Rats and mice can be pesky little creatures and the last thing you want is to have them burrowing under your Bantam chicken houses, attacking your chickens or even creating holes in your Bantam houses. So follow my top tips to ensure you will not be “caught with egg on your face” or end up spending the morning “walking on eggshells” because you have problems with rodents and have not put in place a good rodent control solution.

Our rodent control blog will give you some essential guidance on rodent control and ways to prevent your Bantam chickens “flying the coop”. Have you ever had problems with rats causing an awful mess underneath your chicken houses? Do you have endless tunnels burrowed below and want to put an end to the rats reign? Are you worried that your poor little chickens might catch diseases or even get gnawed at by these pests? Follow these prevention tips and your chickens will be “ruling the roost” again in no time.

A good strategy to deal with rodents is to follow the process of denying them shelter and foods, putting into place an on-going pest control program and encouraging other farms and houses in the area to put into place a similar program. It is important to bear in mind that these creatures breed extremely fast and without dealing with the problem together with your neighbours these issues will continue to grow. Some suggested rodent control methods are given below:

Denying Rodents Shelter and Food

• Make your chicken houses rat proof buildings by using concrete floors and foundations.
• Build your houses on high legs and use hardware cloths to screen windows, pipes vents, and drains.
• Check buildings on a regular basis for holes and make necessary repairs – this denies access to rodents and discourages them from making homes around and under your chickens.
•  Store your chicken feed in metal or plastic containers when possible and clean up spilled feed as soon as you can.
• For general cleaning, you can clean your house out with specialised Treatments such as Stalosan, Netlex Viratec, Poultry Shield and other similar products. Give your house and run a good hose down and spraying with Disinfectant when finished.
•  Do not have open and unsanitary dumps on your farm – dispose of it correctly and as quickly as you can.
•  Stack lumber and building supplies 1 foot off the ground and never stack wood next to buildings.
• Avoid creating junk piles and storing old machinery or equipment – these make good rat and mice homes.

Suggested Rodent Control Solutions

• Use rat and mice traps around your chicken houses to catch these pests. Good types of bait are fish, oats, bacon and even sweets – yes these creatures have been known to have a sweet tooth and an eye for candy!
• Ensure that your traps are well placed to encourage success – rats like to follow “natural runways” in the ground so place your traps around here as much as possible.
• Make sure any traps are purchased with safety for you and your chickens in mind.
• If a trap is not an option and you would like to try another route, the good old fashioned cat solution could be considered. Remember the days of “Tom and Jerry”? Well cats do love the thrill of joining the “rat race” so this could also be the answer for you.
• As a last resort you can use a poison – if you use this method you should think very carefully about the possible impact to children and other non-target animals. Additionally, you must make sure that the poison is laid in areas that only the rodents can access in order to use this method safely and effectively. Make sure that you follow any instructions on the packet carefully and monitor the locations regularly.

Putting into place these solutions should ensure you have no problem in getting your rodent issues under control. As previously mentioned, they breed very rapidly so to ensure success you will need to attempt to encourage neighbours to join you in your fight.

For further guidance and information go to the contact us page and we will happily assist you as much as we can.

Happy rodent hunting!

Diseases in your Bantam chicken coop can be a nightmare and the last thing you want is your feathered friends to be suffering with an illness. This Bantam chicken blog will look at ways to prevent diseases and includes a handy list of the most common poultry diseases. We will also point you in the direction of an informative resource to recognise the symptoms of each disease and ways to treat each one.

Do you want to avoid “running around like a headless chicken” because one of your flock has a terrible disease? Make sure you are not caught with “egg on your face” because you have not done all you can to prevent disease in your Bantam chicken coop. Prevention is the key to a happy flock. Follow our handy tips to ensure you are doing all that you can for your chickens to remain disease free.

•  Spend time with your Bantam chickens. Not only will your flock enjoy your company but you will be able to keep a close eye on their behaviour, the look of their droppings and the appearance or their feathers to ensure that you spot anything unusual quickly. This will enable you to deal with any symptoms straight away and prevent the spread of diseases.
•  If you do find a sick bird and realise you have gained a “bad egg” make sure you keep it away from the rest as quickly as you can to ensure the disease does not spread through them all.
•  Make sure you have regular cleaning routine in your chicken house. Keep all food, water dishes clean and contained and use appropriate cleaning products as often as possible.
• Rodents carry diseases so it is very important to prevent rodent’s living around and under your coop. Please refer to our previous blog on rodent prevention for further guidance on keeping rodents under control.
•  Avoid giving your chickens any scraps of food. This may be mouldy or contaminated and we all know you love your flock so don’t give in and risk disease.

Some common symptoms of disease include: Coughing, wheezing, labored breathing, warts/scabs, swollen joints, loss of feathers, reduced egg production, thin egg shells, fever, abscesses or open wounds, paralysis, twisting of neck/head, discharge from nose/mouth, diarrhea/blood in stool, not eating/drinking, weight loss, retarded growth, lack of coordination, or an enlarged abdomen.

