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Showing posts with label Chicken vet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicken vet. Show all posts
Thursday, 25 October 2012
Looking after your chickens
Moulting and feather damage in chickens
As we are now well into autumn, it is quite commonplace for many chickens to begin their annual moult, although the time of year that they start can vary between birds.
Moulting is a completely natural process, and many birds will replace their feathers seqentially so as not to be completely bald. However, they will stop producing eggs and you should take measures to help reduce your chicken's stress as much as possible.
Chicken Vet offers a range of products to help your chickens during this time, and also discourage any further, more serious feather loss due to pecking from other chickens.
The Moulting Process
Your chicken's feathers are made up of over 80% protein, and although chicken feed contains enough protein for it's daily needs (including egg production), during a moult it will require additional protein replenishment. Low levels of protein may lead to poor feather regrowth and a prolonged period before laying recommences.
Chicken Vet Amino+
One of the best products that we can recommend to help your bird during feather loss is Chicken Vet Amino+. This contains a combination of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein.
It can be used:
as a nutritional aid
during extreme hot or cold weather conditions
as a support for stressed chickens
Chicken Vet Amino+ should be administered in your bird's drinking water for at least 5 consecutive days during a moult.
Chicken Vet Amino+ - £5.95
Chicken Vet Anti Peck 250ml spray
If you have a number of chickens, then even if they are not in moult, you may wish to prevent them from pecking one another or even pecking themselves.
Feather pecking amongst birds can be caused by stress, boredom, or protein deficiency, as birds will often eat their own and each other's feathers. A feather pecked bird may have noticeable bald patches around the head, back, or vent.
Chicken Vet Anti Peck Spray has been carefully formulated to modify this behaviour. The Anti Peck Spray should be sprayed on the pecked areas of your chicken. The unpalatable taste will discourage further pecking of that area. Continue using the product for the full 7 days to ensure that feather pecking does not return.
Chicken Vet Anti Peck Spray - £6.97
All products and prices listed are exclusive of VAT and delivery charges.
For more information, please visit our online shop. Alternatively, please contact us on 01392 872885 or email info@chickenvet.co.uk for further details and ordering.
Many thanks,
The Chicken Vet Team
Visit us at www.chickenvet.co.uk
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Hens in Heat and Rain
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Red Mite - Prevention better than cure!
Stay on top of Red Mite with Predator Mite
You must remain vigilant where Red Mite are concerned. Remember to keep monitoring the levels of Red Mite, check the coop and your birds for signs at least once a week. The mite's short life cycle of 7 - 10 days means it reappears very rapidly.
If you have recently purchased the Predator Mite Booster Cartridge Insert and Holder, it may soon be time to top up your predator mite levels with a new Cartridge Insert Depending on level of infestation this would normally be required every 3-6 weeks. The cartridge works best when attached as close to the infestation as possible.
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The Sprinkler and Shaker contain a higher concentration of predator mite that can be used to dust the nest boxes and house, and should be used to complement the Booster Cartridges.
Do not apply using a double dose thinking this will work better. If the Predator Mite eat all the Red Mite and have nothing to survive on they will die themselves before the Red Mites re-hatch. Always use as per instructions.
If the biological (Predator Mite) method of control is not for you then a more conventional regime will need to be followed.
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Prevention, not cure
Remember, it is difficult to eradicate Red Mite completely, and it takes regular cleanouts and management of your coop to stay on top of it. Red Mite can often stay dormant and be much less obvious or cause many problems during the colder weather and winter months. If you had an infestation last year they will probably re-emerge as soon as the weather gets warmer. Next year try and start preventive treatment as early as March or April. A programme of keeping levels low should then be followed throughout the summer months.
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Red Mite Treatment - Best practice
Remove all bedding from your house and burn if possible or compost as far away from the coop as possible. The following is a good programme to use for prevention or low mite levels.
Remove all organic matter and disinfect with Chicken Vet Poultry Shield (right, 1litre, £11.00). Leave in place for one hour and then rinse with cold water.
Then use Chicken Vet Mite Powder (1kg, £12.30) weekly in nest boxes, dust baths and on the birds. It's safe to owners and birds, and kills mites within 3 days.
For more moderate levels of mites, use Chicken Vet Die-Mite (500ml, £13.13), a sticky silicone based product which entraps the mite and hinders movement - spray around the perches and nest boxes. If you have previously used Mite Powder then scrub thoroughly to remove all traces as this powder hinders the effectiveness of Die-Mite.
The above knockdown products will unfortunately kill Predator Mite and as such should not be used when Predator Mite have been released in the coop. We recommend using the above products to bring any serious infestation under control, before introducing Predator Mite 4 to 6 weeks later.
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All products and prices listed are exclusive of VAT and delivery charges.
For more information, please contact us on 01392 872885 or email info@chickenvet.co.uk. Alternatively, please visit our online shop for further details and ordering.
Many Thanks,
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Monday, 9 April 2012
Worm your chickens - now is the time!
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Tuesday, 3 April 2012
Chicken Vet - March 2012
* Thank you from The Chicken Vet *
Following our attendance at the Edible Garden Show 2012 at Stoneleigh, we are pleased to announce that the winner of our competition to win a Chicken Vet Starter-Kit Plus was Lauren Bell. Congratulations Lauren!
**BUY NOW**
Don't forget, now that Spring is here, it is a great time to worm your chickens. Flubenvet is still available online with the price frozen at just £17.72 VAT inclusive.
This is a fantastic medicated premixture, and is effective on a wide range of worms, while also allowing you to still consume eggs during your chicken's treatment.
Mite season is now here, a common problem for many poultry owners. At The Chicken Vet, we stock a range of treatments to tackle mites and lice, like Die-Mite Spray available at £15.76 VAT inclusive.
Also available, a full range of mite powders and products to treat both the house and the bird. View our Red Mite information sheet here.
Register Online
You can register on The Chicken Vet website for just £15, and receive
Newsletters
Veterinary health updates
New product promotions
5% discount in our online shop
Don't forget, you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and we also take questions on chicken related matters at The Chicken Vet Forum.
We look forward to seeing you again at The Edible Garden Show 2013!
The Chicken Vet Team
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Visit us at www.chickenvet.co.uk
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