garlic

[raine]

Hi all,got my ex-batts on sat. and they have laid 3 eggs,all in the nest box-aren't they clever! I'll post some pics soon but what i really wanted to ask is if anyone has heard that garlic helps stop their poo from being too smelly. (Just read it another forum) I know that it is beneficial but not heard this before. I intend to just pop a clove in their water - that's right isn't it? Also i've read on here about apple cider vinegar but when i do a search i can't find quantities etc. Can anyone help?

[MaureenHall]

Yes, garlic does help with the pongy poo, it also helps deter lice as well (lice don't like the taste in the chickens blood or something). You can either put a clove in their water, or get the powdered stuff and mix it into their food. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is also good for them, I bought mine at Cotswold Chickens, but I think you can probably get it at horsey places as well. Poultry Spice is a good thing to add to their food, especially newly-released ex-batts, it helps with the stress of the move and perks them up a bit

[Suechooks]

Hi all,got my ex-batts on sat. and they have laid 3 eggs,all in the nest box-aren't they clever! I'll post some pics soon but what i really wanted to ask is if anyone has heard that garlic helps stop their poo from being too smelly. (Just read it another forum) I know that it is beneficial but not heard this before. I intend to just pop a clove in their water - that's right isn't it? Also i've read on here about apple cider vinegar but when i do a search i can't find quantities etc. Can anyone help?

In an article in Practical Poultry mag (Sept 2007) there is a recommended dose for Apple Cider vinegar of 10ml per litre of fresh water. It says you can't overdose but too much will put the birds off drinking the water. I use that dose approx and it seems to work. I put a teaspoon of Garlic powder in the mash a couple of times a week too and Limestone flour to improve shell quality (1/2 tsp between 10 daily in mash) and mine still have daily Poultry Spice.

[raine]

Great advice! thankyou both-is the powdered garlic just the normal kitchen type? I've got some of that in the kitchen!

[Suechooks]

Great advice! thankyou both-is the powdered garlic just the normal kitchen type? I've got some of that in the kitchen!

Probably the same but the stuff I use is from horsey/agricultural place as is the Limestone flour and the ACV.

[MaureenHall]

The kitchen stuff is probably far more expensive! I've just had a look on Ebay and found this GARLIC POWDER on eBay, also Horse Supplements, Horse Wear Equipment, Equestrian, Sporting Goods (end time 01-Mar-09 20:49:34 GMT), there's also NEW 1 KG GARLIC POWDER FOR,HORSE, POULTRY,CHICKENS,HENS on eBay, also, Poultry Hatching Incubation, Pet Supplies, Home Garden (end time 20-Mar-09 22:05:51 GMT) which is the same as I use except I got a 500g tub for about £3

[Eyren]

Mine wouldn't touch their food if I put garlic powder in it - I ended up giving the tub away! If you have some ordinary garlic powder in your kitchen you could try that out on them before splashing out on a horse-sized tub?

[HayleyB]

I'd try it in a warm porridge that seems to mask everything as they can't wait to get their beaks in

[Flummery]

Or you can crush a clove and add it to their water.

[Eyren]

I'd try it in a warm porridge that seems to mask everything as they can't wait to get their beaks in

Not with mine - fussy little madams!

I think I'll try the crushed fresh clove in the water idea - we have masses at home from last year's harvest, including a lot of tiddlers that are hardly worth the bother of peeling...

[matthew2riches]

I buy ground garlic from Asda and mix 1 packet in with a 20kg bag of layers mash.

It deters pests and can help with pongypooop.

[jersey bean]

I add bokashi bran and it seems to work, although I will try garlic powder as that would probably be cheaper and certainly easier to get hold of over here.