Thursday, November 28, 2019

How To Raise Baby Chicks

It is a suprisingly easy task to raise your own chicks. As long as you have the right materials and the time to care for your little chicks, they will grow up healthy and happy. If you are a first time chicken owner or are considering buying your first flock of hatchlings there are a few things to take care of before you purchase them.

How To Raise Baby Chicks


First of all, you will need to buy all of the right materials. The first thing you will need is a container to keep them in. Most plastic storage bins, found at most stores, seem to work the best. When looking for the proper size, consider at least half of a square foot of floor space per chick. For covering the bottom of the container, it is best to use straw or woodshavings. Newspaper is not recommended because it tends to get slippery when wet and this may result in one of the chicks slipping and possibly breaking it's little leg. Be sure to keep the bedding cleaned. Typically the older they get the more you will have to change the bedding out. You will start out changing it about once every one or two days. When the chicks are just beginning life, keep an eye out that there is no dried up poop on the vent area(rear end). If you do find some, simply peel it off, gently. If this is not done, it can stop them up and they could die from constipation. Also, you may not think to have toys for chickens, but you can also choose to put a few sticks or small blocks in there for them to play with and perch on.

Another item you will need is a simple thermometer. Pre-drill a hole through the side of the container so that you can attach the thermometer approximately two inches from the bottom. Or you can find some heavy duty double-sided tape or sticky foam to attach the thermometer with. Also, you will need to provide a heating lamp to keep the chicks warm. Hang it over the container in a fashion that allows you to lower or raise the lamp as needed to maintain a temperature of 95*F on the thermometer. Be sure to have the container 'pre-heated' before you place the chicks in it. The older the chicks get, the less heat they will need. A good way to adjust the temperature would be to drop it about five degrees per week until you reach 70*F. By then, the chicks should be feathered enough to keep themselves warm.

For feeding the hatchlings, you can purchase galvanized steel feeders and waterers that are made to attach to mason jars. You can usually find these at your local feed store. If you do not already own mason jars, they can be found at most grocery stores. These tend to work the best for chicks. The reason being is that they take up a little amount of space and tend to be less messy, because the chicks can not walk around in the food or water. When you first bring the hatchlings home you can start feeding them medicated, high protein chick starter. Do this for at least eight weeks. After that you can switch to a lower protein chick grower that is non-medicated. The reason for giving them medicated starter in the beginning is because it helps protect them from coccidiosis, a deadly poultry disease, which the baby chicks are not immune to until they are about eight weeks old. When they reach sixteen weeks of age you can then switch them to an even lower protein, complete layer feed. These types come in crumbles or pellets. Knowing which one to choose simply depends on your flock's preference. You can also choose to add special treats into their diet, such as, bread, fruit or vegetable scraps. At this point in their life, you can also move them to a regular coop that supplies at least two square feet per bird of floor space. By now, they are also ready to freely scratch and peck around your yard, for bugs, seeds and greenery, or if this is not an option, a fenced in area providing approximately four square feet per bird will do.

When you have placed them out in the coop, this means you have successfully raised your very own baby chicks. Now on to reaping the rewards that your flock will bring you for many years to come.

Source: buildchickencoopz.com/how-to-raise-chickens/23-how-to-raise-baby-chicks

The Benefits of Raising Chickens

If you have decided to raise your own chickens, you probably decided to based on the fact that you are aware that there can be many benefits associated with raising your own flock. Not only can chickens make good pets, they can also save you money in a numerous amount of ways and even teach the young ones discipline and the art and reward of completing chores.

The Benefits of Raising Chickens

The first and most obvious reason for raising your own chickens would be that you get your own free, fresh eggs right out of your back yard. Nearly every household uses eggs in one way or another. Whether it be for cooking or maybe even games or holidays. Most people are always looking for ways to obtain the freshest, most organic products. Harvesting your own eggs from your back yard is a great way to begin the process of going organic. On top of saving your money, you can even earn a little extra money, as well, by selling your extra eggs. Simply put up a sign in your front yard and let the customers and extra bucks pour in.

Another great way to save money would be to harvest your own chickens. Two ways to do this would be to hatch your own chicks and sell them or raise them up and reap them for meat. Some people may think the second option is a bit extreme and may not be able to handle this daunting task. If this is the case, you may be relieved to know that there are butchers that will do it for you for at a suprisingly low price. Even if you decide to take your chickens to a butcher, instead of doing it yourself, you will still save more money this way, versus buying pre-processed chicken from your local grocery store. Also, keep in mind that harvesting your own chickens is another way to add to your organic repertoire.

