I would like to ask for community suggestions for effective methods for “working” hens in an open house environment. The issue we have is that we haven’t found a very effective method to systematically process each chicken in our open house (large open floor with no cages). Our open house contains a little over 500 hens, so only with great difficulty have we been able to do things like methodically vaccinate each and every chicken - and often it causes a panic in the flock which always risks piling/smother deaths. I am very interested what methods have worked for rigging up some type of “corral” or any other method that allows you to systematically process each and every chicken without causing undue stress and panic. Ideas?
Hello Michael,
our veterinarian is a wonder and can do exactly what you request: vaccinate each and every chicken without scaring the others. She works at night by flashlight. 1 helper holds the flashlight. 1 helper puts a hand under a perched sleeping chicken and brings to her. She gives the shot and puts the chicken into another room without light. Adjusts the syringe and waits for the next chicken. She does about 25 chickens in 10 minutes with this method. At the end, opening the door between the rooms allows the chickens to return to their familiar place with the light of the following day.
We mostly vaccinate for Newcastle’s because this is a common hot season disease in north Cameroon A disease that has pushed me toward raising Muscovies rather than chickens.
We do all those things when they are baby chicks…when handling them is very easy. At that stage they are living in a small section of the pen and as they are treated they are released into a different section of the pen. Very easy. As adults they get parasite medicine and other medicines in their water.