Things I thought I’d never say…

In my last post, ‘Every Girl Needs a Shed’ I went through the daily essentials that I wouldn’t be without. In this post, I thought I’d quickly run through a few other items that can come in handy.

When I do a full clean out of the house and run I use Poultry Shield. This is a multi purpose cleaner which is also one of the most effective things you can buy for tackling lice and red mite. If you use this with DE (Diatomaceous Earth) the red mite shouldn’t stand a chance!

You can buy Poultry Shield diluted and ready to use or you can buy it concentrated and dilute it yourself. To apply it you just spray the area you’re cleaning making sure that you get into all the gaps and places where red mite could hide. I use a cheap pump action spray bottle with a nozzle which is great for getting into smaller spaces like the nest box. There’s no need to rinse it away, just wait until everything is dry before letting your girls back in.

There are a few other things that I like to keep handy: Aloe Vera gel, Anti-Peck spray, Wound Spray and Vaseline.

Aloe Vera gel can be used if your hens have any small cuts or sores. Just apply it to the area and it’ll help to soothe, heal and reduce any inflammation.

I haven’t had to use the Anti-Peck spray very often but it’s always handy to have. Sometimes when I’ve introduced new rescue girls to my existing flock there have  been a few scuffles and the spray has come out!  The idea is that the spray tastes horrible to the hens and stops them pecking.

Wound Spray – I’ve only used this a couple of times. It’s an aerosol spray that’s used directly on wounds, cuts or pecked areas and it helps to prevent infection and kill bacteria. The spray is purple so that when you use it, you can see that the whole wound has been covered.

In normal circumstances the words ‘Vaseline’ and ‘Hen’ would never be used together and I certainly never expected to say, “I’m just going to go and put some Vaseline on the hen’s combs”! We had some really cold weather a while ago and the temperature dropped to -10. I used a thin coat of Vaseline on the girl’s combs and wattles as it can help to prevent frostbite. Warm blood passes through the combs and wattles and helps to cool hens down so try not to over do it with the Vaseline! It can also be used to help treat Scaly Leg Mite – when applied to the hen’s legs it helps to smother the mites and soften the hardened scales.

I’ve only had to do first aid a few times but it’s good to have these things to hand. If you have any other good tips for ‘handy to have’ items for hen keeping then why not let me know? Send me an email, comment below, Tweet me or visit my Facebook Page (see side menu for details).

Here’s to happy, healthy hens!