Category: Development

Yolk Sack Infection

3/3/2017

A problem that can occur when hatching chicks at home is a yolk sack infection. This may also be known as Omphalitis or Mushy Egg Disease.

This is caused by various bacteria during incubation which has gotten into the egg yolk such as E. coli. Staphylococci, Proteus, Clostridia, Facali and Pseudomonas.

This will occur in chicks in their first week of life and is usually terminal. Their life expectancy is usually around 48 hours.

Prevention is the best method.

Place only clean dry eggs into the incubator.
Clean your hands thoroughly before turning eggs manually, or during candling. Use an alcohol based hand cleaning gel, allow for air drying time before touching eggs.
Alternatively, use disposable gloves when handling the eggs.
Clean the incubator equipment thoroughly after every hatch before storage. Dirty incubators harbour all sorts of bacteria. Do not submerge the motor. Please refer to the manufacturer's instructions for best advice.

For more pictures and information on this condition, please check out this amazing article on backyardchickens.com.

0 Comments

Avi-CALCIUM - what you need to know

21/1/2017

0 Comments

Calcium is an essential mineral for all poultry in all stages of their life as part of a balanced diet. If your egg shells haven't improved through providing your hens with shellgrit, yoghurt and apple cider vinegar (ACV), then a liquid calcium supplement may be able to assist. Suitable for all poultry and birds.

Vetsense Avi-CALCIUM contains added Vitamin D3 which helps to aid the absorption of calcium. This supplement is suitable for administering daily to support eggshell strength as well as normal bone development in young hens.

Poultry need to take up at least 4g of calcium per day for optimum health.

Even if the poultry are not laying yet, calcium still needs to be part of their diet.

Chicks should have assess to fine shellgrit while in the brooder or with mother hen. Shellgrit is the best form of calcium for poultry as it also acts as grit for their crop to aid digestion.

A liquid supplement is best used when the results of shellgrit are not enough.

SYMPTOMS OF CALCIUM DEFICIENCY IN POULTRY:

Eggs that have extremely brittle shells or soft-shelled
Hens may become Egg Bound
Lameness
Weakness
Skeletal deformity
Crippling
Osteoporosis - calcium is then drawn from their bones to form eggshells
Poor growth and development in young birds (diagnosed as rickets)

HOW TO USE
Avi-CALCIUM is a complete calcium supplement liquid that is added to the drinking water.

DOSAGE: 4ml to 500ml of clean drinking water per 2kg body-weight

EXAMPLE OF CALCULATION:
Isa Brown hens of 2kg = 4ml of product to 500ml = 8ml per Litre of water
Australorp hens of 3kg = 6ml of product to 500ml = 12ml per Litre of water

Change the water daily - do not let the mix sit for more than 24 hours.

Do not exceed the recommended dose.
Excessive amounts of calcium in a bird's diet can be just as detrimental as too little.

Do not add anything else to their drinking water such as antibiotics or apple cider vinegar while using this supplement in their water source. If antibiotics are needing to be used, simply remove all other supplements for that period.

PERIOD OF USE: Use daily or as needed until health or eggshell quality improves

STORAGE OF PRODUCT: Room temperature below 30ºC

WHERE TO BUY

Retail price ranges between $12-$17.

0 Comments

When Chickens Develop their Combs and Wattles

4/8/2016

8 Comments

The develop of a chicken's comb and wattle is of great interest to poultry owners for two reasons.

When they will start to lay eggs (Point of Lay)
If they are a rooster

This can be a tricky subject because everything will depend on the BREED.

Whenever anyone sees my Ancona chickens they immediately think they are all roosters because their comb and wattle are so large, but that is their breed type.

So how can we tell?

Time Line of Development

Chicks

Below are French Wheaten Maran Chicks at 3 weeks of age.
The colouring of the males is different to the females in this breed. But also the leg size indicates a male.
This is not indicative of every breed.

Below are Ancona chicks at 3 weeks of age.
The males are very noticeable. There is no colour difference in feathering, but the wattle and comb is bright red.

Below are Lavender Pekins at 3-4 weeks of age.
The combs on the males are slightly more distinct and redder in most cases.
Notice that the wattles under the chin are also quite bright red.

Pullets

Before chickens come into point of lay (POL) when they will start their egg laying life, it can become a big guessing game with certain breeds.

Below are purebred Australorp pullets at 7 weeks of age.
The combs and wattles are larger, brighter red and distinct.

Australorps

Below are French Wheaten Maran pullets at 3 months of age.
The boys have developed a different colour and have very distinct cape development around their neck.
Their tails took a very long time to grow. The saddle feathers on the middle chicken are noticeable now.

French Wheaten Marans

Below are Light Sussex pullets possibly 2 to 5 months of age.
This is before any of the boys started crowing.
At 2 months is was very difficult to tell the males from the females.
But by 5 months the boys become very noticeable.

