Greenzonelife

Our first experiment of hatching chicks has failed. Most certainly the eggs were not kept in proper conditions before we got them. They were not stored for becoming hatching eggs.

But we don’t give up. We search this time to find what kind of chicken is the most friendly of all and we found out that silkies are the ones for us. So we went to see some and to get some eggs.

They truly are the most friendly, docile and calm chickens I have ever seen, so they make a perfect pet – especially for children. They like human interaction, unlike other chickens. They love to sit in your lap, snuggling up close and piping quietly like trying to tell you a story.

They come in all colors, hope we got eggs from each of them 🙂

One stood in my lap for more than half an hour, just napping and piping, loving to to be pet. When I put her down she went straight to the coop, laid an egg and then came back for more love 🙂

They are so fluffy 🙂

Hopefully this time we will be more lucky.

A good chicken health is what we want. To keep them healthy, some time our chickens need a bit of help. In special cases, like: weak chicks, dehydration, diarrhea, heat exhaustion, shipping or traveling stress or stress caused by a predator attack or injury, they need a special drink called electrolyte drink. Electrolytes are used to replace the lost of sodium, potassium and minerals in the body. They are also used to re-hydrate and re-balance the body’s pH levels.

It is easy to make it at home using ingredients from your kitchen, this way is always available when you need it. For the dry mixture you will need:

8 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon potassium chloride (salt without sodium)

Mix all the ingredients and store in an airtight container.

When it comes to use it, just dissolve 1,5 teaspoon to a liter of water and offer the drink to your chicks or adult chickens instead of water for few hours and then give them plain water again for few hours. Repeat the process until symptoms disappear.

In extreme cases you can dissolve 2 teaspoons of the electrolyte dry mixture into a cup of water and give to the affected chick or adult chicken by eyedropper a few drops at a time. Only use in cases of emergency and discard any unused drink solution. Always make a new drink every time you need it.

I was searching for a quality, natural, non-medicated crumbs food for my future baby chicks. Unfortunately I could not find any so I ordered some online from an UK Company. This is just to offer them a good start in life. After that I am going to create my own crumbs to feed them using wheat, corn and sunflower seed (those I found to buy organic).

While I decided to grow my chicks medicated-free, this will mean to search for natural alternative to keep their immunity on the highest level by adding different ingredients to their food.

After reading lots of chicken growers pages on the internet I made myself a list with what would be beneficial additions to their feed:

1. Raw rolled oats – antioxidant, helps prevent and alleviate pasty butt in chicks, provides protein, fiber and nutrients, supports immune system health

2. Garlic powder – boosts immune system, aids in respiratory health

3. Brewer’s yeast – important for strong bone growth

4. Sea Kelp – reduce the incidence of coccidiosis in baby chicks, is a prebiotic which improves probiotic activity in their digestive system, contains calcium, iron, niacin, and Omega-3 and vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K,  (recent studies found that Sea Kelp has the ability to act as a natural antibiotic for poultry)

5. Alfalfa – rich in chlorophyll, carotene, protein, calcium and other minerals, vitamins B, C, D, E and K

6. Calcium carbonate (washed, dried and crushed eggshells) – important for strong bone growth

Any of these can be added to their daily feed at a ratio of 1/2 teaspoon per cup of feed.

Growing happy & healthy chicks 🙂