The brooding place is ready. All things are set. All you need are the chicks. Upon anticipating the day of their arrival, you must get yourself ready otherwise things will go out of hand. Here’s what to do when the chicks arrive. This will be very helpful to get your way through raising your own chickens.
Tip 1
If the chicks arrived from elsewhere, you have to examine them very well. They must arrive in a condition that is nowhere near “diseased”. If you noticed that the babies arrived in poor condition, you could let the postal employee inspect the shipment again. It is required that the employee certify the shipment arrive in good condition. Advise the proper authorities on what the problems are regarding the shipment for immediate action.
Tip 2
Before putting the babies inside, the brooder must have its proper temperature which is at least 90 degrees. Make sure the area is warm and maintain this for a week. You can reduce the temperature for 5 degrees every week that goes on for the first five weeks. After the first five weeks, the poultry will no longer require the heat supplemented. You have to keep in mind that there should be enough space where the chicks can move so that they can move freely either to or from the source of heat. This will be advisable especially during extreme temperatures.
Tip 3
Fill the fountains with fresh clean water with an additional half cup of sugar for every gallon filled. This will help boost the babies’ energy. It is not recommended to add any chemicals regardless of what advertisements tell you.
Tip 4
Mix fine grit with a ratio of 1:10. Fill the lids with feeds that will not be more than a quarter-inch. Then add the fine grit mixture then sprinkle a very generous amount of mixture or feed on top of the material that covers the litter.
Tip 5
Poultry, however angle you look at it, can be the source of thousands of microorganisms which are potentially harmful. With this, you have to be very careful and certain precautions must be followed. Proper handling must be practiced. This can prevent the spread of different kinds of oral or fecal transmission from fowl to person to person. Adults should provide proper guidance to their young ones about how to properly handle their poultry. Avoid bringing any poultry within the vicinity of your family space. Wash your hands and any part of your body that came in contact with the babies with water and a trustworthy soap.
Tip 6
For starters, upon removal from the box, dip the animal’s beak into the water mixture to familiarize them where their feedings come from. Do the transferring one chick at a time. Be sure that the brooder is already warm enough for the baby to be placed.
Tip 7
Observe the babies for a couple of hours after transferring. This will help you identify the environment they are in. Is it sufficient or are there needs lacking? Is their activities relatively equated to the heat? Changes can be observed just by looking at their behavior. If they crowd over the brooding area, it means that heat is not that warm. If they disperse from the heat and go in areas that aren’t covered by the warmth, it only means that the heat is too much for them.
If you are already convinced and with the comfortable situation, you can now breath easily with raising your chickens in your backyard.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Top 5 Reasons Why to Raise Chickens
Raising chickens should not be a fuss. There are actually several reasons why people want to cultivate chickens in their backyard. Some of these are written below.
Reason # 1 – Chickens love leftovers.
A chicken’s appetite is incredible. They can eat almost everything, even their own kind! You can now say bye-bye to those unwanted leftovers being left rotten in your fridge. You feel less guilty of throwing them out into the garbage can. Plus, you can save on chicken feed. But be very careful with what you give for it may be their last supper. Tone down on the onions and garlic.
Reason #2 – Eggs!
Who doesn’t love eggs? Have them boiled, scrambled, sunny side up, etc. Admit it, pets that live comfortably inside your houses don’t give anything more than barks, meows, purrs, and sometimes, chirp. Fishes, in general, can be eaten, but who would want to eat Goldie? None of these domesticated animals produce something edible. Well, chickens, on the other hand, have lots of benefits. One of the many benefits chickens give is their egg.
You can eat fresh eggs right from the source. Either raw (good for pregnant women) or cooked, eggs taken from chickens minutes or hours ago are more tasty and nutritious than those purchased in the grocery store. You’ll notice the texture and color is way different than that of the fresh ones.
Reason #3 – Source of natural fertilizers
Your lawn or backyard could’ve never looked better. Chickens love to freely walk around. Chickens also love to peck on anything they see that can be considered as food. And what is food to them? Possibly anything that’s organic. If you let your chickens roam around your space, you’ll find out how reliable they can be. They eat pests living in your backyard – grubs, beetles, insects, earwigs, and anything that comes close.
