Poultry catch up - Winter routine and care:

Time for a catch up, I've been a little quiet of late (I'm without a camera too, which I miss)

Winter routine and care:

I'm sure the changeable weather must be unsettling for the hens, one day it's mild but wet and windy, the next cold and dry.
Most of the birds are either in moult or just coming through.Those with their new feathers are looking well but the poor Cream Legbars are still looking very moth eaten.

Egg numbers have dropped considerably even the new hybrid layers are laying fewer and smaller eggs.
Although the POL replacement birds who had started to lay and then for some reason stopped have just begun to lay again.

This week I put all the birds onto layers with Flubenvet. I tend to routinely worm twice a year but am now looking to do a worm count instead and only worm if and when required, as resistance to wormer medication is becoming a problem (not to my flock but generally)

The grass pens are holding out well, in fact they are all in need of a cut. They should see us through until lockdown (if it is imposed again this year). The pens once empty will be left to rest until the Spring. A few cold snaps during the winter will help to kill off or at least reduce any parasite burden.

With the days becoming shorter the birds are spending more time in the houses, so making sure the bedding is clean and dry is important. As is ventilation. A common misconception is all windows in the hen house need to be closed in the colder weather.In fact the opposite is true. Poor ventilation can lead to respiratory problems and condensation within the house can result in frostbite for the birds with larger combs and wattles.

In addition to their usual feed I have started to give the birds fermented mixed grain in the afternoons. They certainly enjoy it and it is supposed to have health benefits as well as filling their crops to see them through the longer nights.