Thompson & Redwood Poultry

08/07/2024

TIP TUESDAY - Poultry parasites and rainy weather 🐔
With more rainy weather hanging around, the lice, mites and parasites will be hanging around too.
WHY? Wet weather can mean chickens aren't dustbathing as much or are spending more time inside close together. That means that parasites are more likely to spread through flocks. Other bacteria and worms can also spread when coops get wet and muddy.

What can you do?
✅ Try to let your chooks out where possible
✅ Make them a dust bath in their coop if you have the space
✅ Check your birds and your coop for any signs of parasites regularly
✅ Remove any wet or dirty bedding regularly
✅ Treat any infestations as soon as you find them and get ready to re-clean and treat after around 7 days to catch any fresh hatchings.
✅ You can add products like diatomaceous earth to their dust bath to help with pest control

Our poultry feeds now contain postbiotics to support immune health in your flock, a key part of getting them through winter healthy and happy.

05/07/2024

- who says you can't hear a picture? Have a great weekend everyone 🐓

02/07/2024

- THE IMPACT OF STRESS ON POULTRY:
Stress is a major contributor to decreased health and laying in your flock. External stressors are often overlooked, but even little things can upset your birds enough to put them off laying. Understanding some of the common stress triggers can help you to manage them better and look after your flock when they've experienced stress.

1️⃣ Predators - foxes and feral cats or dogs aren't the only predators that can upset poultry. Crows, wild birds and snakes can steal feed or even eggs. Just the presence of a lingering predator can be enough to put chooks off laying. Usually once the threat has been taken away, the stress reduces and they will start laying again.

2️⃣ Moves - moving them to a new coop, new property or even changing things in their existing coop can upset their routine. Usually after some time to adjust, things will get back to normal.

3️⃣ Coop Space (or lack of!) - coop space is a big one! Your coop should allow at least 1 square meter for each bird, and 1 nesting box for every 4-5 birds at most. If they are too cramped or there is too much competition for nesting boxes you may see a decrease in egg production.

4️⃣ New Birds - chickens have a very strong pecking order (yes it's a real thing) so adding new birds can upset their hierarchy. Likewise, taking away birds or losing some that have been in the flock for a long time can also change the pecking order. Always use your biosecurity plan when introducing new birds, and do so slowly.

5️⃣ Poor Diet - this is a biggie! What happens if we eat too many lollies, fatty or low quality foods? We don't have enough energy and our health declines. While scraps can be good treats, they need to be healthy and fed in moderation. Chooks only have small stomachs and will stop eating when full, so try to encourage your birds to eat a high quality, complete feed as a priority, because as nutrient intake decreases, egg production decreases.

There are a number of other stressors like parasites, weather and coop cleanliness which can also impact your birds. If you notice a decrease in production:
✔ Go through the list above and ask yourself if anything has changed
✔ Make some notes on dates and what you've observed so you can look back if you need to
✔ Try to remove the cause of the stress if you can
✔ Give your chooks some time to adjust once the stress is removed
✔ Watch them closely during this period, stress can make them more susceptible to illness
✔ If you suspect there is a problem with their health, contact your local poultry vet

17/06/2024

- For a balanced, healthy diet we recommend feeding your birds using the 90/10 rule - 90% complete feed, 10% treats and scraps. Why?

Treats and scraps, while delicious, can have low nutritional value and fill your birds up without providing them with the nutrients they need. Our birds are very good at self-regulating, so if they fill up on scraps or treats first, they may not eat as much of their complete feed as they should.

When they're not getting enough protein, vitamins and minerals, your flock's egg laying and overall health can decrease.

11/06/2024

The look you give when you needed the rain...but didn't anticipate getting wet🌧 It's been great to have some rain at last, but should chickens be out in the rain?

Chooks often love being out in the light rain because it can bring bugs and worms to the surface! 🐛 Most chickens have water resistant feathers, but they are not waterproof, so they can only handle so much rain before they get soaked.

Young chickens and Silkies (who don't have water resistant feathers) should be kept inside. Prolonged exposure to rain, especially when accompanied by cold temperatures can lead to chills.

10/06/2024

- 4 benefits of feeding a pellet to your birds. But first, what is a pellet? 🅰️ - A delicious cylinder of goodness!
Pellets are made by creating a mash out of grains and protein meals and mixing in vitamins, minerals and supplements (like postbiotics). The ingredients are cooked to ensure their digestibility and nutrient availability, and then formed into the desired shape and size to create pellets.