There are several other smaller, less obvious benefits of having your own chickens. One of those would be the fact that raising your own chickens requires a repetition of chores that can help your children gain responsibility and discipline by taking care of your flock. You will want to feed and water them every day and be sure that, if they are laying hens, to keep their eggs boxes clean. Also, having your own chickens means that you automatically have your own homemade fertilizer. Chicken feces produces a great fertilizer for your vegetable or flower garden. Something else that may not be as noticeable would be the fact that chickens make for great bug exterminators. Chickens peck continuously all day, searching and scratching for bugs and some greenery. Chickens can even be a great organic defense against bugs in your garden. Instead of using potentially harmful pest repellants, allowing your chickens to 'graze' around your garden is a great way to keep the bugs at bay. Be aware, though, that they may try to sneak a quick snack from your veggies as well.

Keeping all of these useful benefits in mind, if you weren't considering raising your own chickens before, you may have changed your mind by now.

Source: buildchickencoopz.com/how-to-raise-chickens/24-the-benefits-of-raising-chickens

How to Care For Chickens

Raising your own chickens comes with many rewards. Whether it be saving money, making money, eating healthier, or maybe just a sense of responsibility and accomplishment. Of course, with any reward or pay-off comes work. The better you care for your chickens, the more you get in return.

How to Care For Chickens


The first things you want to be sure of is that your chickens have a safe, predator-proof place to roost at night. After this has been taken care of, you will want to add some egg boxes, if you are raising your chickens for eggs. There are different materials you can use as cushion in your egg boxes. Probably the most efficient would be pine straw or dried grass clippings. If this is not obtainable, you may purchase straw or shavings. Also, provide a large limb or round, wooden pole at least four feet off of the ground for them to roost on at night. If they are not going to be free-range chickens, you want to be sure to provide a sufficient amount of fenced in area for them to scratch and feed on during the day.

Once you have provided a secure place for your chickens to live, knowing what to feed them is next. If you have obtained hatchlings or chicks, you will want to start off by feeding them chick starter. The higher the protein count in the food, the better. Especially during their adolescent stage, in which they are doing all of their growing. A good way to feed them would be once early in the morning and once an hour or so before dark. Once the chickens have aged to approximately three months, you can consider adding random scraps to their everyday feed, such as, bread, fruit and vegetable scraps. If your chickens are free-range, they will have already begun searching for insects and a variety of greenery. If your chickens are caged, however, you may want to consider finding these things for them and throwing it in their pen. Once chickens reach the age of six months you can change their feed to pellets, if you would like, instead of the crushed up starter. If you are raising chickens for egg laying, they have feed made especially for that, as well. Also, be sure to allow them continual access to fresh water. Chickens can not swallow, so they have to lift their head back to allow the water to go down. Since this is the case, the best way to supply water for them would be in a specially made watering bucket, that can be placed up off of the ground approximately one foot high. Although it is not necessary to do so, it is recommended. If you do not have access to this type of watering device, a shallow pan will do; and it is still better to elevate it by setting it on top of a crate or box that is approximately one foot high.

A very important thing to remember is, since chickens do not have teeth, they need a way to grind up the food that they eat. The way free-range chickens do this is by eating small, crushed gravel or rocks. The rocks are a great way to grind up their food once they have ingested it. When raising caged chickens, you can purchase crushed oyster shells or rocks from your local feed store. Be sure to throw out a few handfuls every once in a while or when you notice there is no more left in their pen.

Depending on what breed of chicken you purchase, you may need to supply, either a fan or a heating lamp in their coop, if they are not able to tolerate extreme cold or hot weather conditions.

All in all, as with any pets, caring for them to the best of your ability is very important. Even chickens deserve a little love.

Source: buildchickencoopz.com/how-to-raise-chickens/25-how-to-care-for-chickens

Chicken Coop Location

It is very important to know in advance where you are going to place your chicken coop because this will directly influence how many eggs your chickens will lay, and obviously you want more eggs for your buck, so you need to pay attention to where you will place your chicken coop.

Chicken Coop Location


You need to spend some time over selecting the perfect spot in your backyard because once it is done, it cannot be removed from its location. Also the right location will impact a lot of things in the future.

Protecting your chicken from predators
There are plenty of animals who would be only happy to get their paws and other body parts on your chicken. One idea to keep in mind is that you need to place it as close as possible to the place you are going to be. This will ensure that you'll be able to watch out for your chicken.