After the digestion has set its due, they will transform what they’ve eaten into poop. But this is not just any kind of poop but a treasure called natural fertilizer. And you know what natural fertilizers do right? They keep the soil healthy for plants to grow. Cool.
Reason #4 – Low Maintenance Pets
Unlike dogs that need combing and brushing everyday to keep their fur alive and shiny, chickens doesn’t need such soulful treatment. All you have to do is provide them their daily needs like food and water. You also have to clean their pad at least twice a month and change the beddings too. In return, you can gather all the eggs. Aside from just gathering, you can also start a small business of your own by supplying poultry stores with fresh eggs or chicken meat.
Reason #5 – Grass and weed clippers
Got that right. Now you can save on mowing your own lawn by getting yourself chickens! For chickens, grasses, weeds, and leaves are treats. It’s like a lifetime dessert offering. It’s like having a cow in your own backyard. They will dig through whatever it is without even complaining about the hard work. Chickens will clip it then clean it all at the same time.
With these reasons, why bother getting yourself a dog or a cat? No offense but they can’t even water the plants nor lay eggs for breakfast. All they do is prove to their masters that they are either one’s best friends. In cases of chickens, you can have a best friend, a lawn mower, a supplier of organic fertilizer and an egg producer all in one.
Reason # 1 – Chickens love leftovers.
A chicken’s appetite is incredible. They can eat almost everything, even their own kind! You can now say bye-bye to those unwanted leftovers being left rotten in your fridge. You feel less guilty of throwing them out into the garbage can. Plus, you can save on chicken feed. But be very careful with what you give for it may be their last supper. Tone down on the onions and garlic.
Reason #2 – Eggs!
Who doesn’t love eggs? Have them boiled, scrambled, sunny side up, etc. Admit it, pets that live comfortably inside your houses don’t give anything more than barks, meows, purrs, and sometimes, chirp. Fishes, in general, can be eaten, but who would want to eat Goldie? None of these domesticated animals produce something edible. Well, chickens, on the other hand, have lots of benefits. One of the many benefits chickens give is their egg.
You can eat fresh eggs right from the source. Either raw (good for pregnant women) or cooked, eggs taken from chickens minutes or hours ago are more tasty and nutritious than those purchased in the grocery store. You’ll notice the texture and color is way different than that of the fresh ones.
Reason #3 – Source of natural fertilizers
Your lawn or backyard could’ve never looked better. Chickens love to freely walk around. Chickens also love to peck on anything they see that can be considered as food. And what is food to them? Possibly anything that’s organic. If you let your chickens roam around your space, you’ll find out how reliable they can be. They eat pests living in your backyard – grubs, beetles, insects, earwigs, and anything that comes close.
After the digestion has set its due, they will transform what they’ve eaten into poop. But this is not just any kind of poop but a treasure called natural fertilizer. And you know what natural fertilizers do right? They keep the soil healthy for plants to grow. Cool.
Reason #4 – Low Maintenance Pets
Unlike dogs that need combing and brushing everyday to keep their fur alive and shiny, chickens doesn’t need such soulful treatment. All you have to do is provide them their daily needs like food and water. You also have to clean their pad at least twice a month and change the beddings too. In return, you can gather all the eggs. Aside from just gathering, you can also start a small business of your own by supplying poultry stores with fresh eggs or chicken meat.
Reason #5 – Grass and weed clippers
Got that right. Now you can save on mowing your own lawn by getting yourself chickens! For chickens, grasses, weeds, and leaves are treats. It’s like a lifetime dessert offering. It’s like having a cow in your own backyard. They will dig through whatever it is without even complaining about the hard work. Chickens will clip it then clean it all at the same time.
With these reasons, why bother getting yourself a dog or a cat? No offense but they can’t even water the plants nor lay eggs for breakfast. All they do is prove to their masters that they are either one’s best friends. In cases of chickens, you can have a best friend, a lawn mower, a supplier of organic fertilizer and an egg producer all in one.