Below are Silver Laced Wyandotte pullets around 3 months of age.
Distinguishing male from female is very difficult to do as their combs and wattles often develop very late.
This can vary. The male chicks can sometimes be more noticeable than the pullets.
The boys usually develop a very red rose comb. It takes time for it to fill out, so it can be a little deceiving.

Below are ISA Brown pullets just before they get to Point of Lay.
I would estimate that they would be 2-3 weeks away from laying their first egg. Maybe she is 15 weeks old.
We can tell by the size of the comb. It is not big enough to indicate maturity.

Point of Lay

When a hen starts to lay her first eggs, this is called Point of Lay (POL).

Hybrids like the ISA Brown and utility Australorp (x New Hampshire) start around 18 to 21 weeks of age.
Their combs fill out and become red. Their wattles also start to grow now.
If they were boys, they would show very distinctly at this age.

ISA Brown

Other breeds tend to start later.
Many only begin at 6 to 9 months. There are some breeds that do not start until 10 months.
Can you wait that long?
If you buy these late layers at POL, their price increases. They are cheaper to purchase at a much younger age.

Signs of a Rooster (Cockerel)

Chick

Bright red comb and wattle
Stronger and long legs
Attempt to make strange noises (more of a screech or strangled sound)
Colour distinction in some breeds
Feathering between day 1 to day 10 of life (GIRLS develop faster!)
When laid on their back, are more likely to kick their legs
Willingness to fight and have face-offs with other males.

Pullet

Bright red comb and wattle (1)
Cape development around the neck (2)
Saddle feathers (3)
Long tail (4)
Stronger and longer legs (5)
Willingness to fight and have face-offs with other males
Spur buds on the legs become noticeable
At 2 to 3 months the tail feathers of a male will be more ragged and not at uniform and neat as the females
Attempt to crow around 5-6 months of age
Legs develop the pantaloon look (feathering at the top of their legs)

The exception to these rules do apply to breeds such as Silkies. Their development is unique. Best to determine by comb.

8 Comments

Correcting a duckling's bent neck after hatching

3/7/2016

3 Comments

I just want to share this great tip on how to correct a duckling's bent neck after hatching, shared with me from Jennifer of Emerald North (USA). I'm sure that someone could really benefit from this information.

Normally, if a chick (chicken) hatches like this we would correct the Wry Neck with Vitamin E and Selenium in their water source. (WRY NECK is also known as star-gazing in chicks.)

But in Jennifer's case she didn't use the Vitamin E solution as she felt it was a development problem from the hatch.

INSTEAD this is Jennifer's solution:

Cut a piece of cellulose sponge and made a small diamond-shaped hole in the middle.
Soaked the sponge in a little water and wrung it out well.
Slipped the piece of sponge over the duckling's head and allowed the sponge to dry.
The sponge is then left on for the next 24 hours to help support the head and help correct the neck muscles.
This duckling was also give an electrolyte solution for the first two days immediately after hatching.

TIP:
If you are able to, cut the sponge down a little more in height once wet, or it becomes too chunky on the duckling.

3 Comments

How to fix a chick's curled toes

20/5/2016

0 Comments

When hatching your own chicks, sometimes things can go wrong but some things can be fixed at home with things you find around your home.

This great tutorial on how to fix a chick's curled toes is such a simple and easy thing to do.

This tutorial comes from Avian Aqua Miser's website. Visit the original page here for full instructions.

Avian Aqua Miser recommends using 3M Transpore Tape for 2-3 days.

Curled toes can result from incorrect incubation, such as the wrong temperature or humidity or wrongly positioned inside the egg.

Curled toes can also be the result of a vitamin deficiency, Add some Solvita (RRP $15) water soluble powder to their drinking water to help correct issues in conjunction with taping the toes open.

To prevent birth defects in chicks, make sure your incubator is running at the correct levels in each stage of the incubator period before hatching day. Use a thermometer and hygrometer to keep track and top up the humidity tray with warm water if needed.

Curled toes in older hens is usually due to a lack of Vitamin B1 or B2 in their earlier stages of development. In those cases, try the Solvita first to see if that will help correct the problem. After a year, many hens may have permanent toe curl issues which may not be able to fully corrected.

0 Comments

How a chick forms inside an egg

5/3/2015

0 Comments

Ever wondered if that egg you just cracked into the pan is fertile? Fascinated about how a chick really develops over only 21 days? This is amazing.

For more information also check out The Poultry Site for more about Embryonic Development.

0 Comments

Yolk Sack Infection

Avi-CALCIUM - what you need to know

When Chickens Develop their Combs and Wattles

Correcting a duckling's bent neck after hatching

How to fix a chick's curled toes

How a chick forms inside an egg

Author

Archives

Categories