Pre-Biotic v Pro-Biotic

Exercise and myself have a decidedly frosty relationship. I'm far too lazy for all the running, cycling and lifting of heavy things, a necessity to be healthy in this modern age. Frankly, it all rather looks like too much work, if you ask me. Plus the smooth sounds of James Taylor on my generic MP3 player is more likely to put me to snoozing, as opposed to running five miles.

Ducks in the Field

I have however taken a different tactic, I try to eat as healthy as possible. Salads, fruit and lots of rice dishes. But what I have never been able to get on with is the little pots of yogurt that you're meant to drink everyday. They just taste horrible to my taste buds. It has led me to wondering though, what is the difference between a prebiotic and probiotic?

Biolink Tonic

The world of chicken keeping isn't that different either. There are several poultry tonics advertising themselves as being Prebiotic or Probiotic aids for your flock. But what is the difference?

After a little investigating the difference is actually fairly simple. A Prebiotic is a general term that applies to things which promote and induce the growth of beneficial micro-organisms that help the well-being of the host. A Probiotic is a term that covers things that actually contain the beneficial microorganisms already. So, if its a Prebiotic you're helping them grow, if its a Probiotic you're hens are just drinking or eating them directly.

The Biolink Prebiotic Multivitamin Poultry Tonic 500ml is a liquid complement for laying chickens. The Prebiotic is introduced into the intestine ensuring a suitable environment so the beneficial bacteria can take up residence, giving your hens a much needed boost. It also contains antioxidants to aid in strengthening the immune system and and multivitamins for the general well-being of your bird. At a dosage of 15ml per 2 litres of drinking water it goes a long way when feeding to a bird for a period of 3 - 5 days.

Net-Tex Mineral Supplement

At the other end of the scale is the Net-Tex Mineral Powder 450g, with probiotics and seaweed, for a complete nutritional diet. Containing Probiotic Saccaromyces Cerevisiae, high in protein, amino acids and B vitamins, the Probiotics stimulate extra immune protection for your girls. The added seaweed aids in eggshell quality, while the limestone and grit help the chickens all round natural condition. A rounded teaspoon added into the feed will aid around 15 birds a day, while you should add the Net-Tex Mineral Powder 450g to feed roughly twice a week for maximum benefits.

The difference in the end between Prebiotics and Probiotics is fairly simple, and both will aid your hens in being healthy. If you have any questions about supplements to give your hens why not leave a comment below or call us at Flyte so Fancy on 01300 345229.


Thanks for Reading
James

Lights, Camera...Protection Pen

The 19th of June 2013.

Two brave Flyte so Fancy workers set out into the summer heat to build a Flyte so Fancy Poultry Protection Pen.

Under the savage sun they relentlessly toiled, overcoming exhaustion and besting the remorseless Dorset sunshine...

Protection Pen with Hobby Hen House

...OK, if I'm being honest, the Ops Manager Richard and myself have built thousands of these Poultry Protection Pens, and it wasn't quite as dramatic as the opening might suggest. I do however remember it being very hot.

The difference this time is that we set up the Flyte so Fancy camcorder to show the process of building one of our walk in pens, just how easy to assemble they really are. With an cordless screwdriver, an assistant and a cup of tea, you can have the 9 x 9 protection pen together in an hour.

The protection pen is a light-weight walk in chicken run, to keep your hens safe from predators, other wild birds and contaminants. Made from panels, that simply screw together the Protection Pen is completely wired in inch by half inch weldmesh, which is incredibly durable, will stop foxes from breaking in and is plastic coated to keep it looking smart. A strong stable unit once fully assembled, the Protection Pen is an ideal secure run for your chickens.

Coming in a range of sizes from 9ft long up to 24ft long, the chicken pens can also come in variances of width, 6ft or 9ft, the smaller 6ft wide Junior Protection Pen being ideal for smaller gardens. There are also numerous extras for the Protection Pens, handles for smaller sizes for easy moving, mating panels for hen houses, no dig skirts to prevent predators burrowing in and the addition of a polycarbonate roofing to help protect your birds from the rain.

In our video Rich and myself are constructing a 9ft x 9ft Protection Pen (myself playing the role of the gangly Igor). The video has been sped up, however we had the pen built within half an hour. The addition of the handles is but a minutes work, and with the help of Mark and Toby from the workshop, it really demonstrates both how strong these chicken runs are once finished and how easy they are to move.