Raising Chicks before Chickens
There are two types of chicks to raise: the ones you practically took care of from the moment they were hatched and the ones that you bought from hatcheries which are already taken care of and just needs further nourishing. Basing from the two choices, there are also two ways of properly raising the chicks before becoming the perfect chickens.
Chicks hatched from your own poultry’s eggs basically need 4 things: comfort, warmth, food and water. Comfort can be based from your own personal touch and how you hold the chicks. Warmth is taken from the mother or if you plan to separate the chicks on an early stage, an incubator or what others call as a heat lamp is essential. Usually the incubator is composed of two or three light bulbs depending on the number of chicks that have hatched.
The very first thing to do is fix the place where you will put your hatchlings – the brooder. It must have a temperature that is neither too cold nor too hot. Either of the two extremes will contribute severe negative conditions to the chicks. Your incubator must have a temperature that’s 90-95 degrees. If you have settled with the 95-degree heat, maintain it until the end of the first week. Your temperature must decrease every week by 5 degrees until you reach the 6th week.
The floor of your chick’s pad must be made of cardboard or piles of old newspapers. This can be used as an insulator for keeping the temperature in the room in proper condition.
Have the drinking station of your chicks always cleaned. Aside from that, the proper way of refreshing your chicks is to give them boiled water. Something as little as these creatures are too vulnerable to germs. Their baby immune systems aren’t that mature to fight away bacteria and harmful microorganisms that may invade their body. Better safe than sorry. Grain coffee is also an alternative but will cost you. You have to make sure that what you give them is not that hot to handle.
To serve their drink, pour the contents in a jug, turn it upside down standing on a dish. The leak coming from the inverted jug is sufficient enough to accommodate their need for nourishment.
Chicks are a little particular with their food. They don’t eat anything “old”. They want their food dripping with freshness. Initially, you could give them milled oats. You could include bits of boiled eggs into the milled oats. If you think giving them that is a bit too mushy, you are welcome to go to feed stores for poultry raising. Some who are fond of feeding anything to their chicks have this intuition to feed them bread. Which is totally wrong. Because feeding them bread is a sin. This can kill them.
You could also include lettuce cuts into the diet. Squeamish or not, you have to provide their favorite menu – bugs and grubs. They eat these little wiggly things and gobble them up so fast.
Just don’t make any mistake of giving these to newly hatched chicks.
You have to be very particular of the space that you have provided for the young ones. Cramping must be avoided. This might result to trampling and worse, cannibalism. Chicks grow quickly. That’s why you have to ensure that their room is big enough for their proper accommodation.
Do replace the cardboard or the newspaper placed under their pad every time you notice it’s soiled. Even you wouldn’t like the idea of sleeping in your own feces.
Chicks hatched from your own poultry’s eggs basically need 4 things: comfort, warmth, food and water. Comfort can be based from your own personal touch and how you hold the chicks. Warmth is taken from the mother or if you plan to separate the chicks on an early stage, an incubator or what others call as a heat lamp is essential. Usually the incubator is composed of two or three light bulbs depending on the number of chicks that have hatched.
The very first thing to do is fix the place where you will put your hatchlings – the brooder. It must have a temperature that is neither too cold nor too hot. Either of the two extremes will contribute severe negative conditions to the chicks. Your incubator must have a temperature that’s 90-95 degrees. If you have settled with the 95-degree heat, maintain it until the end of the first week. Your temperature must decrease every week by 5 degrees until you reach the 6th week.
The floor of your chick’s pad must be made of cardboard or piles of old newspapers. This can be used as an insulator for keeping the temperature in the room in proper condition.
Have the drinking station of your chicks always cleaned. Aside from that, the proper way of refreshing your chicks is to give them boiled water. Something as little as these creatures are too vulnerable to germs. Their baby immune systems aren’t that mature to fight away bacteria and harmful microorganisms that may invade their body. Better safe than sorry. Grain coffee is also an alternative but will cost you. You have to make sure that what you give them is not that hot to handle.
To serve their drink, pour the contents in a jug, turn it upside down standing on a dish. The leak coming from the inverted jug is sufficient enough to accommodate their need for nourishment.
