Do I need to give them shell grit, or will they get enough small rocks etc from the yard? (they normally spend a lot of the afternoon down the side yard, which hasn't been finished, so is still the original clay/dirt/rocky stuff left after buildng. I've planted a few natives up one end, and they seem to like having their dust baths, and roosting on the window sill down the end, under the shade from the natives.

What do I need to do on a regular basis for worms, parasites etc? I am really not keen to use chemicals at all, so am looking for 'natural' alternatives. e.g. can garlic and apple cider vinegar REALLY control worms? If so, how much and how often? And what about mites etc? Do I have to have a pregualr 'preventative' program (hoping that regular dust baths will do the trick), or can I just wait till there is an infestation, and treat them then?

Anything else I should be doing to look after them?

I used to put 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of crushed garlic in one litre of water once every month or six weeks - helps to keep down any parasites

the best idea is to keep an eye on them - if they look happy, they usually are.

if they start to get growths on their legs or seem run down - then you have parasite problems.

usually a fit healthy and happy chook will look after herself without too much bother

Tina - wormwood - thanks, I'd forgotten about that. Anything else I should plant in their area?

so.. a real variation on worming - from every 6 weeks, to a few times a year. Any other votes?

any suggestions on what breeds are preferable?

I'm not worried about the hens having worms so much as the hens giving my kids worms - is that possible?

I’ve been told to worm my chooks twice a year. I have the product but haven’t yet wormed them. It says: remove water two hours before their bedtime, apply to their drinking water at required rate, and when they wake up they’ll hook into it.

Runny chooky poops could be a sign they have worms, I believe. Mine are probably due for worming. I wouldn’t worry about your kids getting worms from the chooks so much as from kindy or school. Good practice to work the buggers anyway. My grandmother had a worm phobia and we’d be wormed almost weekly.

My girls are heaps better, thanks for asking, though Neck Chop isn’t so outgoing. She’s laying okay and what I thought was a large bone sticking out of its neck is in fact congealed blood.

As for bird types: I don’t think you can go past a couple of ‘point of lay’ Isabrowns. Check the Yellow Pages or Google for suppliers in your area. Probably cost about $15 ea, which isn’t much more than the frozen ones ;)

You do seem better rested, I can tell. No place for roosters in anyone’s backyard.

Jackie French has a good book called The Chook Book which I've found helpful and has commonsense info in it. Cost me about $10 - $15 from bookstore.

sarah may - all we had were roosters - 9 of them in total! - which is why I couldn't see any 'difference' in them LOL.

grub - 4 kids, a total of 23 years kindy/preschool/school so far - and not once has any of my kids had worms. lice yes, worms no. but the way my luck is going - I wouldn't be at all surprised if we have them now - I'll worm them all next week when they're on holidays just to make sure!

florial - we have gotten rid of all the roosters, and are getting hens - so far 2 Australorps and one brown (unidentified) one. my daughter also wants a yellow/white one. The australorps are beautiful when you are up close - but I prefer the yellow ones for when I'm standing at the kitchen window looking out - the black ones camoflage too well!!

I'm going to the plant nursery this week - what else should I plant for them apart from wormwood?