On the Farm

Many of you may have gotten some new chicks this spring and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of eggs. Be patient, they will come. What can you do in the meantime to ensure that your chickens remain happy and healthy? First start by ensuring that your chickens are free from parasites and diseases. Start by picking up the chicken and looking it over. Take a look at their legs, comb (the thingy on top of their head), under their wings and at their vent (where the eggs and other things are expelled). Do you see any bugs crawling around, do you notice any black spots, or are the leg scales peeling. A healthy chicken will have a nice bright comb and its legs will be sturdy and free from spots or peeling scales. If your chicken does have parasites, one way to take care of this all-naturally is to use Diatomaceous Earth. Food grade quality can be used as a feed additvie to help with proper digestion and to eliminate such problems as ecoli and parasites which are harmful. It can be used as a dust bath to eliminate external parasites. The chickens will also have fun rolling in it!  

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While purusing online yesterday I noticed a blog where someone posed the question, "Is chicken meat?" Really? Of course it is meat, chicken is the muscle portion of the animal and in my opinion it is the best meat. There are so many benefits to eating chicken. First of all it is a great source of protein, one 4 ounce chicken breast can provide over half of your daily required protein. Chicken is also a great source of Niacin which has been shown to reduce your risk for cancer. The Journal of Neurology has shown Niacin to reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. If you remove the skin chicken is also lower in fat than a lot of other meats. However just like any meat product, it is important to make sure that your chicken is free of growth hormones and anitbiotics. Read the label and more importantly know where your meat comes from! Be sure to check out some great chicken recipes listed under the recipe tab.   

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Why is chick feed medicated you may ask? There is a benefit to feeding medicated chick feed, however do the benefits outweight the negatives. I think not. Medicated chick feed contains Amprolium which is a medication that controls Coccidiosis. This is a disease which chicks can get especially if they go outside. This disease can kill your chicks. Amprolium allows the chicks to build a resistance to coccidiosis. So with that said why would I tell you not to use it? There are two reasons. One medicated feeds can sometimes contain antibiotics, and just like in humans the chicks will then build a resistance to not only the bad bacteria but the good bacteria as well. They could be more likely to get sick. In addition to this I wouldn't want to take the chance of those antibiotics showing up in the meat or eggs. Highly unlikely but still a possibility. A lot of natural unmedicated feeds contain natural additives which help the chick develop a resistance to coccidiosis. So the bottom line is if you maintain a clean space for your chicks, and your feed them a QUALITY feed with the right amount of protein you shouldn't have to worry.    

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