Risky Business Going Against ‘Old School’…

I’m probably going to ruffle some feathers with this post; but there are a few things that need to be said about having farm animals as pets. This is going to resemble a conversation as to why wild animals are not good candidates for pets. At the end, it rarely turns out well for the animal. Although there was an uptick in the keeping backyard chickens prior; the Covid-19 lockdowns have caused this trend to soar (right up there with sourdough bread). I like many others smiled and giggled at pictures of chickens wearing knitted clothing, snowshoes (that one came from my bored brain 😉 ), and living in the house. People took it upon themselves to create their own idea of the ‘perfect’ chicken diet and on it went. I will admit to spending more time thinking about the care and feeding of my chickens than is probably necessary. The following is a discussion of some lessons my flock taught me along the way. Oh where to start …

Diet and nutrition. Diet is what you feed them while nutrition is what benefits they get from the diet. While chickens are a hardy bunch and they can and will live off a nutrient deficient diet; it does leave them open to a myriad of diet related diseases and maladies. Treats are fine. Scratch is good. But the feed that you can purchase is scientifically researched and developed for optimum health and production. This falls squarely under the heading of ‘why reinvent the wheel?’

How about those ‘oh so cute’ outfits? I’m not sure about this, but I theorize that this trend may have had its origin in the knitting of little vest for rescued battery hens. For those of you who don’t know, ‘battery’ hens are laying hens that are confined to battery cages for about 18 months before they are culled and replaced. I would like to interject that in 2017 a bill was passed which banned the manufacturing of new battery cages in Canada and began the 15 year ‘phase out’ of the practice. Although not going nearly far enough for animal rights activists, it’s heading in the right direction. In the mean time, there are several rescue operations now that facilitate the adoption of these hens when they have ceased to be profitable to the farmer. Because these hens are kept in a high stress environment they are usually very under feathered. Enter in the knitted apparel. However, many experts see the clothing as counter productive. In the quest to normalize the life of these hens, they will need to be able to acclimate to their new environment which will include the process of refeathering naturally. Further, new growth is fragile and even the slight rubbing of a soft knit will impede that process. Also, knitted apparel is very likely to get caught up, thereby putting the chicken at risk of being left hung up or trapped in a very uncomfortable situation or even possible strangulation. If it is bitterly cold, a saddle is maybe more appropriate. Chicken saddles are sewn to cover the backs of hens that have sustained damage from the roosters nails or spurs. The saddle is a top covering, thereby keeping the heat in and not interfering with the hen’s ability to fluff around the feet which protects that more delicate skin.

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House-chickens: That’s a big ‘NO’. Bringing a chicken in for the night and placing same back in the coop during the day is a sure-fired way to mess up their ability to acclimate. They are then more likely to catch a chill which they will also likely not recover from. Think long and hard about bringing them in from the cold. If bringing them in seems to be an absolute must; be prepared to house them for the duration of the winter. Perhaps consider a garage or other heated (or partially heated) space. Chickens are not house pets. Even a brief visit in the house needs to be followed up with a good scrubbing of the visited area with dissenfectant. Chickens are disease carrying farm animals. There are a couple of diseases of particular concern.

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) salmonella bacteria is naturally occurring in the chicken’s intestine and is shed through their stool. Although people have been known to put diapers on their house chicken, the bacteria is still carried on their feathers despite their looking clean. While the concern is tightened for young children, pregnant women, older adults and people with compromised immune systems; healthy adults are not immune from the risk of infection. The other disease that the centre focuses on is Campylobacter. Although indicators of Campylobacter https://www.cdc.gov/campylobacter/guillain-barre.html are similar to those of Salmonella; they can be more severe. Further, ‘Campylobacter infection is the most commonly identified cause of Guillan-Barré syndrome’. Chicken living in the house? Proceed with caution.

What to do with the chickens when the night time temperatures are dipping dangerously low? I’ve covered this topic in a previous post. However, for context I will reiterate some of what was said there as well as some additional things I’ve learned along the way. First off, humidity is the real enemy here. No water in the coop. Water founts sitting in a protected corner on a warmer outside is best. Second, no heat lamps in the coop. A well insulated coop free from drafts should suffice. I read another unfortunate story of a local resident that had a fire start in the coop from a heat lamp. It burned down his chicken coop and his house. But here’s the new wrinkle for me. Don’t ‘button up’ that coop too tight. Airtight coops produce condensation (moisture) which in turn increases the risk of frostbite. Venting of the coop is essential. Depending on how many chickens are in the coop, just their breathing will produce a fair amount of humidity. I have installed a one of those small Dehumidifier canisters in the coop. Nothing electrical here. They are small hand size containers with beads or crystals that will absorb moisture in the air. Most often sold to RV or trailer owners. When they close everything up and tarp it down, they need to ensure that excess moisture within is not creating a mold/mildew situation. My only caution here is a big one. You need to ensure that the canister is secured in a way that the chickens could not possibly access or overturn it. Consumption of the contents will cause certain death.

While prevention is the best approach, things happen. We recently experienced -41 and our rooster’s wattles sustained frostbite. Now what? Enter in essential oils. I found a basic recipe for a salve and added some healing essential oils. Gently apply to effected areas for both healing and protection.

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