Below are the common poultry diseases. You can find out more about each one including, symptoms and treatment at: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

Respiratory Diseases

•  Fowl Pox
•  Newcastle Disease
• Infectious Bronchitis
• Quail Bronchitis
•  Avian Influenza
•  Infectious Coryza
• Infectious Laryngotracheitis
• Turkey Rhinotracheitis
• Chlamydiosis
• Swollen Head Syndrome
• Mycoplasma gallisepticum
• Mycoplasma synoviae
• Mycoplasma meleagridis
• Aspergillosis

Viral Diseases (non-respiratory)

• Marek’s Disease
• Lymphoid Leukosis
• Infectious Bursal Disease
• Equine Encephalitis
• Avian Encephalomyelitis
• Egg Drop Syndrome
• Infectious Tenosynovitis

Non-respiratory Bacterial Diseases

• Fowl Cholera
• Omphalitis
•  Pullorum
• Necrotic Enteritis
• Ulcerative Enteritis
• Botulism
• Staphylococcus

Don’t be a “bird brain” – by following these simple tips you will significantly decrease the risk of diseases within your Bantam chicken flock. For more information, guidance and support please head over to our contact us page. Send us a message or give us a call and we will be happy to see what we can do to help.

Keeping your poultry feed fresh and uncontaminated is very important. When newly purchased you will see a label on the packaging stating the ingredients and Vitamin content etc., similar to our own food. The vitamin content and relative benefits degrade as the  poultry feed gets older, even when kept in good conditions. The benefits degrade even faster if not kept in damp free and rodent proof containers for any lengthy period of time.

Water or excessive damp contamination will lead to various problems, the feed gets claggy, will not run through the access hatch and once damp,  will go mouldy very quickly. The mould is very dangerous to your poultry, at worst, ingestion could kill your birds, just make them poorly to the point they slow down laying eggs and give them respiratory problems.

Outdoor Poultry Feeders must be rodent proof for two most important reasons. Rodents do not wipe their feet before hopping from the chicken yard into the Poultry Feeder and are forever urinating on everything they clamber over including what they eat. You do not need to be told how much disease they can spread and when you see a couple of rats, bet your bottom dollar there is a mass population of relatives nearby. Also your feed costs are going to increase dramatically, not only are you feeding your own poultry but large families of rodents as well. Do not underestimate food losses from this problem.

Access of wild birds to your Outdoor Poultry Feeders is as problematical as rodent access. We have all heard recently of Avian Bird Flu being spread by wild birds and infecting our poultry, again, you need to protect the health of your flock and the wealth of your pocket by only allowing access to the feed by your poultry.

With all this doom and gloom you may well be thinking, what is the point of a large Outdoor Poultry Feeder, do not despair. When taking the proper precautions and thinking the problem out there are several successful ways to achieve this.

One golden rule is to never put more food in the Outdoor Poultry Feeders than your poultry will eat in a day or so. You check your birds daily, so why not feed them a daily ration.

little Pekin Bantams need Wellington Boots as they are so low to the ground their

tummies get wet and muddy as do their feet and feathery legs.

This causes problems as the mud dries on them, mites and bacteria thrive in

these conditions leading to various health problems,

Scaly Leg being one of them. Also it must be very uncomfortable to have

clumps of mud hanging off their little bodies, so careful bathing of the

dirty areas is advisable. Cleaning gently with a damp cloth or sponge in

warm water with a mild antiseptic is acceptable, but do not do it when

the weather is freezing.

As you pick up the birds it will give you a chance to check on their weight

and general health. Look out for loss of weight, dull eyes, general

lacklustre appearance and manner - any snuffles or nasal discharges,

poor feather condition - swelling on the legs, lameness and the leg scales

standing proud.

Scaly Leg is a painful condition caused by a mite burrowing under the leg

scales and causing them to thicken and look as though they have opened up.

Apply vaseline or similar for 7 to 10 days, this will cause the mite to

suffocate and the scales will eventually regrow, this can take up to a year.

Silkie Bantams just want to be mothers, no other aspirations that I could see – that was their main purpose in life. If they did not have a brood of chicks they would go broody and hopefully sit on a clutch of eggs. I’m sure there was collusion there, because if one went broody the other would follow suit in a matter of days and believe it or not – they would both share the clutch of eggs. When the brood hatched they even shared the rearing, truly amazing.

It was quaint to open the nesting box and see two white balls sharing the same nesting box. When ever the eggs proved infertile we would slip 3 or 4 chicks from another brood under them in the night. Their maternal instinct was so powerful they never realised, all they knew is that they had chicks and instinct would take over.

Always be aware that a sitting bantam or hen is far more susceptible to mite and lice infestation as she will not peen or bath during this time. Keep the house and nesting boxes well dusted with Diatoms.

Since January 2011 there has been a legal requirement that diesel must include a percentage of Bioethanol, organic fuel derived from cereals. As this is organic there can be problems with microbial growth, this can cause acid, rusting and sludge forming in farm storage fuel tanks which in turn will result in filter clogging and corrode components.

Generally this will happen when water created by condensation, is present in the fuel tank, which could create serious consequences to engines, at the least it could just clog filters, but in the middle of harvesting frustrating and time consuming to say the least.