Chicks are a little particular with their food. They don’t eat anything “old”. They want their food dripping with freshness. Initially, you could give them milled oats. You could include bits of boiled eggs into the milled oats. If you think giving them that is a bit too mushy, you are welcome to go to feed stores for poultry raising. Some who are fond of feeding anything to their chicks have this intuition to feed them bread. Which is totally wrong. Because feeding them bread is a sin. This can kill them.
You could also include lettuce cuts into the diet. Squeamish or not, you have to provide their favorite menu – bugs and grubs. They eat these little wiggly things and gobble them up so fast.
Just don’t make any mistake of giving these to newly hatched chicks.
You have to be very particular of the space that you have provided for the young ones. Cramping must be avoided. This might result to trampling and worse, cannibalism. Chicks grow quickly. That’s why you have to ensure that their room is big enough for their proper accommodation.
Do replace the cardboard or the newspaper placed under their pad every time you notice it’s soiled. Even you wouldn’t like the idea of sleeping in your own feces.
Raising Tips: How to Choose a Chicken Breed
Chickens are wonderful animals. They are like the coconut. You see, the coconut can be used in many ways- from the leaves to the roots. In more ways than one, chickens are bred and raised because it entails a lot of benefits. In Asian countries, chickens can be eaten from beak down to its funny-looking feet. Thus, making it one of the sought after poultry products in the animal community.
Yet, chickens aren’t used only for food but for ornamental purposes. It all depends on the owner of the poultry farm if he’s going to raise chickens for food or for exhibition. Whatever the purpose is for these critters, you can settle on one simple question…what breed should you get?
There are actually four ideas to consider when choosing a breed – egg production only, eggs and meat combined, exhibition, and meat only. Aside from these four, people also account chickens as a hobby and they very well enjoy watching and caring for their chickens.
Egg Production
If you are concerned with only the eggs and are not really a fan of chicken form and features, white leghorns or Red Sex Links and Golden Cornets fits the job. These breeds lay eggs in a very excellent way. There is a point to ponder upon though, if you wanted white eggs, choose a chicken breed that have ear lobes that are white. But if you wanted brown eggs, choose a chicken breed that has red ear lobes.
Meat
In meat, you have to purchase a breed that grows quickly and weighs big like the Cornish Cross. It is a cross breed between a White Cornish and a White Plymouth Rock. These breeds weigh four to five pounds in six weeks and weighs more than 6 pounds within 8 to 12 weeks.
Eggs and Meat
Breeds that are dual purpose is a combination of a breed that is both having the talent of vast egg production and grows larger and faster than the rest of the species. One typical and popular example is the Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes and Sussex. They are both English and American breeds.
Exhibition
These are the kind of birds that are appreciated for their eloquent beauty and features. Every part of their feather-covered body must be exceptional. Usually those that are chosen to wind up in exhibition during fairs are those that are crossbred. Exhibitions shows for poultry raising are most popular in places like the Midwest and Indiana.
Usually, chickens are judged based on their color, breed type that’s supposed to be ideal, their body weight and shape, etc.
Bantams are one of the chicken types that outnumbered larger fowls during shows. They have a characteristic that a judge would adore – takes less space, easier to feed, eat less, and easy to handle. Their eggs are also expected to be small but are pretty much good for eating like other ordinary eggs. Some of the popular breeds of bantams are the Wyandottes, Cochins, Old English Game and Plymouth Rocks. These bantam breeds can most likely win in exhibitions.
Bantams are not the only birds that can have the right to the throne. Larger fowl breeds also hog the limelight. Some of these breeds are the leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, and Black Australorps. These breeds vary in their type, size, color, comb type and shape.
Yet, chickens aren’t used only for food but for ornamental purposes. It all depends on the owner of the poultry farm if he’s going to raise chickens for food or for exhibition. Whatever the purpose is for these critters, you can settle on one simple question…what breed should you get?
There are actually four ideas to consider when choosing a breed – egg production only, eggs and meat combined, exhibition, and meat only. Aside from these four, people also account chickens as a hobby and they very well enjoy watching and caring for their chickens.
