Choosing Chicken Tractor Plans

Selecting the right chicken tractor plans to use throughout the building process will help you make sure that the money you invest in the process is well spent. How would it feel if you spend a full weekend working on this project and after discovered that your chickens weren’t even laying eggs?

Unfortunately this is something that many chicken farmers face each week because of the fact they didn’t choose good chicken tractor plans to follow. Here are the main questions you must ask yourself when going about making this decision.

How Many Chickens Do You Want To Keep?

The first question to ask yourself is how many chickens you plan to keep. This will make a very big difference in how large you need to build and will have to look for chicken tractor plans accordingly.

Trying to cram too many chickens into a very small space is a great way to prevent yourself from seeing fresh eggs. Chickens will not produce eggs if they don’t have enough space, so find a plan that gives you specific dimensions to follow.

About 90% of the chicken farmers not using a plan with dimensions wind up having to rebuild portions of it, so this isn’t something to take lightly.

How Much Upkeep Do You Plan To Do?

Second, ask yourself how much of a time investment you plan to make in terms of upkeep. Will you be cleaning the chicken coop regularly? Or are you looking for something that doesn’t require as much upkeep?

This will factor into how you design the inside of the chicken coop. While you’re always going to have to do some maintenance, it can be reduced if you’re building a simpler model so then you’d have to choose chicken tractor plans that are in alignment with this.

What Type of Building Supplies Do You Have Access To?

Now, also look into the types of building supplies you will have access too. There is a great range of materials you can use for the building process and this is one thing that will really impact your total cost.

Try and find chicken tractor plans that discuss a variety of different materials so you’re best able to save money while still building a quality coop in the process.

If you end up using materials that aren’t going to work very well, you’ll also have to spend time rebuilding in the long run – a very frustrating process to say the least.

Do You Want A Coop That You Can Transport?

Finally, ask yourself whether you want to make a coop that you can transport. Chicken Tractors are becoming a more popular option these days, especially for those who are only keeping one to two chickens and also want them as pets.

A second benefit to these is that they’re easier to maintain since you can easily move them to wherever you need and then clean them out from there.

So be sure you’re keeping these points in mind. Never underestimate the difference using good tractor and just getting by.

Check Out ====> How To Build A Chicken Coop

Choosing Chicken Coop Plans

By Shannon Clark

If you’re looking for chicken coop plans, there are some important things you are going to need to consider to ensure that you’re making the right decision. With all the different types of chicken coop plans that are available, it can get confusing over which one you should be choosing. Once you have a better idea exactly what you’re looking for in your chicken coop plan though, then you can better grasp which one will meet your needs.

Here are the main things to consider with your chicken coop plans.

Total Size

The most important factor to think about as you search for chicken coop plans is how many chickens you are planning to keep. If you’re going to be housing six or more chickens, you are not going to be able to effectively keep them in a small sized chicken coop.

Bumping it up to a medium or potentially even large sized coop will really work to your benefit and ensure they are laying their eggs correctly.

Ventilation

Moving on, the next step to factor in with your chicken coop plans is ventilation. If you live in an area that does tend to get fairly hot, you are going to want to be sure you have good ventilation throughout the chicken coop otherwise it’s going to start smelling and the chickens will become uncomfortably warm.

Having the ventilation source will make the chicken coop that much more enjoyable for you to be around and clean as well as that much more enjoyable for your chickens to stay in.

Light Source

Third, make sure you have a good source of light for your chickens. Ideally this would be natural sunlight and you’d choose a chicken coop plan that factors this into the building plans and builds it at the right angle towards the sun.

If you live in an area that does not get that much natural sunlight though or where you are building the coop does not allow for light to penetrate in, then you will want to consider a non-natural light source to keep your chickens happy.

Feeding Set-Up

Finally, consider the feeding set-up you have. Feeding your chickens can turn into quite a time intensive venture if you don’t plan your feeding set-up correctly. The total number of chickens you house will also play a critical role in how long it takes to feed them each day and how many feeders you should be putting into the chicken house, so find a chicken coop guide that discusses this.

Since your chickens are going need a readily available source of fuel, this cannot be overlooked.

