extensive experience in raising chickens and ducks and is particularly interested in poultry nutrition, predator protection, and egg-laying disorders. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the Sussex breed of chickens, which originated in Sussex, England in the mid-1800s. Sussex chickens are known for their versatility as both meat birds and egg layers, with the speckled variety being particularly popular. They are friendly, energetic, and intelligent birds that enjoy human interaction and can live up to 6-8 years if properly cared for. Sussex chickens are hardy but prone to obesity, so it is important to provide them with a balanced diet and regular exercise to ensure their health and well-being. [Extracted from the article]

This article provides instructions on how to clean waterers and feeders for chickens. It suggests emptying, rinsing, and refilling waterers with fresh water twice daily, and cleaning them more thoroughly once a week. The author recommends using dish detergent, hot water, and a bottle brush to clean waterers efficiently. For feeders, the author suggests using rubber feed pans, which are easy to clean. Feeders should be filled twice daily with enough food for the chickens to eat in 20 minutes, and any remaining food should be emptied and the feeders rinsed. The feeders should be washed weekly in hot, soapy water and thoroughly rinsed before being returned to the flock. It is important to ensure that the feeders are completely dry before refilling them. [Extracted from the article]