Egg Production
If you are concerned with only the eggs and are not really a fan of chicken form and features, white leghorns or Red Sex Links and Golden Cornets fits the job. These breeds lay eggs in a very excellent way. There is a point to ponder upon though, if you wanted white eggs, choose a chicken breed that have ear lobes that are white. But if you wanted brown eggs, choose a chicken breed that has red ear lobes.
Meat
In meat, you have to purchase a breed that grows quickly and weighs big like the Cornish Cross. It is a cross breed between a White Cornish and a White Plymouth Rock. These breeds weigh four to five pounds in six weeks and weighs more than 6 pounds within 8 to 12 weeks.
Eggs and Meat
Breeds that are dual purpose is a combination of a breed that is both having the talent of vast egg production and grows larger and faster than the rest of the species. One typical and popular example is the Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes and Sussex. They are both English and American breeds.
Exhibition
These are the kind of birds that are appreciated for their eloquent beauty and features. Every part of their feather-covered body must be exceptional. Usually those that are chosen to wind up in exhibition during fairs are those that are crossbred. Exhibitions shows for poultry raising are most popular in places like the Midwest and Indiana.
Usually, chickens are judged based on their color, breed type that’s supposed to be ideal, their body weight and shape, etc.
Bantams are one of the chicken types that outnumbered larger fowls during shows. They have a characteristic that a judge would adore – takes less space, easier to feed, eat less, and easy to handle. Their eggs are also expected to be small but are pretty much good for eating like other ordinary eggs. Some of the popular breeds of bantams are the Wyandottes, Cochins, Old English Game and Plymouth Rocks. These bantam breeds can most likely win in exhibitions.
Bantams are not the only birds that can have the right to the throne. Larger fowl breeds also hog the limelight. Some of these breeds are the leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, and Black Australorps. These breeds vary in their type, size, color, comb type and shape.
Raising Tips: Give your Chicken Treats
Like children and adults, chickens also need treats that will motivate them to live healthy and happy. But! Unlike children and adults, the treats for chickens are different and are more nutritious. Compared to human treats that mostly comprises of chocolates, candies, and other sweets, chicken treats are more on veggies and fruits.
Yogurt is a classic favorite of them birds. They are tasty and are very good to the intestines. This is also a good source of calcium that can contribute greatly to the structure and health of the eggshell. But the most favorite and is very popular among every living chicken is the worm! They will eat it so fast and not a single evidence of it will linger.
Chickens, even with puny brains, have in it the command to like or dislike a certain treat. Below are some of the things that in general, chickens will come running for. If the first one didn’t work, scratch it off then proceed to the next. Bon appetite!
Apple
May come in raw type or in applesauce. The seeds contain a small amount of cyanide but it’s so small that it can’t affect the chicken’s health.
Banana
One of the good treats. This is also high in potassium thus; it is good for muscle activities.
Broccoli and Cauliflower
A fun way of giving them this treat is to tuck it on the side of their cage and let them pick on it till the very last piece comes off.
Cabbage
Given as a whole, you can hang this from the ceiling coop especially during winter days so they have something to put their mind and energy to.
Carrots
Either given in a raw or cooked state, they will, at any cost eat it wholeheartedly. You can even give them the leaves without even worrying that it will just be another rotten veggie inside the coop because they will eat it all up.
Chicken
You, yourself know that it is a sin eating your own kind. They might just like it but then the feeling would be wrong.
Live Crickets
You can choose to hunt it or otherwise buy it in a pet or bait store. This is also a nice treat to give them. You can watch them run around chasing the critters plus it is a good source of protein.
Mature Cucumbers
Give the mature ones because they love it when the seeds and flesh is soft enough to peck on.
Cooked Eggs
Still a good source of protein. Do not give anything that is uncooked because if you do, then you’re teaching them to eat their own eggs in a raw state.
Fish or Seafood
Give moderately so as not to give your eggs a different kind of flavor.
Flowers
Nasturtiums, marigolds, pansies are good treats. But make sure that these flowers are all natural. Meaning no kind of chemical or pesticide has touched it.
Fruits
There are exceptions. But the best fruit treats are peaches, pears, cherries, etc. Some say that it is not wise to give fruits to egg laying hens but some would beg to differ.