Climate factor
Depending on you are living (in a hot area, humid area, one full of rain) you need to carefully consider where your coop will be placed. If you are living in an area where it constantly rains, you need to build the chicken coop in a more protected area. If you have some trees around you can place the coop nearby. This will reduce the rain that the chicken shed will be hit with.

If you are living in a windy area, again you need to build the chicken coop close to trees that will shild your chicken from the wind. Good ventilation is crucial in the coop, however you don't want the wind to take ownership of the coop.

Direct sunlight for your chicken
Your chicken will need a lot of direct natural sunlight to be able to lay the most eggs, so you need to build the coop in around a well lit place that faces the sun. Unless you do this, you will find youself getting expensive electrical lights to your coop, so your bill will be quite heavy to pay.

Keep all these factors in mind while you're planning to build your chicken coop. Once the coop is done, it can't be easily undone, and being happy with the coop will make sure that your chicken will be too.

So, keep these factors in mind as you go about deciding exactly where to place your chicken coop. If you do, you’ll be happy with it for the long term and you’ll definitely notice a big difference in the amount of fresh eggs you get daily.

Source: chickenshedfloral.com/chicken-coop-location.php

Friday, November 22, 2019

Chicken Coop Plans

Chicken coop plans are widely available in your local building centers and online. Many chicken coop plans are available online for very low cost, and most contain a list of all the materials you need for completion. The best chicken coops are built by hand with your particular needs in mind.

Chicken Coop Plans


When planning your chicken housing and runs, you should plan for your climate conditions and the number of chickens that you want to provide for. Each standard size chicken needs at least four square feet of space. This means that for every three chickens you plan to have, you will need 12 square feet of space.

Of course, the more space you provide, the happier and healthier the chickens will be. A larger space significantly cuts down on squabbling, gives your chickens more opportunity for exercise, and decreases the threats of illnesses that are prevalent in close quarters.

Chicken coop kits are readily available with all construction materials included. However, these are usually only meant for up to 3 chickens, and are cost prohibitive for larger units.

If you are only planning to keep a couple of chickens you can buy a coop and run ready made through online mail order. These units sit on the ground and are not secure against even medium sized predators. But they are easily moved from one part of your yard to another. They are a good consideration for a ‘day’ pen, as you can move to locations for fresh vegetation and bug intake.

When building your own chicken coop, be careful of building materials that can be a hazard to your birds and the eggs you plan to collect. Wood that has been pressure treated to prevent termites and rot can have traces of arsenic imbedded in it. Also be careful not to use paint that could contain lead. Remember that anything ingested by the chicken can end up in her eggs that can end up in your family.

If you are new to raising chickens, you may not know that chicken wire affords very little protection to chickens. Dogs, skunks, opossums, raccoons, fox, coyotes, and many other predators tear right through chicken wire.

When formulating your chicken coop plans, only use chicken wire for the bottom of the cage to keep predators from digging under. It is a great deterrent for that because the animal doesn’t have the leverage he needs to tear through from underneath. He will get discouraged and hunt elsewhere.

Use a heavier gauge wire mesh for the sides and top of your pen to protect your chickens. Even if your coop provides for lock down at night, predators will still try to get through to eat grain, drink from their water, and will try to get into the coop itself.

If you have raccoons in your area you may have to use a padlock to keep them out of the coop. A slide bolt or hasp is easily maneuvered by a chicken killing veteran raccoon. Your chicken coop plans should take into account the type of predators present around your location.

With some thought about your climate, the number of chickens you would like to have, and basic safety measures, your chicken coop plans can be the start of an enjoyable hobby for you and your family.

Source: chickencoopplansonline.com/chicken-coop-plans

What to Feed Chickens

When deciding what to feed chickens, you must take into account their age and your goal for your chickens. Feeding chickens that are going to be egg producers require a different feed than chickens that are for meat production.

What to Feed Chickens


Feeding Baby Chicks
Baby chicks should always start out on chick starter that is 20-22% protein for egg producers, and up to 24% protein for meat chickens. Chick starter should be used until the age of 6-9 weeks, depending on the breed of chicken and how quickly it matures. Meat chickens should then go on “broiler finish” grain until they are ready to slaughter.

If you are raising meat chickens you should choose chicken feed that has antibiotics to prevent Coccidiosis. This is also a good idea for any chicken unless you are planning to sell products that are “free range” or “organic”.

Raising your own meat chickens may not be the most pleasant thing about raising chickens, but it prevents your family from ingesting the hormone load given to commercial chickens to increase the growth rate and size.