If you would like to know more about our Protection Pens, or would like to know which chicken run might be best for your and your hens, why not leave a comment below or call us on 01300 345229.


Thanks for Reading
James

The Best Selling Poultry Feeders

After last weeks blog about the best selling poultry drinkers here at Flyte so Fancy, we thought we'd follow it up with the other necessary for chicken keeping and have a look at the best selling poultry feeders.

If there is one thing that chickens like doing it is stuffing their beaks (well the Flyte so Fancy flock do at least) so making sure that you; have a hard wearing, durable feeder that isn't going to get knocked over, filled with rubbish or let them throw food everywhere, is important.

• BEC Wise Feeder

FSF HQ has stocked the Wise Feeder for a couple of years now and are still impressed by its really clever and well thoughtout design. With a rain shield to protect the feed, a large lip on the front to keep the feed in, dividers to stop hens throwing the food out and a changeable feed flow control plate; everything about this feeder has been designed to avoid waste and prevent vermin accessing your feed. 

5kg Cage Mounted Wise Feeder

Available in either a 5kg cage mounted option or as a 10kg bracket mounted feeder, these really are popular with both back garden chicken keepers and larger flocks too. The ability to add extension cartridges means you can increase the feeders capacity by increments of 5kg, to hold more feed. The dimensions of the wise feeder are 12 inches by 5.5 inches by 7 inches. 

• 6kg Blenheim Feeder

The Blenheim Feeder is a brilliant heavy duty plastic feeder made in the UK, designed to hold 6kg of layers pellets. With its set of stable legs to lift it up off the ground, to avoid feed contamination,  it also comes with an anti-flick ring to avoid food wastage and an anti-perch lid to stop hens sitting on top and ruining the feed. 

6kg Blenheim Feeder on a Feeder Stand

This brilliant feeder also comes as an outdoor option, with a large lift off rain hat that sits nicely over the feeder to keep your feed out of the weather. These feeders are great for the smaller flock owner of 12 chickens and provide a real high quality sturdy feeder for your chickens. Standing at 15 inches high and 14.5 inches in diatmetre this is a sensible sized feeder for chicken runs. We often use these for the hens that live in the houses of the Flyte so Fancy shop display area and find them absolutely ideal.

• Treadle Feeders 10kg & 20kg

An improved new design in the last few months has seen these already spectacular and very popular treadle feeders get even better. Suitable for chickens, ducks and turkeys, the treadle feeder is a great all weather outside feeder, which prevents both vermin and wild birds getting at your feed as they are not heavy enough to trigger the treadle mechanism.

10kg Treadle Feeder

The new design features tough plastic components for the treadle, the hinged hopper lid and the feed trough. Much quieter in operation, you can also alter the weight at which the treadle activates. The trough also has an anti-flick grid to prevent wastage. The treadle feeder stands at 22 inches high by 14 inches wide and 20 inches deep. This is a large feeder.

A large feeder, it is ideal for the owner of a small flock of chickens for putting their feed in and not having to worry about topping it up every other day, just as it is perfect for those with a large flock of birds in a wide paddock. You should allow around 200g of pellets per bird per day and so these feeders are ideal for keeping your feed secure and dry. The trough measures in at 14 inches wide and so allows several hens to feed at once.  We have several of these feeders set up here in the FSF poultry paddock.  

• Galvanised Feeders

Galvanised chicken feeders are continually popular with people looking for a heavy duty sturdy feeder that is going to last them years and years. With an adjustable height tube for changing how quickly the feed is dispensed and a large locking raincover lid that also has a handle. 

Galvanised Poultry Feeders

The 2.5kg feeder is incredibly popular and very well suited for small flocks of up to 10 birds, whilst the larger 7kg feeder offers a larger option for more birds. The 2.5kg Galvanised feeder is a very popular feeder, measuring ten and half inches high with a feed pan diametre of ten and a quatre inches providing plenty of room for multiple birds, which despite the initial cost will last for many many years. 

• Covered Anti-Perch Feed Trough

The green plastic feed trough is a strong plastic trough, with a really well thought out and clever design. It is suitable for all kinds of poultry and is especially good for ducks as it prevents their feed being spoiled by rain. 

