Specializing in good producing dark egg layers
 with excellent meat bird qualities and good temperaments.
 

FLOCK CARE

This page contains information on how we raise our flock.

The Sizer Family Farm
Rural Route 1 Box 1180
New Castle, Virginia 24127
540-864-5340
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 Purina Chick Starter/Grower mixed with Game Bird Starter at the ratio of two part chick feed to one part game bird starter.  This gives the chicks more protein, which is necessary for meat-type birds.  Commercial chick starters are formulated with the white egg laying breeds in mind and not for the fast growth of the heavy meat type brown egg layers.  We like to keep them on this mix until they are at least two months old.  When they are older, we switch them over to a good chick starter like Southern States brand or the feed carried by the local feed mill, Big Spring Mill in Elliston, VA.  Later on they begin eating regular laying mash.

     My flock is free ranged and fed a locally mixed commercial laying feed as well as some whole grains on occasion. They get kelp on occasion sprinkled on their grain and garden scraps in the summer.

     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 or parasites in our flock and our losses have been extremely low.

     DISEASE PREVENTION:  I do not test for any diseases but I haven't had a reason to suspect any problems with my flock.  My losses have been very low.  I don't do anything real special but somehow I managed to have extremely healthy chickens with excellent hatch rates when I incubate my own eggs.  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.