So, keep all of these factors in mind. Search for chicken coop plans that are within your price range and meet your needs. This is what will ensure that at the end of the day you’re happy with the coop you build.

Here is more information on how you can choose chicken coop plans on a budget.

To read my review of ‘Building A Chicken Coop’, please click HERE:

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shannon_Clark http://EzineArticles.com/?Chicken-Coop-Plans—Choosing-Chicken-Coop-Plans&id=2163696

Check Out ====> How To Build A Chicken Coop

Raising Chickens: Chicken Parasites, Causes And Treatments

Chickens in general are a hardy lot, but they are also very susceptible to various chicken parasites, infestations, and diseases. All of this though could be avoided very easily provided the symptoms are recognized early and treatments are done swiftly. Not acting on it soon enough could cause infestation that could contaminate the entire flock.

Causes of Infestation in Chickens

• Overcrowding chickens produces stress that results in lowered resistance against diseases. It is also makes the chicken prone to parasitic diseases and infections.

• Introduction of new birds into the flock without first quarantining the new birds is one of the most common sources of infestation. When additional chickens are needed the best way is to quarantine first the new flock in a separate cage for two weeks and examining and treating them for possible infections before being introduced to the main chicken house.

• Poor sanitation breeds different kinds of bacteria that the chicken is susceptible. The chicken house must be cleaned regularly from manure, dirt, dampness, and waste food to insure that the chicken house sanitary.

Common Chicken Parasites and its Treatments

Lice – While lice does not actually bite the chicken but instead eat dead skin, chicken are very uncomfortable with it that results in the chicken pecking at themselves that causes irritation and wounds. When other chicken sees the blood, it attracts their interest that they would peck on the chicken also resulting to depression and death. Lice are usually transmitted by introducing other birds that are infected to the chicken house. To treat lice, spray the infected chicken with sulfur based dust sprays. Malathion solution baths are also effective.

Red Mites – Breed fast in damp and dark areas. A chicken that is infected with red mites that goes undetected will spread the mites fast to other chickens and will number several millions in a few short days. It could also spread to your other pets, to your house and breed on your beddings. Red mites feed on blood and causes death in chicken when not treated swiftly. The mites are transmitted to the chickens by wild birds and by rodents. Red mites are blackish red in color and will hide from light. When there is evidence of red mites in the area, a chicken bath in Malathion could cure the chicken but all hiding places of the red mites must be disinfected if not burned.

Scaly-leg mites – You will find scaly-leg mites in between the scales of the leg of the fowl. Once they penetrated the scales, the scales would lift and will cause lameness in the chicken. Unlike the red mites, scaly-leg mites come from infested ground. Brushing the chicken leg with warm soapy water to rid the mites and then painting the leg with a mixture of methyl and olive oil in equal parts plus half a part of kerosene will kill the mites. Make sure though that the solution penetrates the scales.

Fowl ticks – These chicken parasites are very similar in nature and treatment to the red mites. The fowl ticks however produce tick fever, paralysis, and death when unchecked.

Chicken Keeping Secrets - Guide To Keeping Backyard Chickens

Finding Good Chicken Shed Plans

Finding good chicken shed plans to follow as you set out to complete this process will be critically important for long term continued results. Many people overlook the value that chicken shed plans will provide them with in terms of guiding them through the entire process to ensure that they are getting the exact results they are looking for.

By making sure you’re looking through the plan and taking into account a variety of aspects of the building process you can guarantee the results you have with the building process.

Here is what you need to know about chicken coops.

Consider All Building Materials

The first thing you should be doing is making sure you think about the wide variety of building supplies that are available to you. If you are able to use used materials throughout the building process you’re going to dramatically cut down on the total costs of building the coop, boosting the results you are looking for.

Even if you don’t have any materials that you can use to build the chicken coop around you, ask around to your neighbours. They might have exactly what you’re looking for that would get the job done very effectively.

Spend Some Time Landscaping First

Second, be sure you spend some time landscaping the area you plan to build on. Most chicken shed plans will provide instructions on what to look for in terms of where you are to build, so put some thought into this.

You don’t want to build in an area that is too low in elevation as this could cause flooding problems. Additionally, it’s almost important that you’re building somewhere that will get a decent amount of sunlight since this is important to make sure that your chickens lay eggs regularly.

