Commercial Poultry
Run 4 ounces per gallon of stock solution in a medicator pump set at 1:128.
Start upon arrival. Run for 72 hours on the initial dose. After the initial dose, run one 24 hour period per week.
This recommendation is for cost effectiveness, however many customers run Hen Helper more often to maximize its effects and benefits. Due to the nature of Hen Helper, you can not over apply.- *Do not apply with any disinfectants, vinegar, iodine, peroxide, or acidifiers as this will kill the beneficial bacteria.
- **No refrigeration necessary. Keep the product from freezing or from reaching temperatures above 130 degrees.
- ***The product is deemed to be valid 18 months from the date of purchase.
Backyard Poultry
Pour ½ oz Hen Helper per 3 gallons (or 1 tsp. per gallon) of fresh drinking water in your coop waterers. For chicks, apply Hen Helper for 3 consecutive days, and then apply once a week. If you are also using Catalyst (recommended), apply Hen Helper and Catalyst on the same day. You may also apply daily as needed. For adult birds, apply Hen Helper once per week on the same day as Catalyst (if using).
*Do not use at the same time as vinegar or other disinfectants.
For detailed instructions on how to use these products for your coop, check out our Backyard Poultry Dosing Chart.
Hen Helper improves overall health, fertility and nutrition in layer hens by using a specifically formulated combination of probiotics, electrolytes and organic acids. The special ingredients, humic and fulvic acids, have been scientifically proven to improve shell quality and fight poor egg production by keeping hens in peak longer.
Hen Helper includes 72 trace elements, making it somewhat of an "electrolyte drink" when added to chickens' water. This helps chickens remain productive and healthy despite hot summer months.
It also tightens the gut and produces a better feed conversion. A tighter gut means cleaner eggs—and as you know, cleaner eggs are always the goal! You will see less feed passage and firmer shells through improved calcium and vitamin absorption.
If you have been searching for an effective way to increase your layer hens' health and nutrition, then your search stops here. From one sick bird to an entire flock, Hen Helper boosts overall chicken health and prepares birds for nearly any health challenges they may face.
What are electrolyte drinks for chickens?
A water-based electrolyte is a substance that breaks up into ions (particles with electrical charges) when it is dissolved in water or body fluids. Some examples of ions are sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride and phosphate.
One of the main ingredients in Hen Helper is humic acid. Humic substances are weak acidic electrolytes, and our particular formula contains 72 trace minerals. It binds the primary electrolytes in feed and nutrient supplements, and makes them more readily available for use by your birds.
Electrolytes are especially helpful when your chickens are facing extra stress, heat exhaustion or flock illness.
Fight Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stress
During the summer when high temperatures are common, chickens' electrolytes are used more and their body loses them at a faster pace. Adding an electrolyte supplement into birds' water helps keep their electrolyte levels stable even in overheating conditions.
Why not homemade electrolytes?
Some people raising chickens like to use a homemade electrolyte recipe to help their weak chicks or overheated birds. These recipes usually include granulated sugar, baking soda, potassium chloride, cool water and salt. While these DIY recipes can help a sick chick get the little boost it needs, it's not as consistent and proven as professionally-made electrolyte supplements.
If you get your homemade electrolyte recipe slightly off, your chickens may ingest too much salt, which can lead to eggshell defects and other detrimental impact on a chicken's health.
With Hen Helper, you can know exactly what's in even a few drops of product and be sure your birds are getting a proper combination of nutrients.
Bacteria + Organic Acids + Active Carbon
Simply put, Hen Helper replenishes birds with living biology and provides valuable activated carbon. The process of cold water extraction leaves not only indigenous biology fully intact but provides an environment for them to rapidly multiply.

Beneficial Microbiota
Our microbes are mostly bacillus species and are more hearty that other poultry probiotics that only feature lactobacillus acidophilus and other lactic acid focused species. Poultry production and poultry performance are greatly increased by live microorganisms.
Big ole Bird is specially formulated with live bacteria in vegetative form that prove a positive influence on gut health and gut integrity.
Here’s a look at some of the indigenous beneficial bacteria (probiotics) and what they do:

Organic Acids
Most people in commercial poultry production think of a mere acidification of water when the hear organic acids. Yes, they provide some acidifying effects but they provide many more benefits to keep your flock healthy.
Pathogen colonization is when harmful microbes such as salmonella and escherichia coli gather in the intestinal tract and destroy gut integrity. These harmful bacteria then attack the epithelial cells causing inflammation in both baby chicks and adult chickens. As they attack the epithelial cells they form a protective biofilm that serves as a physical barrier. Fulvic acid is "wetter than water" and serves as a destroyer of biofilms. Our acids destroy that protective layer that the disease causing organisms produce. This mechanism assists the birds natural barrier function for improved immune response.

Carbon
The carbon baseline for Hen Helper binds harmful compounds and boosts gut integrity. Think in terms of charcoal which has been used for thousands of years to improve drinking water and for general detoxification purposes.
Activated carbon is a deeper level as it adsorbs longer chain hydrogen rich molecules. The activated carbon in Hen Helper has shown to adsorb benzenes, chelate nutrients, and bind metals. The health benefits for both commercial and backyard poultry is in the adsorption of mycotoxins.
Our poultry probiotic does a great job of clearing up runny or loose stool. It will help tighten up their guts so your birds will have less feed passage and firmer stool. We like to say "tight guts, tight butts!" For more information, check out our series: "The Scoop on Poop."
Southland Organics Down Sometimes our product will occasionally put off a strong odor when opened. There can be a naturally occurring gas off of methane when the product is open. Do not be alarmed. This proves there is live biology in the product. It is still safe to administer, and your birds should have no trouble drinking it. If the strong odor persists after several days, please give us a call.
Yes! If it works in your schedule, a daily dose of probiotics will boost your birds' immunity.
We suggest running Hen Helper for a minimum of 1 day a week. You can also administer daily or as needed. If administering multiple days in a row, make sure to change there water out every 24-48 hours. This will prevent any beneficial microbes from dying off so your birds can get the most out of its benefits.
Once you mix with water, make sure to change out the water bowls within 24-48 hours. This will ensure the good bacteria does not die off.
Molting is a natural, cyclical phenomenon that happens in some birds. Losing feathers through molting can be sign of stress. When birds are healthy they have a better time combatting and bouncing back from stress. Customers have noticed a better recovery from their birds after molting. Healthy birds are happy birds!