Grapes
If you are giving grapes to baby chickens, don’t forget to cut it in pieces to make it easier for them to swallow.
Leftovers
When you say “leftovers”, it must be something that came from a human’s plate minutes after mealtime is over. It must be edible. Anything that came out of your fridge that is considered as moldy or spoiled is not advisable. Don’t give anything salty.
Yogurt is a classic favorite of them birds. They are tasty and are very good to the intestines. This is also a good source of calcium that can contribute greatly to the structure and health of the eggshell. But the most favorite and is very popular among every living chicken is the worm! They will eat it so fast and not a single evidence of it will linger.
Chickens, even with puny brains, have in it the command to like or dislike a certain treat. Below are some of the things that in general, chickens will come running for. If the first one didn’t work, scratch it off then proceed to the next. Bon appetite!
Apple
May come in raw type or in applesauce. The seeds contain a small amount of cyanide but it’s so small that it can’t affect the chicken’s health.
Banana
One of the good treats. This is also high in potassium thus; it is good for muscle activities.
Broccoli and Cauliflower
A fun way of giving them this treat is to tuck it on the side of their cage and let them pick on it till the very last piece comes off.
Cabbage
Given as a whole, you can hang this from the ceiling coop especially during winter days so they have something to put their mind and energy to.
Carrots
Either given in a raw or cooked state, they will, at any cost eat it wholeheartedly. You can even give them the leaves without even worrying that it will just be another rotten veggie inside the coop because they will eat it all up.
Chicken
You, yourself know that it is a sin eating your own kind. They might just like it but then the feeling would be wrong.
Live Crickets
You can choose to hunt it or otherwise buy it in a pet or bait store. This is also a nice treat to give them. You can watch them run around chasing the critters plus it is a good source of protein.
Mature Cucumbers
Give the mature ones because they love it when the seeds and flesh is soft enough to peck on.
Cooked Eggs
Still a good source of protein. Do not give anything that is uncooked because if you do, then you’re teaching them to eat their own eggs in a raw state.
Fish or Seafood
Give moderately so as not to give your eggs a different kind of flavor.
Flowers
Nasturtiums, marigolds, pansies are good treats. But make sure that these flowers are all natural. Meaning no kind of chemical or pesticide has touched it.
Fruits
There are exceptions. But the best fruit treats are peaches, pears, cherries, etc. Some say that it is not wise to give fruits to egg laying hens but some would beg to differ.
Grapes
If you are giving grapes to baby chickens, don’t forget to cut it in pieces to make it easier for them to swallow.
Leftovers
When you say “leftovers”, it must be something that came from a human’s plate minutes after mealtime is over. It must be edible. Anything that came out of your fridge that is considered as moldy or spoiled is not advisable. Don’t give anything salty.
Raising Tips: Gearing up for Chickens
Certain equipments must already be present upon the arrival of the chickens in your own backyard. You have to be geared up before presenting your not so baby chicks outside the world. The transition period can be quite stressful therefore being prepared can help you rid of half of the stress.
You have to purchase a lot of items for your chicks to stay comfortable from where they would lay. You need to pamper them so that when selling or butchering day comes, there are no regrets.
1. Food
Without this, who will live? The food you will give will entirely depend on the kind of chicken that you have. But to sum it up, just give something that is “complete”. It must contain the right food substance that your chickens will need like carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and minerals and if the budget can still take it, buy them vitamins. There are two kinds of feeds: conventional and organic. Either of the two can be purchased online or at an agricultural poultry store.
If the time has come for your chickens to lay eggs or is about 20 weeks old, purchase a layer feed. But if they are younger than 20 weeks, starter feed is highly recommended.
2. Waterer and Feeder
Purchase a waterer and feeder that are suspended from the ground. They should hang at least a couple inches off it. A very good advantage when purchasing such items is that they will prevent your chickens from jumping on top of it and smudging off their feet filled with feces inside the container. An automatic refill feature is also included which is very reliable during times when you have to go somewhere and will take you a couple of days before you come back. Worry-free.