Anti-Perch Trough

24 inches long and standing 6 inches high, the clip on lid prevents birds perching on top of your feed trough, while the large feed access holes on the side make feeding easy. Internally the trough is split in two, so you can fill one side with grit or water and the other with feed. 

The anti-perch feed trough is perfect for hens that still prefer mash as opposed to pellets, great for feeding younger birds crumb or growers pellets or with ex-bat hens with smallholder layers crumble and proves a popular feeder among keepers of both chickens and ducks. 

Chicken Lunch Time

Again this is merely a small selection of the many feeders that we stock here at FSF HQ, from trough to hanging feeder or galvanised to plastic. If you have a question about one of these feeders or would like to know which might be best for your flock and garden, why not leave a comment or give us a call on 01300 345229. Equally watch Boss Phill talking through the various feeders available in our guide to poultry feeders here on our Youtube channel.

Thanks for Reading

James

The Best Selling Poultry Drinkers

A recent organised weekend walk on the last vestiges of a summery Sunday, found me trekking over the beautiful hills of Dorset, with the maximum amount of grumbling I could muster. Gates, styles, streams and the slightest change in incline where all met with the same verbose grumbling. However when I was informed that the terminus of our walk was a pub, my spirits soon lifted. Good job too, as by the time we arrived at the Rose and Crown I was well beyond merely parched and I availed myself of the local tipple with alacrity.

There is nothing to beat a nice cool drink when your thirsty and our hens, ducks and geese here at FSF HQ are no different. We have numerous drinkers set up in our poultry paddock and chicken pens, but this week the FSF Blog is taking a different tack and looking at the Best Selling Poultry Drinkers that you, our customers, buy. 

• Combo 6 Litre Drinker

A heavy duty, robust, British made plastic drinker, the 6 litre Combo drinker proves popular with people with only a few hens, or those who do not want to take up much room in their chicken pen with a great big drinker. Coming with 3" legs to help pick the drinker up off the floor and with its wide deep saucer, to stop the water being fouled, the drinker is suitable for chickens, ducks and geese.

Combo Poultry Drinkers

• Honeypot Drinkers 10 litre, 20 litre and 30 litre

Consistently popular with customers, this British made Honeypot drinker is a great self contained poultry drinker for feeding your flock fresh water. Coming in a 10 litre, 20 litre or 30 litre option, these drinkers are easy fill through the top handle/cap. With the drinking saucer raised up off the ground, they always provide fresh water through a vacuum system and is ideal for larger poultry pens and paddocks to save you having to re-fill your drinker every day.

Honeypot Drinkers 10L, 20L, 30L

• 13 litre Bucket Drinkers

Shaped like a bucket and lain upon its side, the Galvanised Metal Bucket Drinker, that holds around 13 litres, is perfect for chickens, but they are especially useful as duck and geese drinkers. The advantage with this design of drinker is that little sunlight can reach the water, which prevents green algae build up and due to it being raised up your hens cannot kick dirt into it. The drinker also comes in a colourful 4 litre painted size, in either pink or green to add a splash of colour to your chicken run.

4L Painted Bucket Drinker

• Galvanised Chicken Fountain Drinker

Metal, heavy duty fountain drinkers, made from sheet steel and then galvanised after manufacture, these are robust and sturdy poultry drinkers that will last a lifetime. Suitable for chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys, they come in a range of sizes from 2.25 litres up to 13.5 litres, meaning there is a drinker to suit your number of hens.

Galvanised Fountain Drinkers for Hens

• Rapid Clean Tripod Poultry Drinkers 

New in to Flyte so Fancy The Rapid Clean Tripod Poultry Drinker is an easy clean. easy to fill, with a strong plastic tripod stand that lifts the water pan up off the ground, keeping it clean and free of contamination. Available in either a 6 litre or 9 litre option, the high grade plastic used helps to slow the growth of algae within. The drinker is filled from the top, reducing any chances of soaking yourself at the tap and since arriving at Flyte so Fancy these drinkers have been flying off the shelves. 

6L Rapid Clean Poultry Drinker

This is merely a small selection of the numerous drinkers that Flyte so Fancy sell for every occasion and situation that a poultry keeper might have or need. If you have a question about one of these drinker or want to talk about what might be best suited for you and your girls, why not leave a comment, give us a call on 01300 345229 or watch our useful youtube video on our range of water drinkers.

Thanks for Reading

James