Nutrition
You’ve heard the phrase before: you are what you eat. This phrase also applies to birds. Healthy nutrition is essential to your bird’s growth, so read on to learn more about:
Nutrition for each phase of your bird’s life
Troubleshooting mineral deficiencies in birds
How nutrition can affect your bird’s mood
Enriching your bird’s diet with greens, grubs and grit
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Good Riddance to Rickets
Causes of Rickets Rickets in humans’ chickens and every other animal that gets rickets is caused by a deficiency of Vitamin D3, phosphorus, or imbalance between Calcium and Phosphorus. Of all these, a deficiency of Vitamin D3 is the most common, and that is often secondary to bad feed that has been depleted of fat-soluble vitamins including Vitamin D. Ultimately, rickets usually occurs due to improper nutrition which results in poor skeletal calcification. Signs and Symptoms In chickens, rickets typically causes soft and pliable or rubbery bones and beaks that appear deformed. You can see this and other clinical
Molting in Chickens
In birds, molting is the seasonal process of shedding feathers and regrowing new ones. Feathers are similar to hair or fingernails in both their composition and in the fact that once they are damaged or worn, they can only be replaced by regrowth. Molting allows birds, including chickens, to keep their plumage in good condition and to adjust their plumage to seasonal temperature changes. How Does Molting Work in Chickens? To understand molting, you must also understand what it takes to lay an egg. Biologically speaking hens need to be sexually mature females to lay eggs and they need
Foods Toxic to Chickens
What NOT to Feed Your Bird Many backyard chicken owners will give their feathery friends a multitude of treats or table scraps without hesitation. Although some foods that we eat are also edible for chickens, it is important that you don’t mistakenly feed them any foods that are toxic to them but safe for humans. When considering if a food item is safe for chickens, you must consider the food item itself and the factors that may contribute to the toxicity of the food. Below is a list of toxins dangerous for all bird species, not just poultry.
Digestive Issues in Chickens
We all want to make sure our chickens are happy and healthy. Just like us humans, diet and nutrition are essential for the overall health of chickens. The following article focuses on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of chickens and how best to keep our birds happy and healthy with respect to diet and nutrition. Gastrointestinal Tract of a Chicken From start to end, a chicken’s digestive tract is quite different than our own, though there are some analogous parts between our two species. The chicken picks up food with its beak and secretes saliva to help moisten the
Poultry Nutrition through the Life Stages
Different types of poultry need different nutrients. A variety of diets should be fed based on the age, sex, and intended use of your birds. These diets have varied amounts of water, protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Each specific diet will help support basic body functions first and foremost, but can then be tailored to providing rapid growth for meat birds, consistent egg production in layers, and a full glossy plumage in show birds. If your poultry is not getting the nutrients that they need for meeting their full performance potential, your birds will grow slowly, lay fewer