Specializing in good producing dark brown egg layers
 with excellent meat bird qualities and good temperaments. We raise for sale hatching eggs, chicks, chickens, hens, pullets and roosters.
 

FLOCK CARE

This page contains information on how we raise our flock.

The Sizer Family Farm
New Castle, VA 24127
chickens@sizerfarm.com

     FEED:  We do not believe in feeding medicated feeds so all of our feed we use is unmedicated.  Our flock is started on a 24% protein ration to start with, then when they are about four weeks old they go on commercial chick starter which runs 21% protein.  The higher protein gives the chicks a better start, as heavy breed birds need more protein.  Commercial chick starters are formulated with the white egg laying breeds in mind and not for the faster growth of the heavy meat type brown egg layers.  Later on they begin eating regular laying mash.

     My laying flock is free ranged and fed a locally mixed commercial laying feed. They get kelp on occasion sprinkled on their grain and garden scraps in the summer and since they can range they eat a wide varity of grasses and insects.

     We do not supply grit because our chicks and hens range and are able to find their own grit.  We do put out oyster shells on occasion, but our high calcium water also helps supplement our hens for good strong shells.

     VACCINATIONS:  Since we have a consistently healthy flock, we do not vaccinate our chickens.  We have not had any problems with any diseases in our flock and our losses have been extremely low.

     DISEASE PREVENTION:  As of July 14, 2009, our entire flock is certified Pullorum-Typhoid free! We are enrolled in the NPIP and the chickens are also all certified free of Avian Influenza as of August 2009.

     My losses have been very low.  I don't do anything real special but somehow I managed to have extremely healthy chickens

     MISCELLANEOUS: Our hatch rates have been great and sometimes excellent when I incubate my own eggs. I use a Sportsman primarily but have had excellent hatches in Hovabators, the main difference being the Hovabators need to be watched over more carefully.  I have had 90% hatches but no less than 65% with my own eggs.

     We do not put lights on our chickens to keep them laying during the winter.  Our theory is we like to have a break sometimes ourselves so we let our chickens rest too.  Because of this, our chickens don't always lay well during the winter.  I suspect if I were to put lights on them they would keep on laying but as I said, I prefer to let them rest as it can be harsh where we live in the wintertime.

    We have occasionally had mite and lice problems but they are easily controlled with once or twice a year treatments. Keeping the chicken house good and clean helps with that as well as a liberal dose of diatomaceous earth in their dust bathing areas.