Whatever you do, don’t build in the shade.

Avoid Cramping The Chickens

Space is also another very important consideration so be sure the chicken shed plans you use give you a specific idea of your building dimension. There is so much space that each and every chicken that you keep will need to feel comfortable and if this space is not given they are not going to be laying eggs as desired.

As soon as you determine how many chickens you plan to keep, the next step is going to be figuring out the dimensions of your chicken coop.

Spend Some Time Building A Durable Fence

Finally, also be sure that you’re spending some time building a fence that will be able to stand the test of time. This will be vital so that you don’t run into a nasty encounter with one of the predatory animals that hunt chickens and that can easily wipe out the entire coop with little to no effort.

Be sure you’re building this fence both tall enough and deep enough into the ground, as these are the main points that will keep the animals out.

So be sure you look for chicken shed plans that take into account all of these factors. Getting it right the first time will save you a great deal of time and frustration down the road.

How To Build A Chicken Coop

Tips On Raising Chickens

The list for keeping chicken, productive, and healthy is not very long. Chicken basically are hardy creatures and it does not take a lot of "do's" and "don’ts". The following tips on raising healthy chickens came from questions that are the most often asked.

What it takes

Chicken like every living creature could get by very well so long as there is an ample supply of feed and nourishment and a familiar place to gather. They could even be content with yesterday's water, a place where they could scratch and forage for food, have dirt baths and things they could peck when boredom sets in.

Favorite Chicken Food

Nothing. Chickens cannot be classified as either carnivorous or vegetarian. Yet they could be picky and scavengers at the same time. Truth to tell, chicken will love eating everything even those that barely resembles food. Feeding the chicken is not the worry. What would bother the newbie more is that a chicken when they have had good foraging around the fence will not eat the chicken feed. When they refused to, nothing will make them. But that is okay, it passes. Often, the foods that they forage are even more nutritious than those that are regularly fed to them. Bugs, ants, insects, roaches, fruit, bread, seeds, food leftovers that had been standing in the fridge, vegetables, leaves, grass, everything and that does not exclude pebbles and coarse sand. They love Chinese dishes and Italian too. Try throwing them spaghetti and see how they will chase each other over it.

A place to hang around

Anyplace. As long as it is a regular place that they could roost, lay eggs and be safe from the elements and their natural enemies, the list of which is longer. Chickens you see are very sociable creatures. They want another chicken's company that they can huddle with especially during cold seasons and rainy days. That does not mean though that they are always placid creatures. They could get very cranky at times and start being irritated at even the littlest of things. When they do, they will throw amicability to the nearest window and peck at their companions and if the hapless companion does not pay attention fast they could peck at that one even to death. On the other hand if there are the so-called birds of prey, chicken are the most ideal birds to prey on.

Keeping them safe

Raising chicken will require among other things a sunny dirt run for them to roam about and scratch around. This is often the worry area. Bu as long as the fence is high enough and deep enough to prevent other predators from coming in the chicken is content and so are you. The chicken coop should be a very safe structure to keep unwanted animals out and keep the chicken secured when it is their time to roost.

Other Tips

There are other tips in raising chicken but basically this are the most important to start with. Getting this part right will raise healthy meat and eggs that you raise yourself that once tried, you will not have another chicken on your table.

Answers To Raising Chickens - A Complete Guide To Keeping Chickens

Keeping Chickens For Meat

Chicken meat has always been a popular food choice to us consumers, and while it is easily accessible in any supermarket, keeping chickens and raising them yourself for future meat consumption has been common not just in the farm, but also in urban areas. Aside from getting free eggs, an owner can have full control of the flock's dietary intake, giving him full confidence that the chicken meat he produces are free of harmful chemicals.

Before getting started, it is frugal to choose carefully the breed you're going to raise and take into consideration the cost of feeding and rapidity of growth. If you are putting emphasis on the size of the meat, you can go for the Sussex and Plymouth breeds. You can always opt for the hybrids if you want to go in-between. While these are more sought out for meat consumption, there are still a lot of breeds out there that you can choose from. The internet is chock full of information about breeds, so it is imperative to do a bit of research to decide on what type of chickens you want to keep for its meat.