3. Bed
Yes, no matter how absurd it seems, you have to provide them with the proper bedding to keep them warm, comfortable, healthy and happy. But this doesn’t mean that you have to buy them sheets from Best Buy. Beddings can be in the form of a pile of clean haystack, old or used newspapers, or if you wanted it to be extra special, there are beddings that can be bought online or in a poultry store.
Beddings are best inside the coop where it can provide chickens a soft surface to roam around with. Beddings are also beneficial for your flock because it absorbs the odor and droppings. You don’t want a foul-smelling coop, right? Another advantage of the bedding is that is saves the eggs from cracking making it an area where eggs are safe to land.
There are a lot of bedding varieties. But whatever the bedding that you’ve chosen, always make it a point that it is at least two inches thick and is truly absorbent.
4. Dust Baths
If you see your chickens digging a shallow hole and creating a mess with dirt, they are dust bathing! Chickens enjoy bathing in dust. But did you know that when chickens take dust baths, they are actually protecting themselves from parasites and those creatures that find it interesting to live inside their legs and feathers. Therefore, it is necessary to have dust baths.
If you have a dry area in your chicken run that has patches of fresh ground, it’s the perfect spot to do their thing. But if your pen consists of entirely cement, worry not, because there are artificial dust baths available in agricultural stores.
You have to purchase a lot of items for your chicks to stay comfortable from where they would lay. You need to pamper them so that when selling or butchering day comes, there are no regrets.
1. Food
Without this, who will live? The food you will give will entirely depend on the kind of chicken that you have. But to sum it up, just give something that is “complete”. It must contain the right food substance that your chickens will need like carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and minerals and if the budget can still take it, buy them vitamins. There are two kinds of feeds: conventional and organic. Either of the two can be purchased online or at an agricultural poultry store.
If the time has come for your chickens to lay eggs or is about 20 weeks old, purchase a layer feed. But if they are younger than 20 weeks, starter feed is highly recommended.
2. Waterer and Feeder
Purchase a waterer and feeder that are suspended from the ground. They should hang at least a couple inches off it. A very good advantage when purchasing such items is that they will prevent your chickens from jumping on top of it and smudging off their feet filled with feces inside the container. An automatic refill feature is also included which is very reliable during times when you have to go somewhere and will take you a couple of days before you come back. Worry-free.
3. Bed
Yes, no matter how absurd it seems, you have to provide them with the proper bedding to keep them warm, comfortable, healthy and happy. But this doesn’t mean that you have to buy them sheets from Best Buy. Beddings can be in the form of a pile of clean haystack, old or used newspapers, or if you wanted it to be extra special, there are beddings that can be bought online or in a poultry store.
Beddings are best inside the coop where it can provide chickens a soft surface to roam around with. Beddings are also beneficial for your flock because it absorbs the odor and droppings. You don’t want a foul-smelling coop, right? Another advantage of the bedding is that is saves the eggs from cracking making it an area where eggs are safe to land.
There are a lot of bedding varieties. But whatever the bedding that you’ve chosen, always make it a point that it is at least two inches thick and is truly absorbent.
4. Dust Baths
If you see your chickens digging a shallow hole and creating a mess with dirt, they are dust bathing! Chickens enjoy bathing in dust. But did you know that when chickens take dust baths, they are actually protecting themselves from parasites and those creatures that find it interesting to live inside their legs and feathers. Therefore, it is necessary to have dust baths.
If you have a dry area in your chicken run that has patches of fresh ground, it’s the perfect spot to do their thing. But if your pen consists of entirely cement, worry not, because there are artificial dust baths available in agricultural stores.
Proper Construction of a Pen Suitable for Raising Chickens
Constructing a pen is easier than it seems. You need to pinpoint some important matters like the materials to buy and the tools to use. Plus, you also have to consider the area where to build the suitable pen for raising your chickens.
Alright, the easy yet crucial part begins with planning. First, the area, then the size of the pen. The pen size usually depends on how many chickens will be raised. Look at the option on what kind of birds you are dealing with.
Novice or not, it is still better to start off with the most basic pen – using the wire and post design. Here, the materials that you’ll need are the posts, wire, and staples that can be used for fences. The tools are also basic namely a sledgehammer, the ordinary hammer, wire cutters, and crowbar.
