health

Probiotics for Chickens: Benefits, Types & Application (2024)

By Chicken Fans Editorial Team

Co-Authored & Medically Reviewed by Dr. A. Ibrar, DVM, Poultry Nutritionist University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, IUB, Selçuk Üniversitesi what are probiotics | when to use | health benefits | types | chicks | how to give | vs antibiotics | vs prebiotics | criteria | growth performance | egg laying | gut health […]

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Worms in Chickens: How to Identify, Treat & Prevent Worms (2024)

By Chicken Fans Editorial Team

Worms in chickens are a pesky problem for backyard chicken keepers and poultry farmers worldwide. They can have a devastating effect on the chicken’s health, weight, and egg production. Poultry worms can even cause death in severe cases.

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Ivermectin for Chickens – Worms, Lice, Mites – Dosage & Practical Usage

By Chicken Fans Editorial Team

Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug to treat worms, scaly leg mites, and parasites. It’s used regularly by veterinarians to treat backyard chickens. However, its use is unofficial, and Ivermectin is officially only sold to treat cattle, swine, and horses.

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Scaly Leg Mites in Chickens – Symptoms & Treatment

By Chicken Fans Editorial Team

Scaly leg mites make a chicken’s leg look thick, scabby, and rough. It’s very common in domestic poultry and can be dangerous when left untreated. We discuss the condition, the symptoms, and how you can treat and prevent scaly leg mites in chickens.

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Free Chicken Saddle Patterns – Printable PDF Apron Templates

By Chicken Fans Editorial Team

Chicken saddles protect a hen’s back from enthusiastic roosters during mating. Without a saddle, many hens suffer severe feather damage and walk around with bald spots. This page lists several printable chicken saddle patterns you can download for free and use to make your own chicken saddle. If you need more info on the usage […]

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Chicken Saddles 101: What, Why & When?

By Chicken Fans Editorial Team

A chicken saddle is a protective guard for hens to cover their back during mating. Roosters aren’t gentle lovers. They grab the hen’s feathers with full force. Often, this results in the hen having a complete bald spot on her back. We’ll take a look at chicken saddles, why people use them, when to use […]

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Free Chicken Saddle Pattern for Regular-Sized Hens (Printable PDF)

By Chicken Fans Editorial Team

A chicken saddle is a fabric shield that protects a hen’s back from a rooster’s claws during mating. The saddle is attached to the hen with elastics and safeguards the hen’s feathers. Remark: This is a pattern for regular-sized fowl, ranging from medium to larger birds. We have several other chicken saddle patterns, including a […]

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Free Chicken Saddle Pattern for Large Chickens

By Chicken Fans Editorial Team

Enthusiastic large roosters can easily damage a hen’s back feathers when mating. A chicken saddle provides a protective shield that prevents a hen from getting bald spots. There are many saddles on the market, but most won’t fit larger fowl. It’s actually very easy to create your own large fowl saddle with a pattern. We […]

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Free Chicken Saddle Pattern for Bantams and Small Chickens

By Chicken Fans Editorial Team

A chicken saddle pattern protects the back of your hens from aggressive roosters during mating. Enthusiastic roosters can easily damage a hen’s feathers, and small bantam hens can quickly turn bald. To counter this, a bantam chicken saddle can provide a protective shield. There are many saddles on the market, but most are for large […]

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Free Chicken Saddle Pattern with Wing Protectors and Tail Guard

By Chicken Fans Editorial Team

A chicken saddle pattern is made of protective fabric to guard the back of a hen during mating. Roosters can be aggressive and grab the hen’s feathers in full force. If you find your hens running around with damaged feathers or bald spots, you can use a chicken saddle to protect its plumage. There are […]

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