1️⃣ Pellets provide uniform nutrition - it means that each 'beakful' for each bird in your flock will offer the same nutrients. Hens have strong pecking orders, so pellets can help to prevent some birds getting more than others.

2️⃣ Pellets prevent sorting - chickens are very good at sorting, but often sort out based on colour or 'treats', meaning they might not be getting the vitamins and minerals they need. Pellets make sure they are getting the nutrition they need every day.

3️⃣ They minimise wastage - pellets are easier to store and feed out, and easy for your hens to pick up if they spill.

4️⃣ They guarantee complete nutrition - They are highly digestible for birds, and with the vitamins, minerals and supplements already mixed in, they make sure your birds are getting their daily nutrient requirements.

We offer two specialised poultry pellets, Budget Laying Pellets and Premium Laying Pellets. And the good news? For birds with smaller beaks, you can get our Premium Laying Pellets in a crumbled form called Premium Laying Crumbles.

10/06/2024

Meet the beautiful 'Vegas Showgirl' belonging to our community member Fleur. She loves her T&R Poultry Mix 🌿

05/06/2024

Delicious and nutritious 🏅
Laying Mash is our very popular premium grade mash feed which contains an assortment of cracked grains and seeds, shell grit, protein meals and oil. The nitty gritty (pardon the pun) ⬇️⬇️

✅ Encourages natural foraging and scratching
✅ Contains essential amino acids
✅ High protein (min 16%) for optimum health and laying
✅ Balanced Calcium (3.5%) & Phosphorus to support laying and shell quality
✅ Includes our specialised laying vitamin & mineral premix
✅ A complete and balanced feed when fed at the recommended rate
✅ Made fresh to order
✅ GMO & Antibiotic free
✅ No nutritionally poor fillers
✅ Can be fed as a warm mash by adding warm water
✅ Every bag of T&R sold supports local farmers and local business

Available at your WA stockist 📌

Thompson and Redwood Laying Mash is the natural way to feed smaller birds and chickens. Made using the freshest WA ingredients.

05/06/2024

BIOSECURITY - Do you have a biosecurity plan for your flock?
You may have been seeing the reports on the Avian Flu incidents on the east coast. Australia has very strong biosecurity regulations and practices, but now is a good time to go over your own biosecurity plan or develop one ⬇️⬇️

⚠ EVERYDAY BIOSECURITY PRACTICES YOU SHOULD BE FOLLOWING:
✅ Always quarantine new birds before letting them in with the rest of your flock - a minimum of 14 days quarantine is suggested
✅ Do not allow contact with wild birds wherever possible
✅ Ensure your water supply is clean and fresh, and not contaminated by wild birds, water birds or animal waste
✅ Control rodents where you can, as they can often carry disease
✅ Clean your coops and equipment regularly!
✅ If you share poultry equipment, or buy it second hand, ensure it is thoroughly disinfected before using it with your flock
✅ Practice good hygiene and biosecurity practices around shows (read the WA guidelines here >> https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/livestock-biosecurity/biosecurity-guidelines-bird-events-western-australia)
✅ Get to know the signs of illness so you can pick up any changes early!
✅ Wash your hands after any contact or handling
✅ Watch out for sharing and reusing egg cartons - sometimes these can carry disease.

⚠ OUTBREAK MANAGMENT! In case of outbreaks, the key is to be prepared:
❗ Have you got a safe space to isolate your flock, where they have limited contact with wild birds?
❗ Do you have a visitor policy? Be aware of where your visitors come from and limit outside contact with your flock.
❗ Keep clothing, hands and footwear clean. Any visitors should have clean clothes and shoes.
❗ Do you have a 'hospital' coop? If you notice a bird that is unwell, it's a good idea to isolate them from the rest of the flock. Have you got somewhere to put them if this happens?
❗ Any unusual signs of illness? Report it to your vet.
❗ Familiarise yourself with the symptoms of disease. Depending on the outbreak, there are different regulations for reporting illness. You may need to report it to your local veterinarian immediately.
SOURCE: DPIRD WA

27/05/2024

- Light for Laying Hens 💡
Naturally, poultry layers will produce eggs at a higher rate when the survival chance of their chicks is better. In winter, the weather and lack of food (in the wild or foraging) can reduce and even eliminate a chick's chance of survival. This is why we often see a decrease in egg laying in winter. But it's not the cold that triggers this, it's the decreasing daylight hours!

Adding some extra light hours to your chicken's day can help to maintain and stabilise a more consistent egg production. You could consider:

✅ Adding up to 4-6 hours a day of artificial light, providing the layers with 14-16 hours per day of light.