Now that you have gathered all materials and tools, surveyed the area, and is assured that there is none to worry about, it’s time for the construction.
To start with, look at the ground you’re working on. Notice the stiffness and dryness. If it’s anything like that, you have to bring in with you a bucket full of water. This will help soften the ground. Pound the ground using the pointed tip of the crowbar. By doing this, a hole is being formed.
While pounding, occasionally pour few amounts of water in the hole to soften the ground. By leaving your crowbar inside the hole, pull your body against it. By doing so, you’ll widen the proximity of the hole. If the hole is prominent enough and is 20 cm deep, that will be sufficient. Make sure that the hole has a wideness that can hold a pole in place.
You can now put the post inside the hole that you have made, pointed tip first. Using the sledgehammer, pound the pole to the ground. Do the pounding until you are sure that it has remained firm. Sometimes, it is better to have someone hold the post for you to ensure better stability. Always practice caution and focus on what you’re doing because you might pound your assistant instead of your post.
If your first post is standing firmly, you can now start on your second, and third, and fourth, and so on. Give about a meter from where the first post stands. That will determine elaborate spacing. To serve as a gate, let 2 posts stand about 1½ - 2 meters apart.
The moment you have firmly put all the posts in place, it’s time to put the wire around it. For this to be made possible, carry the wire on one corner then using your regular hammer, pound the fence staples at the end of the wire to the post. Once the end is tightly secured, unroll the wire going to the next post then staple the wire that touches the post. Do the unrolling and stapling process till you have completed wrapping around the entire posts. If you ran out of wire, get more then start where you ended.
Making a gate is also easy. All you need to gather are hinges, latch and a particle board. Start by cutting the board to fit the two ends of the posts. Now attach it together with the hinges and the latch.
There you have it. Raising chickens is easy for as long as you know the basics.
Alright, the easy yet crucial part begins with planning. First, the area, then the size of the pen. The pen size usually depends on how many chickens will be raised. Look at the option on what kind of birds you are dealing with.
Novice or not, it is still better to start off with the most basic pen – using the wire and post design. Here, the materials that you’ll need are the posts, wire, and staples that can be used for fences. The tools are also basic namely a sledgehammer, the ordinary hammer, wire cutters, and crowbar.
Now that you have gathered all materials and tools, surveyed the area, and is assured that there is none to worry about, it’s time for the construction.
To start with, look at the ground you’re working on. Notice the stiffness and dryness. If it’s anything like that, you have to bring in with you a bucket full of water. This will help soften the ground. Pound the ground using the pointed tip of the crowbar. By doing this, a hole is being formed.
While pounding, occasionally pour few amounts of water in the hole to soften the ground. By leaving your crowbar inside the hole, pull your body against it. By doing so, you’ll widen the proximity of the hole. If the hole is prominent enough and is 20 cm deep, that will be sufficient. Make sure that the hole has a wideness that can hold a pole in place.
You can now put the post inside the hole that you have made, pointed tip first. Using the sledgehammer, pound the pole to the ground. Do the pounding until you are sure that it has remained firm. Sometimes, it is better to have someone hold the post for you to ensure better stability. Always practice caution and focus on what you’re doing because you might pound your assistant instead of your post.
If your first post is standing firmly, you can now start on your second, and third, and fourth, and so on. Give about a meter from where the first post stands. That will determine elaborate spacing. To serve as a gate, let 2 posts stand about 1½ - 2 meters apart.
The moment you have firmly put all the posts in place, it’s time to put the wire around it. For this to be made possible, carry the wire on one corner then using your regular hammer, pound the fence staples at the end of the wire to the post. Once the end is tightly secured, unroll the wire going to the next post then staple the wire that touches the post. Do the unrolling and stapling process till you have completed wrapping around the entire posts. If you ran out of wire, get more then start where you ended.
Making a gate is also easy. All you need to gather are hinges, latch and a particle board. Start by cutting the board to fit the two ends of the posts. Now attach it together with the hinges and the latch.
There you have it. Raising chickens is easy for as long as you know the basics.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)