You have two choices when purchasing chickens. Either you go for the full-grown ones (after checking the vaccination records to ensure that there's less risk of disease) or you can go for the newborn chicks. Just keep in mind that chicks require eight weeks of feeding before they are ready for slaughter. It is also wiser to buy a few cockerels so that your hens can spawn fertilized eggs and produce the next generation of chickens that can replace the ones that are soon to be consumed.

You will need to set up a coop for your flock to settle in, preferably one that has wheels, to make it easier to move around the backyard or garden. Regularly moving the coop enables you to choose a spot where they can feed on weed. In this manner, you can prevent them from damaging any crops that you want to protect by veering the coop away from the spots they're growing from.

Regular cleaning is also recommended to prevent diseases. Chickens love to perch, so don't forget to install a place where they can roost. Most of all, the coop should be safe from drafts and extreme temperature.

Your poultry requires daily intake of water. An automatic waterer device is a great tool for water distribution because you can set its timer to release drinking water in particular times of the day. It’s also easy to clean and has an adjustable height for the growing chicks.

Chickens being raised for meat need a lot of protein in their diet for their growing needs. Their feed is made up of 90% grains, such as oats, barley, soybean meals, canola and other oilseed meals and grain legumes. Meat chicken diets are within strict nutritional standards. If you want to ensure that your chickens are having the required balance of nutrients, you can purchase Nutribalancers from feeding stores.

Incredible Chickens! The Complete Guide To Raising Chickens At Home!

Benefits Of Keeping Chickens

If you have decided to raise chickens or are currently keeping some in your backyard, familiarizing yourself about its benefits can be very rewarding. You might have your own ideas already, but it shouldn't hurt to expand your knowledge on the pros of raising chickens at home. After all, an advantage can only be one if you recognize it for what it is.

The following are the benefits one can have when raising chickens at home:

Home-Kept Eggs Are Healthier.

Scientific evidence suggests that battery eggs contain a higher amount of salmonella, and thus, can be very harmful to us through prolonged intake. There's a consensus among chicken owners that the eggs their flocks produce is safer since they have full control of their poultry's diet intake. Raising your own chickens ensures that your flock is getting a balanced intake of proper nutrients and vitamins paramount to producing eggs safe for human consumption.

You Can Save More Money From Home Produced Eggs.

Having three or more chickens that constantly produce eggs saves you the trouble of buying eggs at your local supermarket. A normal hen could lay an average of 300 eggs a year, provided that they are getting the proper nourishment. Increasing the amount of hens can also provide more returns, provided that you are buying poultry and chicken feed at a cheaper price.

The Waste Products Of Your Chickens Can Be Utilized As Fertilizers.

It has always been noted in many sources that chicken waste is one of the best fertilizers around for its high amount of nutrients and nitrogen, which can help your garden produce vegetables at a faster rate. And the fact that they're organic makes your crops free from harmful chemicals. It's also a plus that your chickens feed on bugs and insects that incessantly wreak havoc on your crops.

Chickens Make Good Pets.

The hens, especially the "bantam" types, are docile in nature, not to mention that they are total beauts! Many types of breeds are beautiful in appearance, most notably Barred Rocks, Wyandottes, Orpingtons and Cochins. You can always go to the internet for photographs of certain breeds to decide better which breeds are to your liking. A chicken's plumage has an overwhelming variety of colors, and I guarantee that you'll be having a blast just by sorting through them. Chickens, while not as smart as dogs, can be very playful and friendly. If trained real well, some of them can eventually pull off some tricks, and you might use them to impress your friends as they ogle over the beauty and magnificence of your chickens.

There are still a plethora of benefits, and you can discover some of them on your own. Having the initiative to learn more and taking a humane approach to raising chickens can pave the way to maximizing these benefits, and both you and your avian family will be happier for it.

Incredible Chickens! The Complete Guide To Raising Chickens At Home!

Raising Chickens: Taking Care Of The Baby Chicks

Taking care of the chicks does not require much although they may need extra attention.