✅ Set up artificial lights to start at 4:00 AM every morning for 3 hours and again at 5:00 PM every night for 2 more hours.

It is important to emphasize that birds’ welfare is not affected by adding light, after all, birds keep producing eggs in equatorial zones where there is less fluctuation in daylight. We do need to ensure though that their nutrition stays high enough to support health and laying.

Read more on setting up artificial light on our blog post >>> https://thompsonandredwood.com.au/light-laying-hens

22/05/2024

Dust baths - why are they so important? As we come into winter, and the ground is not as dusty, it's vital that we supply our birds with a dust bath to keep them healthy.

Dust baths are a really important chicken ritual - believe it or not they need to get down and dirty in the dust to stay clean. Why do they take dust baths?
✅ To help get rid of parasites like mites and lice
✅ To help control excess moisture and oils in their feathers, to keep them healthy
✅ As a social and recreational activity

Afterwards, they fluff and shake the excess dust off and preen their feathers back into place.

If you find that a lot of the ground is damp or they can't make a dust bath, you can make one for them in their coop including things like:
➡️ Sand - essential ingredient!
➡️ Fine, dry soil
➡️ Ash (make sure it's only from wood with no trash or chemicals in it)
➡️ Diatomaceous earth, which is a natural insecticide


Joan Gundry
i love chooks
2y
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15/05/2024

Our quality, everyday laying pellet - giving your chooks all the nutrients they need without breaking the bank💲

Budget Laying Pellets are a complete feed designed to meet the full requirements for health and optimum egg production in backyard chickens.
✅ 15% protein from quality grains
✅ High calcium levels (4.1%) to support egg laying
✅ Vegetarian friendly
✅ Includes postbiotics to boost gut and immune health
✅ Cost-effective feed

Did you know ➡️ When fed at the recommended rate and paired with a scavenging diet or healthy household scraps, our cost-effective Budget Laying Pellets perform like our Premium Laying Pellets!

Available at your local WA stockist.

Thompson and Redwood have been delivering excellence in stockfeed since 1985. Located in Western Australia, we make a range of feeds for horses, poultry, cattle, sheep, small animals and more. Now stockists of Dodson & Horrell herbs.

14/05/2024

- Why isn't my hen laying?
Have you noticed that your chooks egg production has decreased recently? If they are otherwise healthy, there are some completely natural explanations as to why your chickens might have slowed down their laying...or stopped altogether ⬇️⬇️⬇️

🥚 MOULTING
Autumn is a normal time for chickens to drop their feathers and grow new ones. Feather production requires a large amount of protein, which is also needed for egg production. Hens will prioritise their own health over laying, so will use the protein for their feather growth, and often slow or stop laying. This is a very natural process. It will usually last a few weeks, and to help them through ensure that they are getting a diet high in protein.

🥚 DECREASING DAYLIGHT HOURS
The optimum daylight hours needed for maximum egg production is around 15 hours. So when the days start to get shorter coming into winter, it triggers the pineal gland (which regulates hormones) to decrease activity. This is a very natural process and in the wild would prevent chickens from having chicks that might not survive due to cold temperatures and lack of food.

While these are seasonal reasons, there are some other health and nutrition related reasons that they might have stopped laying, which you need to manage:

❌ POOR NUTRITION
Chickens need a high-quality diet to support egg production, with high protein and calcium, and balanced vitamins and minerals. They are not good at storing nutrients in the body, so if their diet is poor or they are not getting enough feed, chooks will not have the nutrition they need to produce eggs.

❌ ILLNESS OR PARASITES
If your chooks have stopped laying, always check for signs of illness or parasites. Poor health has a big impact on egg production. If you are worried about your chooks health, consult a veterinarian.

❌ PERIOD OF STRESS
External stresses like vermin, predators, moves or new chickens can sometimes upset your chooks and cause a drop in production.

If your chooks are otherwise healthy, and still of a good laying age, turn to their diet. They may not be consuming enough feed, or they may need extra protein and nutritional support.

We're happy to help answer any questions on poultry nutrition, so please send us a message 📨

06/05/2024

Have you been getting out and about to shows with your birds yet? It's great to see our poultry ambassador Cr Reece Jerrett - SJ Shire South Ward out and about with his Frizzles!

No time like the present to get ready for the Harvey Show in between farm jobs, work and council duties!

This Saturday if you’re at the show, be sure to stop by the Poultry Pavilion to have a chat and check out my Frizzles! 🐓

25/04/2024

Why are Budget Laying Pellets one of our customer favourites?
It's cost-effective, without compromising on quality and protein! When fed at the recommended rate, it meets your chicken's daily nutritional requirements for health and laying.
🏆 When paired with a scavenging diet or healthy household scraps, our cost-effective Budget Laying Pellets perform like our Premium Laying Pellets, promoting superior laying!