Adult Chickens
Once the chickens are ready to go on adult feed, you should choose feed that is 14 % protein. Calcium is super important in laying hens and in extra-large breeds like Jersey Giants that need strong bones to hold their weight.

Adult chicken feed comes in pellets, crumbles, mash and scratch. The way to get the most balanced diet in the chickens is to mix some scratch in with pellets or crumbles, and supplement with vegetables and calcium.

You can supplement your chicken’s calcium intake by using clean, crushed egg shells in their feed. They will eat what they need if it is available.

Veggies and Peelings
Leftover veggies like spinach, Romain, carrot peels, apple peelings, and whole grains like oatmeal, barley, and small amounts of fruit make your chickens healthier and happier. Just remember this is a supplement to chicken feed, not a replacement. They must have the protein and other nutrients provided by the chicken feed unless they are totally free range in a very nutritious environment.

Just remember that as long as it is fresh it can go to your chickens instead of down the garbage disposal, as long as it is not a meat product.

Chicken Mobiles
A chicken tractor gives you the versatility to move your flock from place to place in your yard. This keeps the vegetation, available bugs, and grit fresh and the chickens interested. This is a good method if you don’t have the room for free range, or need to protect your chickens from daytime predators.

This also keeps your yard from getting brown areas where the chickens scratch to find morsels.

Hazards
Beware of using pesticides and fertilizers in any area where your chickens might feed. They are not picky when pecking at granules on the ground and can easily poison themselves and your eggs.

They can also become poisoned from grass and plants where you have used weed killers or spray (water soluble) fertilizers. Remember that whatever goes into your chickens will go into your eggs. Pesticides and chemicals can show up in your eggs before the chicken shows any sign of illness.

If done properly, your home grown chickens and eggs will provide wonderful nutrition for you and your family. When you feed chickens well they will provide you with years of fresh eggs every day.

Source: chickencoopplansonline.com/what-to-feed-chickens

Raising Backyard Chickens

Raising backyard chickens has become very popular both as a hobby and a small business for many. It is both fun and profitable, takes up little time once you get everything set up, and is a great family hobby.

Raising Backyard Chickens


If you begin with day old baby chicks from a hatchery, you will need to provide constant warmth until they feather out. This usually takes a few weeks. Their ambient temperature should begin at 99 degrees Fahrenheit the first week and decrease by 5 degrees each week until the temps reach 75 degrees.

This can be accomplished with a simple light bulb or a heat lamp hung from a height that the chicks can’t touch. You can use a box, aquarium, or plastic storage container for housing, with newspaper in the bottom, until the chicks are feathered out.

Once the chickens are fully feathered, or if you begin with adults, they can live in a chicken coop with an exercise run. They will need four square feet of space per chicken at a minimum.

You can house any number of hens together as long as there is sufficient space available, but there can be only one rooster per pen once they become adults.

When raising backyard chickens you can expect your hens to begin laying eggs by the time they are six months old, unless they mature to this age in the winter. If you are in a cold climate, they may wait until spring to begin laying eggs.

Young hens may lay outside of the nest boxes. One remedy for this is to place a wooden or plastic egg in each nest box to encourage laying in the right place, and make your egg gathering much easier.

If you are raising chicken for meat, you will need to buy breeds that are will be a good size by the time they are 16 weeks old. Cornish crosses are often used for this purpose. They utilize their chicken feed efficiently and grow rapidly.

For the best egg production many people choose White leghorns or Rhode Island Reds. They lay an egg nearly every day. However, many of the more personable and friendly chickens lay almost as well, such as Standard Cochins, and they make great pets for kids.

If you want to raise baby chicks from your adults, you will need a breed that goes “broody” (sits on the eggs) once she has a full nest, or you will need an incubator. Some chicken breeders keep broody hens such as Silkies to sit on the eggs of their other livestock.

For selling fertile eggs or day old chicks, look into the rare and endangered species. The fertile eggs and chicks will sell for a larger profit, and the adults don’t cost any more to keep than a normal barnyard chicken. These include some beautiful heritage breeds and flamboyant exotics.

When choosing your chicken breeds, choose breeds that will adapt easily to your climate. Cochins are good cold climate chickens with their full, fluffy feathering that reaches to their toes, while some like the Silkies, need warm weather.

Silkies have to be kept dry because their feathers have fur like qualities. This is an attribute that makes them unusual and endearing to their owner, but they get soggy quickly in rain and the chill can kill them.

Before beginning your hobby of raising backyard chickens, research all the various types of chicken and make your selections wisely.

Source: chickencoopplansonline.com/raising-backyard-chickens

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