You can usually be made aware of the problem by the following – Odour similar to rotten eggs – Sludge, slime of murky appearance – Greeny grey dark coloured fuel – Corrosion, due to acids being produced.

One way of reducing this problem significantly is to store your fuel in a bunded tank, this will protect from condensation occuring and sludge forming in your fuel tank during extremely low temperatures.

If sludge formation does occur you can use a heavy duty, anti static, fast flow funnel, with built in filter technology. The funnel collects the water and any debris in an inbuilt sump for proper disposal.

Soltron is an enzyme you add to the fuel tank, this will kill and dissolve the bacteria leaving the fuel safe.

Finally you can exchange your old single skin fuel tank for a new fully bunded one.

Hope this has been helpful.

Do not panic, your poultry are more than likely quite healthy, the best course to follow is to feed a high quality Layers Pellet or Layers Mash through the day. This will ensure your chickens are getting all the correct nutrients for the production of eggs.

Keep the feeding of treats to a minimum, ( mixed corn, cabbage, meal worms etc), and only give them at the end of the day, chickens like a full crop to go to roost on.

Apple Cider Vinegar added to the drinking water at 2% for 1 week in every 4 is also good practice.

Loose droppings can also be caused by a change in diet, now the spring is coming on, more bugs in the ground, fresh green shoots to consume etc.

Apple Cider Vinegar is a wonderful product derived from one of  Mother Natures fruits and is primarily naturally occurring Acetic Acid, packed with vitamins, minerals, trace elements that are all great aids to your chickens health.

Applied to the drinking water at the rate of approximately 1 – 3 ml per litre.  Apple Cider Vinegar is a great boost to the circulatory system, acting as a general body conditioner and natural antibiotic, enhancing the digestive process and generally improving the well being and condition of your chickens, improving their immune system and therefore assisting the natural defenses against internal and external parasites.

As we know, chemical applications for worm infestations certainly kill the parasites but do very little for wellbeing, so further products are then required to return the chickens to their original condition.
Apple Cider Vinegar does not kill the parasites but the effect is to cause irritation and which in turn releases their hold on the intestinal lining and they pass out via the faeces.

Always having access to Apple Cider Vinegar will keep your hens in good health and I find it helps them to regenerate their feathers after the annual moult. Another benefit being they are always in good condition and do not readily succumb to the usual poultry ailments. The product is a great benefit to reducing the symptons of stiff joints and very noticeable on our very elderly hens as they walk out of their house in the mornings.

Apple Cider Vinegar even works for me. ( I hasten to add, it works on my joints – not my feather regeneration )

Because chickens  create loads of moisture, heat and ammonia, there’s your answer.

Ventilation keeps down the humidity and dampness from the chicken house. It is not only their breathing that produces moisture, they also produce copious amounts in their droppings, (and they do ‘drop’ a lot). Chickens do not urinate like other animals instead their urine is contained in the droppings. All of this moisture increases the humidity and also increases the risk of respiratory diseases.

Keeping the house ventilated will also reduce the amount of Ammonia in the air. Even small amounts of Ammonia can cause harm to the lung tissue, so unless you are going to stand there and remove each dropping as it happens, keep the house well aired. As a rule of thumb, if you can smell Ammonia then there is enough to cause tissue damage.

Ventilation will also keep the chicken house cool in the summer, hens do not like getting overheated, it affects their egg laying performance and it is also uncomfortable for them. Try to keep the temperature in house no higher than the outside temperature. The heavier type of hen can die from heat exhaustion above 90 degrees F.

Always keep the house ventilated, even in winter, this does not mean have a wind tunnel in there, but allow damp air and Ammonia fumes to go out; i.e.ventilate without draughts – pretty much how we like it in our house. I have found the best way is to have the apex of the roof open with a cover to stop the rain entering – seems to work well.

How much do you need? – Approximately 1 square foot per 10 square foot of floor area in winter and half as much again in the summer. Square holes similar to the hutch door are great, cover with insect proof woven wire and also be able to adjust the amount of ventilation with a sliding shutter or similar.

Remember, we like to be comfortable in our surroundings – So do your chickens and bantams

Whether the nesting box is for any bantam or even any hen there are basic rules that apply in most cases.

We have found the best dimensions for both types is approx 12″ x 12″ x 12″, some of the entrances to the nesting boxes are only 10″ high. Hens and bantams like to go somewhere secluded to lay their eggs.

Most importantly, the nesting box must be clean and dry with the type of bedding the tenant can make a nice comfortable nest from. We like a comfy armchair, desk chair and bed, so why not your chickens. Treat your chickens as you like to be treated – Ok, not quite sit up to the table with a knife and fork etc or come in a watch the telly, (mind you I have seen chickens walking around the farmhouse and roosting in the bedrooms, but that is another story),  – but I’m sure you follow my drift. The same goes for any livestock and pets in your care.

We put nice soft hay in the nesting box, we are fortunate to have access to good meadow hay, however there are many suitable materials available which will do the job adequately.

If your nesting box is an external addon to the house make sure no water can run down between the join. Water ingress here may not be obvious and eventually rot will set in.