Chickens need all known vitamins and minerals, with the exception of Vitamin C.

Below is a list of Vitamins and Minerals, and the effects suffered by chickens in case of deficiency.

Because of the energy required for flying,birds have a very high demand for oxygen. Even thugh chickens dont fly much, they still maintain these characteristics.

When a bird inhales, half the air passes through bronchi to the posterior (back) air sacs, and the other half goes to the posterior (front) sacs and the lungs. That in the posterior sacs is emptied into the lungs, rather than alveoli, gas exchange takes place between the blood capillaries and the air ‘capillaries’ known as parabronchi. Compared to mamalian gas exchange, that that takes place in birds is much more efficient because the partial pressure is the same as that of the enviroment.

Their lungs are quite different to mammal lungs, because, rather than being a single ‘bag’ for air, they have air sacs spread around their organs, which keep the pressure of air in the lungs constant.

They have no diaphragm, and therefore air flows into the lungs and is pushed out by muscular contraction.

Lcoated at the bottom of the trachea (windpipe) is the syrinx, the birds voice box, and as they exhale they can crow, cluck etc…

Cockerels are generally distinguished by larger head furnishings (combs and whattles) and colourful plumage (feathers).

Head furnishings direct the blood to the surface to keep the chickens cool. In winter, when its cold, chickens head furnishings may seem a little more pale than usual, this is because vasoconstriction occurs, which is where the blood vessels near the skin narrow and more blood is directed deeper down to conserve heat.

Layers pellet or mash for grown  hens

Growers pellet or mash for growing hens

Chick crumbs for chicks aged 0-6 weeks

Disinfectant such as dettol which has the added benefit of being a red mite deterant.

Apple cider vinegar a booster

Grit to help chickens breakdown food

Crushed oyster shell, boosts calcium and avoids soft shelled eggs, can be mixed in with grit

Wormer to worm them

Emergencies

Coxoid for the treatment of coccidiosis

Hibiscrub to clean up wounds

Wound powder for minor wounds

Smite spray for red mite

Red mite powder

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I think you can sex Partridge wyandotte chicks from the instant they hatch  the two sexes look very different. One is  dark with ‘eyeliner’ the others are light with no eyeliner. I am doing an experiment to see if this is true, taking into account other sexing tips like;

* hens develop wing feathers faster than cockerels

* hens have paler combs than cockerels

* hens wing feather tips are more round.

By the end of the experiment, I will update and reveal the result.

All is now becoming clear. The eyelner chicks have very plain plumage and hardly any comb, so they are the females. The males are colouring up, their chests are growing a bit of golden and their combs and wattles are a telltale sign.

The latest images below show the growers after having gone through several juvenile moults.  They now have more adult like feathers. Also, my experiment worked. The ones with eyeliner have indeed turned out to be  girls.

Now the cockerels are no doubt cockerels, and have gone through more juvenile moults to reach a colour that is similar to their final colouring. The hens have grown and matured, but their plumage colour has not changed much.

This is a very big attraction, remember to write it in your diary!!!

Scientist used tho think that only humans and higher primates had brains with structure that is complex enough to allow forethought. The complex arrangement of the neurons, and the  fact that they have a concept of the future suggests that they are intelligent enough to worry. An example of this is shown when a strange person comes to the breeders house, puts them in a box and into a roaring creature with legs that go round and round (a car!!). They dont peck around happily, instead they make noises of alarm and worry what is going to happen to them. An even worse scenario is when they are stuffed into crates, loaded onto a lorry and brought to a slaughterhouse.  This is a terrible state for them to travel in, and they spend their time worrying what will happen to them.

The neocortex is the part of the brain that deals with complex thought. Chickens have one of these too.

An egg can only hold up to 200 calories, and many calories are needed for a big brain. This is why mammals go through the pain of childbirth, because they give their young a constant supply of calories, and their young grow a big brain. Despite possessing a tiny brain (about the size of a pea!!), chickens fit a lot into it. Their spinal chord, and some parts of the brain deals with movement, co-ordination and reflex, while the rest of the brain deals with memory, senses, future conceps and voluntary actions. This is quite a lot to fit into such a tiny brain!

The wyandotte bantam

This version is lighter than its larger counterpart, therefore create less damage to flowerborders, manicured lawns and enclosures. Other than this, they are a replica of their large counterpart.

Cockerels weigh about 1.7kg while hens weigh around 1.3kg. Wyandotte bantams come in a similar array of colours, but my favourite must be partridge bantams.

Partridge wyandottes are very versatile. Like all other wyandottes, they are excellent egg producers, but are also a successful colour in the showring. Unlike colours such as whites and lavenders, they dont get dirty, but are still very pretty birds.

I recommend these birds for first time owners and first time exhibitors, but even if you have owned chickens for many years, these birds still make a delightful addition in any garden.

Wyandottes in general are strong, hardy, kind, easy to tame, good with children, good broodies, good mothers etc.

Head; This is also a good indicator, the nostrils should be clear and free of fluid. If they have runny discharge, the birds could be trying to fight off bacterial or viral infection, otherwise they may be suffering from respiratory disease. Listening to their breathing should determine if they have difficulty breathing, if they wheeze or their breath rattles, they may be suffering from respiratory disease.                                                                                                                                                                   Eyes should be bright and alert, with no discharge or frothy mucus. the beak should lie normally, it should be brown/black/yellow/blue as breed standard will determine.

Legs, feathers and feet; Legs should be smooth, the scales should lie flat. They should be ‘clean’ both in terms of cleanliness and featherless (unless the breed standard calls for it). Their feet should have four toes, no more no less (unless by breed standard they have five toes eg. silkies).                    Feathers  should be smooth, colourful and shiny. They should have appropriate markings for the breed. Some breeds are referred to as ‘soft feathered’ while others are ‘hard feathered’. This refers to feather texture, for example Brahmas feathers are soft and they are classified as soft feathered. Chickens feathers and markings should agree with their breed classification.                                      The vent should be clean and muck free, the base of the feathers should be regularly checked for the buildup of lice, because, along with the wing feathers, the vent feathers are a prime place for lice. It is very important to bear all of this information into account when buying new birds.

It is extremely important to keep your chickens healthy, and if you do, you will be rewarded with eggs and cute chicks.