Just like the human body has bacteria, fungi, and viruses that make up the microbiota in our gut, so do chickens. These microorganisms are vital to the overall health and wellbeing of your birds and necessary for their growth. 

Anatomy

In order to know how to best take care of your chickens, it is important to learn about how their digestive system works. We will go into further detail below about what happens after your chicken picks up their food and uses their tongue to push their food into their esophagus.

The crop

The crop (sometimes referred to as the “craw”) is directly after the esophagus. If you have felt it on your chicken before, then you may have been concerned that it had a tumor. But rest assured, this is the expandable compartment where food is stored until it is broken down further in the digestive process. Because of this, you can see a bulge in this area with your naked eye. Food can remain in this storage area for up to 12 hours.

Proventriculus

The proventriculus is the stomach and this is where digestive “juices” or enzymes break down the food, similarly to how our stomachs work. It is also referred to as the glandular stomach. 

Gizzard

Since chickens do not have teeth, the gizzard is where the “chewing” or grinding of the food happens. This is done by stones or grit that your chicken picks up in its environment as it eats. Therefore, the gizzard is referred to as the muscular stomach.

Small intestine 

The small intestine includes the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. The purpose of the small intestine is to absorb the nutrients from the food that has been broken down and further aid the process of digestion. 

Large intestine

The large intestine includes the ceca, colon, and rectum. The purpose of the large intestine is to separate out the water from the food that is no longer beneficial to the chicken (does not provide nutrients). The large intestine also supports removing waste. 

Gut Health

There are hundreds of species of bacteria in a chicken’s gut that support immunity, fight against disease and infection, and maintain its health. The main things that affect your bird’s gut are their environment, how you take care of them, and what you feed them.

So why is it so important? Well, if your chicken’s gut is healthy, then the digestive process will flow smoothly and work as it should and give your bird all the nutrients it needs to be healthy. However, if your chicken’s gut is not working properly, then your bird is at higher risk for disease, infection, and possibly even malabsorption. 

It is also crucial to the quality of its eggs and the quality of meat (if your chickens are used for this purpose).  

Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Postbiotics

There are things you can do to support the growth, immunity, and overall health of your chickens and that is incorporating supplements or food into their diet that will boost their immune system. 

Prebiotics

Prebiotics act like food for the bacteria in your gut. They are indigestible plant fiber that helps stimulate the growth of good bacteria. You can find prebiotics in high-fiber foods such as:

•     Berries
•     Garlic
•     Sauerkraut 
•     Dairy (cheese and yogurt)
•     Black Soldier Fly Grub 

Probiotics

Probiotics can be found in supplements or food and while your chickens can get healthy bacteria naturally from your yard or treats that you give them, probiotics are important to keep your chickens happy and healthy. 

Probiotics do the following:

•     Supports the immune system
•     Helps with quality egg production 
•     Encourages the growth of good bacteria
•     Aids in growth rates of your birds
•     Helps fight infection and disease 

Sometimes it is necessary to treat a specific disease with antibiotics, but antibiotics kill off the healthy bacteria as well and can leave your chicken defenseless. You can incorporate probiotics by sprinkling some on your chicken’s feed. A great source of probiotics and additional nutrition can be found in Supreme Grubs Black Soldier Fly Larvae. 

Postbiotics

Postbiotics are the end result of probiotics going through the fermentation process, and they are commonly found in fermented foods such as:

•     Kimchi
•     Yogurt
•     Sauerkraut
•     Apple Cider Vinegar

Resources

You can find more information about prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics and how they benefit your birds in our previous blog article here.

It is normal to worry about your chickens as the weather gets colder and to wonder what you should do to keep them warm, happy, and healthy. There are a few dos and don’ts that we will discuss in this article about how to take care of your chickens during the winter.

What you should do

(1) Use Sunlight

The sun is a natural heat source that you can take advantage of for your birds. One of the best options is to use windows with insulation that will trap the heat from the sunlight throughout the day and keep it warm in the coop.

You can also incorporate a run into your coop for those chickens that get antsy and want to get some fresh air. Maybe it is too cold for them to be fully outside in your backyard, but this way they can still feel the sun on their feathers.

(2) Collect Eggs More Often

When your hens are laying eggs in the winter the below-freezing temperatures will make the eggs start to freeze. If the eggs do freeze, then they will start to expand and eventually crack. You will need to collect your hens’ eggs more frequently throughout the winter to keep this from happening.

(3) Use a Water Heater

Your chicken’s water will freeze once it hits colder temperatures. You could either change their water often or invest in a water heater that thaws it out. If your chicken gets dehydrated, then your chicken could get sick, and it will cause a decrease in egg production.

If you do not want to make this investment, then you could incorporate a “sunroom” into the coop and keep the water in that section so that the sun will thaw it out. You can gauge if the place you live gets enough sun during the winter for this option to make sense or not.

(4) Provide Stimulus for Your Birds

Your chickens will get bored easily during the wintertime. Make sure you provide items to stimulate them to keep them busy. This could be a swing, some extra yummy treats, or a puzzle toy.

(5) Use the “Deep Litter” Method

Deep litter is a sustainable and environmentally friendly way to keep your birds warm. You will essentially create compost by layering pine shavings along with your chicken’s waste and feed. By occasionally stirring it up and adding more pine shavings, it will create microbes that will eat the bad bacteria.

(6) Feed and Water Your Birds More Frequently

Chickens are similar to us in the fact that we both exert more energy when trying to keep ourselves warm. Because of this, your chickens will be hungrier and thirstier throughout the day. Make sure the food that you add to their diet for this season is rich in nutrients and probiotics so it will give an additional boost to your bird’s immune system.

