Caring For Your Backyard Chickens
The Benefits of Backyard Chickens!
More nutritious eggs and meat, convenient all-natural fertilizer, and a great chore for the kids.
Backyard chickens can be an enjoyable hobby and requires very little space unlike other livestock animals.
Chickens are a great way to raise your own food whether it be for eggs, meat or both. By raising your own you have more control over your food and can more easily avoid added chemicals, hormones and antibiotics. Backyard chickens act as a natural pest control by eating ticks, grasshoppers and other bugs and their manure makes for a great all-natural fertilizer. In addition, free range eggs have been proven to be more nutritious with higher vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, and lower cholesterol. Free range meat tends to be more flavorful and more importantly fresher, leading to less food-borne pathogens. Plus, the kids may actually enjoy the chore of collecting eggs and caring for the new pets.
Ps300™ Direct-Fed Microbial Probiotic for poultry is a liquid probiotic solution that has been trusted by poultry farmers for over 30 years to improve gut health and production. It contains dozens of enzymes, trace minerals, amino acids, and vitamins that improve the quality of water, helps control pathogens, controls and reduces odors and dramatically enhances total digestible nutrients.
The combination of beneficial bacteria, enzymes and nutrients found in Ps300 work together to create a healthier gut environment that can lead to increased weight gain, improved feed conversion ratios
INCREASE EGG PRODUCTION
One benefit seen repeatedly when using Ps300™ in the drinking water or mixed with feed, is an increase in overall health and wellness. This leads to better growth and an increase in egg production and quality.
During a study in Ethiopia on layer hens, birds were given Ps300™ in their drinking water over a period of 22 weeks. Egg production, egg quality and body weight were all significantly increased compared to the control group. A similar study showed a 28% increase in egg production and a 3% increase in protein.
In addition to increasing egg production and health, Ps300™ has also shown positive results in decreasing egg mortality and increasing shell thickness and yolk weight. One trial saw a 2% increase in thickness and a 6% increase in yolk weight.
Because Ps300™ decreases the incidence of disease and improves the animals intestinal environment, birds are better able to digest and convert feed into usable nutrients and energy.
DECREASE STRESS AND DISEASE
When Ps300™ balances the intestinal microflora and increases the immune system, incidence of disease drastically decreases. This decreases the need for antibiotics and chemical disinfectants and reduces the stress on the animal.
In addition, when EM-1® is sprayed on the chicken litter or to clean the coop, the microbial environment is increased and foul odors from ammonia and pathogens such as Salmonella are eliminated.
Salmonella Typhimurium, a common food-borne pathogen in poultry, was reduced by 91% in chicken litter that was sprayed with EM-1®. Other studies have seen complete elimination. These beneficial microbes ferment the organic material in the manure and litter and naturally produce enzymes and proteins that suppress the growth of putrefying bacteria.
- MAKE NUTRIENT-RICH COMPOST -
Chicken litter is a great natural fertilizer for any vegetable garden or flower bed. However, manure needs to composted or fermented before applying directly to the soil.
EM-1® products such as EM Bokashi can be used to control odor and accelerate the breakdown of chicken manure when used in the litter. It is completely safe for all animals, even to eat. In fact, EM Bokashi is simply fermented rice bran, and contains high levels of antioxidants and minerals, including 10 types of vitamin E.
If you've already been using EM-1® in the drinking water or feed, or treating the litter weekly with EM Bokashi, then the composting and fermentation has already been taking place. The litter can be directly applied to your garden as you clean out the coop without damage to your plants.
For used litter not treated with EM-1® or if you're worried the litter hasn't been fully composted, simply pile it onto your compost pile and sprinkle with EM Bokashi until coated. Activated EM-1® can also be used instead if added moisture is needed in your pile. Both accelerate the breakdown of organic materials and decrease the time needed for mature compost. See our "5 Tips To Make Great Home Compost" for more composting tips using EM®.
HOW TO USE EM® FOR YOUR CHICKENS
EM-1® or Activated EM-1® can be used in the drinking water and/or feed in backyard chickens. Activated is an extra step, but is significantly more cost effective.
- Simply add to any drinking water daily at a 1:2000 ratio. This is about 1/4 TBSP of EM-1® per gallon of water.
- If you have a 1:128 medicator, commonly used in poultry, this would be 1 quart of EM-1® per gallon of water.
- Add to feed at a rate of 1oz EM-1® per 7.5 lbs of feed. If you want to bulk mix, add 1 gallon of EM-1® per 1,000lbs of feed.
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