The details:
✅ 15% minimum protein
✅ 3.5% calcium
✅ Contains Diamond V XPC Ultra Postbiotics
✅ Pelletised form to minimise wastage
✅ Added laying vitamin & mineral premix
✅ Only quality, fresh ingredients
✅ GMO & antibiotic free
✅ Vegetarian friendly
✅ Supports local WA farmers

Available at your local WA stockist.

04/04/2024

Spotlight on Laying Mash! Laying Mash is our very popular premium grade mash feed which contains an assortment of cracked grains and seeds, shell grit, protein meals and oil.
It's irresistibly delicious for your chooks and made from only the freshest ingredients sourced from WA farmers.
The nitty gritty (pardon the pun):
✅ Encourages natural foraging and scratching
✅ Contains essential amino acids
✅ High protein (min 16%) for optimum health and laying
✅ Balanced Calcium (3.5%) & Phosphorus to support laying and shell quality
✅ Includes our specialised laying vitamin & mineral premix
✅ A complete and balanced feed when fed at the recommended rate
✅ Made fresh to order
✅ GMO & Antibiotic free
✅ No nutritionally poor fillers
✅ Can be fed as a warm mash by adding warm water
✅ Every bag of T&R sold supports local farmers and local business.

Available at your WA stockist 📌

02/04/2024

TIP TUESDAY - Moulting Season Support
Moulting is a natural process that birds go through each year (often twice a year) to renew their feathers. They drop their existing feathers and look quite scruffy, then begin growing a whole new set.

It is a big process for their body, and it often means a drop or stop in egg production. Here are a couple of tips to help your girls get through moulting.

✅ Provide plenty of protein! Feathers are 80-85%protein so quality protein is essential for healthy feather production. When a bird is growing new feathers, it can use up almost all of their daily dietary protein, and that's not taking into account the protein needed to lay eggs. Feeding a high protein feed (i.e., 16-18% protein) can help support the new feather growth during this time and help them to get back to their normal egg production sooner.

✅ Allow them access to a complete feed ad lib, and if they normally forage and get scraps, try to make sure they eat their complete feed first, so they're protein intake isn't diluted, and they are getting all the vitamins and minerals they need.

✅ Try to reduce stress as much as possible and avoid adding new hens or changing anything too much.

Your chickens, while they may look scruffy and decrease or stop laying, they should otherwise act normally during moulting season. If they seem unwell, seek veterinary advice.

Our high protein moulting support feeds are:
Premium Laying Pellets - Minimum 18% Protein
Premium Laying Crumbles- Minimum 18% Protein
Laying Mash - Minimum 16% Protein

Available at your local stockist now.

22/03/2024

- who wore it better? We vote for the chicken.

20/03/2024

WHAT ARE POSTBIOTICS? And why have we included them in our Poultry Feeds?
There is a lot of discussion and research around prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics now, not only for human health but for our animal health too. We've added Diamond V XPC Ultra, a postbiotic, to all of our poultry feeds to help with gut and immune health and function. But what is a postbiotic? And how can the addition of a postbiotic provide more definitive health benefits to your bird?

It all comes down to gut health and function. A bird’s digestive system, just like a human’s, is home to billions of naturally occurring beneficial microorganisms and bacteria. These play a key role in how food is digested, the health of the gut and as a result the immune and overall health of the bird.

WHAT IS A PREBIOTIC? – THE FUEL
Prebiotics are the fuels used by beneficial microorganisms in the gut. Prebiotics are often a fibre substrate that is found in the cell wall of a plant which can be used by the beneficial microorganisms in the gut as fuel.

WHAT IS A PROBIOTIC? – THE FACTORY
Probiotics are the live beneficial microorganisms (bacteria) that use the prebiotics (fuel) to make metabolites. A probiotic works a bit like a miniature ‘factory’ which takes in the prebiotics and turns it into ‘the goods’ known as metabolites.

WHAT IS A POSTBIOTIC? – THE GOODS
Postbiotics are the beneficial molecules or metabolites that have been produced through natural fermentation outside the body, which when consumed deliver ‘the goods’ and their associated health benefits directly to the stomach for use by the animal.

Feeding a postbiotic delivers the beneficial components or metabolites produced by microorganisms directly to the bird’s gut where they can be used to support health and overall wellbeing. A healthier bird is a happier bird!