A great option is Supreme Grub’s Black Soldier Fly Larvae. This will be a yummy treat for your feathered friends and it contains 40% protein, 25% fat, and 80x more calcium than mealworms.

What you should not do

(1) Do Not Stress

Chickens are more resilient than you think. They are able to withstand cold temperatures with minimal assistance from you. These tips and tools in this article will help you feel more prepared. You already care about your chickens’ wellbeing by reading this.

(2) Do Not Use a Heater

A lot of people think that using a heater will help with warming the coop in the winter. However, this is a huge fire hazard considering the flammable material lining the bottom of your coop. It could also get too warm and cause your birds to overheat during the night.

Chickens’ body temperatures are naturally about 106 degrees Fahrenheit, and they have plenty of feathers to keep themselves warm. You may also see your chickens huddling together and this is their natural way of getting warmth from one another.

(3) Do Not Seal the Coop Completely

Your first instinct may be to close your chickens in at night and keep as much cold air out as possible. However, this traps the humidity inside and increases the chances of the coop developing mold that could make your chickens sick.

You should have some sort of ventilation for your birds. The best way to vent the cold air is through the top of the coop so that your birds will not have cold air blowing directly on them throughout the night.

(4) Do Not Forget a Roost

If you do not already have a roost in your chicken coop, then you will need to get one for winter. Chickens naturally roost together and as previously mentioned, they will do this at night to keep warm and because it is comfortable.

While raising chickens (or poultry in general) may be a fun activity, keeping your feathery friends healthy may sometimes become a challenge. 

No matter how sanitary you keep your yard, there will still be various germs and diseases that may affect your chickens health.

Aside from getting a few products known for their ability to fight off parasites and germs, you should concurrently try to strengthen your chickens health. One of the ways is to strengthen the intestinal flora aka microbiome and introduce some good bacteria to your chickens. There are three terms you should be aware of which can play an important part in rebuilding your chickens intestinal flora and strengthening their immune system.

Prebiotics 

Prebiotics, being non-digestible food ingredients, beneficially affect the host. They do this by stimulating the growth and activity of a limited number of bacteria in the colon. 

They are known for improving the GIT health of poultry. This is because the presence of prebiotics in the diet causes an increase in certain groups of GIT bacteria in the intestines of your chickens and ducks, which are considered to be beneficial to the host. 

In addition, there are various prebiotics that have helped to reduce pathogen colonization in poultry. This has decreased the incidence of infection in birds significantly. 

How to Give Prebiotics to Your Feathery Friends 

Prebiotics come from high-fiber foods, so it is pretty easy to give them to your birds. The added bonus is that they make great treats that they'll love. Here’s a list of some of the prebiotics that you can feed your poultry with: 

• Honey
• Berries
• Barley 
• Garlic
• Black soldier fly grubs (whole dried insect)

Probiotics 

Probiotics form a barrier in the colon of your birds that prevents bad bacteria from attaching to the intestinal walls. They also encourage beneficial microflora in the intestines and prevent pathogen growth. 

The best part is that they support the immune system in general and boost growth rates in poultry. This means that your feathery friends are less likely to fall sick. 

Also, suppose you’re someone who craves an omelet for breakfast every day. In that case, you’d love to know that probiotics keep quality egg production high. Yup, they really do help in keeping your egg supply constant. 

How to Give Probiotics to Your Chickens?

There are a couple of options. The simplest would be sprinkling some brewer’s yeast or garlic powder over their feed.

You can also make probiotic rich treats for your chickens, all by yourself! Here are some of our favorite recipes: 

1. Apple Cider Vinegar

All you need is apple scraps, peels, and sugar.

• Put the scraps in a bowl and add enough water to cover the solids.
• Stir a quarter cup of sugar into the bowl.
• Place something heavy (e.g., a plate) on it and cover it with a kitchen towel. 
• Set it aside for 10 days at room temperature, after which you will use a filter to drain the liquid and remove the solids. 

If you think that the vinegar smells of alcohol or wine, put it back and wait until it starts smelling like a good vinegar.

2. Yogurt 

• Heat the milk to 180 °F
• Cool it to 112-115 °F
• Add your yogurt starter (the good bacteria)
• Mix the yogurt starter with the rest of the milk 
• Pour the milk into jars and incubate it for 7 to 9 hours
• Leave the jars in the fridge to allow the yogurt to cool and set

That’s how simple and easy it is to make probiotic rich treats at home! 

Postbiotics

Postbiotics can be seen as deliberately inactivated microbial cells which have similar benefits as probiotics. 

The benefits provided by postbiotics are uncountable, but we’ll present a summary of them here:

• Improves health and growth performance
• Promotes the immune status 
• Optimize the intestinal microbiota 
• Reduce pathogen pressure 
• Support gut morphology 
• Boost natural defences 

Sources of Postbiotics for Your Birds 

Any food fermented by live bacteria is considered to contain postbiotics. To name a few, here’s a short list:

• Yogurt
• Miso
• Tempeh
• Kimchi
• Certain Pickles 
• Sauerkraut

Conclusion 

The key to healthy chickens and ducks is a nutrient-rich diet, a clean coop, clean water, and most importantly, pre, pro, and post biotics. They will play a significant role in keeping your feathery friends healthy and productive. 

Not to forget, they are very easy to give to your chickens and ducks, whether it’s through commercial feed or homemade treats. And yes, your birds will make sure to thank you for them with loads of fresh eggs.