20/03/2024

Based on a commercial ration, our Premium Laying Pellets and Crumbles are superior feeds that helps birds look, feel and lay at their best. The high protein and premium vitamin & mineral premix support healthy skin and feathers, making them ideal for moulting season.

They now contain postbiotics for improved gut and immune health, to give your birds an extra boost!

Available from your local T&R Stockist

08/03/2024

Happy International Women's Day to all those poultry-loving ladies out there, and also to your hard-working egg-laying gals!

29/02/2024

It's the first day of March! Which means moulting season is here. Have you noticed a few extra feathers around the coop? As daylight hours start decreasing, your chooks may be starting to moult. This also means their egg production may start to drop off.

WHAT TO REMEMBER:
👉 Moulting is completely normal and a natural cycle.
👉 It's normally in autumn, but some start moulting in summer.
👉 It can last 8-12 weeks, but sometimes longer.
👉 Keep their protein levels high, feathers are 80% protein so it takes up a lot to grow new ones!
👉 They may stop or reduce their laying during moult, because feathers and eggs both take huge amounts of protein.
👉 Watch out for pecking, other hens may peck those moulting.
👉 Keep a close eye on your chooks and watch out for any pests or illnesses.

28/02/2024

Some of the gorgeous chicks growing up beautifully for the 2024 show season at Echovald poultry stud 🏆 They're growing strong on our Chick Starter & Grower Crumbles.

26/02/2024

What's in our Poultry Mix? Just the good stuff!
It includes our natural mix of grains and seeds including wheat, barley, oats, lupins and black sunflower seeds, vegetable protein meal, our laying Vitamin & Mineral pellet and Diamond V natural postbiotics to support gut and immune health.

🌿 Vegetarian friendly
🌿 Encourages natural scratching
🌿 Natural ingredients
🌿 Sourced from local WA farmers
🌿 Formulated to support optimal health and laying in a range of poultry

📍Available from your local WA stockist

Thompson and Redwood Poultry Mix is the most natural way to feed unprocessed grains. Nutritionally balanced using fresh WA ingredients.

15/02/2024

FACT FRIDAY - chickens can form complex social structures! Each bird in the flock knows it's place on the ladder, and order is established and maintained by pecking. A bird knows it can peck someone lower than them without retaliation, and is accepts pecking from a higher ranked bird.

This is where the expression 'pecking order' originated, coming from a Norwegian zoologist who did a PhD dissertation on chicken behaviour in 1921. Originally 'Hackliste', the term was translated into English as 'pecking order'.

14/02/2024

Happy Valentines day! May you be blessed with gifts of chickens...and maybe some chocolate and roses too.

12/02/2024

Happy Monday! Here is a very judgy-looking Polish that will hopefully bring a smile to your Monday evening.

09/02/2024

Chicken or waterfowl? This bird has the right idea! Hope you are all managing to stay cool.
https://fb.watch/q5h2_vdUOg/

06/02/2024

- Heat stress in chickens - do you know what it looks like and what to do in extreme cases? We're in for some more hot days so being proactive is important, and keep a close eye on your flock for any signs of heat stress. These include:
🌡️Pale wattles and combs
🌡️Panting with beak open
🌡️Holding wings out
🌡️Crouching low
🌡️Lethargic, limp or in worst case, unconscious

If you suspect your bird has heat stress, act immediately to cool them down, by submerging their body up to their neck in a bucket of cool (not icy) water.

The best thing you can do for your birds is to try and avoid heat stress by:
✔️ Making sure they have adequate ventilation and air flow
✔️ Each bird has enough space in the coop
✔️ Feed them in the coolest parts of the day
✔️ Make sure water is cool and fresh. You may need to refresh it regularly or add ice on boiling days.
✔️ Avoid any stresses or too much movement in the heat
✔️ Provide them with frozen fruit or vegetables as treats during the heat of the day
✔️ Ensure they are getting all of their vitamins and minerals
✔️ Supplement electrolytes if they need it
✔️ Misting systems can help to cool the air in their environment, but be careful that it doesn't create wet, damp conditions

29/01/2024

We're in for some more hot days this week, so are your birds getting enough water, and do they have enough access to water?

💦 Water consumption can increase 2-3 times in hot weather
💦 Water needs to be cool and clean, or your birds might not drink it
💦 Water can heat up quite quickly in small containers, so you may need to refresh it regularly throughout the day
💦 Standard drinkers - you need to have 1 for every 20 birds
💦 Cup drinkers - you need to have 1 for every 10 birds

If there is too much competition for your drinkers, some birds might not be getting the water they need.

Stay cool everyone!