If the chicken house is big, you will need to separate them from their mothers so that they are not pecked by other chicken or trampled on. The basics that the chicks will need are a clean dry place that will protect them from direct sunlight or cold and a lamp to warm up the place. When there are plenty of chicks, a separate house will be needed although for smaller numbers, a box placed in a space in the garage or a separate room will suffice. No matter where you keep your chicks in, the space provided must be secured from predators and other birds and animals.

When there is no special house to keep the chicks, a sturdy box is a very good and logical choice as it will cost nothing and could be moved around when there is a need. Place wood shavings in the floor of the box, if there are none, layers of newspapers will do. To insure cleanliness and prevent the chicks from diseases, remove the top sheets of the newspapers every day.

The chicks will also need a heat lamp. A good way to do this is to hang a 60-watt light bulb near a corner of the box about eighteen inches from the chicks. If the lamp is lower than that, cover the lamp with a piece of cloth to control temperature. A good way to know whether the temperature is right is when the chicks congregate beneath the lamp when they roost. When the lamps temperature is too strong, the chicks will tend to spread out inside the box away from the lamp.

The height of the heat lamp must then be adjusted about two inches higher every week to wean them off the heat. After two weeks, the chicks will still need the extra heat but reduce the hours that the lamp is on especially during summer months.

The chicks will outgrow the box and you will need additional accommodation for them. Even so, provide a lamp where they could huddle together and get heat especially in the coldest hours of the morning or and when they need it, otherwise turn the lamp off to get them acclimatized to normal temperatures.

Clean water must be provided but even chicks scratch or step inside the water pan that could topple it. To prevent the newspapers or wood shavings from getting wet, place stones inside the water pan for ballast. Replenish food and water in the hopper daily and clean it from droppings.

Mix vitamins and minerals into the water to insure that the chicks grow healthy and to boost their resistance to diseases. This is especially important during the first week. For food, you can mix crumbs to the starter mash that you feed the chicks.

Taking care of the chicks will require you to follow manufacturer's instructions for ratio and proportions of vitamins, minerals, and crumbs that you mix with their food.

Answers To Raising Chickens - A Complete Guide To Keeping Chickens

Raising Chickens In Your Backyard

Raising chickens in the backyard is an activity that is rising in popularity again for a variety of reasons.

• With the economic downturn people are trying to save money by raising their own chickens for both eggs and meat.
• People are tired of not knowing what they are getting from their supermarket so they turn to raising organic chickens in their own backyard.
• Raising chickens in your backyard can be a great educational tool for your children.
  
• Raising chickens is fun and rewarding.

Follow along as we provide you valuable information and tips on raising chickens in your own backyard.

Keeping Chickens For Egg Production

There is never any doubt that keeping chickens for their eggs is not only an enjoyable endeavor, but also serves to provide owners with a lot of profit. If the idea of raising egg-laying hens has entered your mind, a comprehensive plan that involves quality of feeding, proper environment, and stress management should be undertaken to get the best results for egg production.

But before we proceed with a contingent plan, an introduction to the fundamental facts involving the laying of eggs should be tackled. This can depend on a lot of factors.

When it comes to breeds, the leghorns start the earliest in laying eggs, which usually takes approximately 5 months, while the bantams and silkies start in about 8 months. Using this knowledge will help you prepare accordingly before the eggs start pouring in. Take note that hens that have just started to lay eggs do so in haphazard fashion, but will soon start to get their normal rhythm as the days go by. Commercial hens usually get replaced after two years, but some owners, especially those who keep their hens as pets, collect eggs even from those that have already reached the last stages of their lives. This won't pose a problem since hens are still very capable of laying eggs even in their later years, albeit a lot slower, until it eventually stops.

There are specific reasons on why chickens suddenly stop laying eggs, and owners need to be aware of the signs so that they will know when to act accordingly or when to let things take its natural course.

MOLTING - Molting is the process by which chickens shed their feathers so they can grow new ones. This normally happens during the autumn/fall, and takes about a month. Once they've grown new feathers, egg production should start as normal.

BROODING - There comes a time in the cycle of a hen's life when it starts to stay in its nest box without moving much. This is called brooding, which can cause your hen to stop laying eggs for some time. It takes about two to three weeks before the hen can snap out of its "catatonia" and start laying eggs again.

STRESS - It's been proven that the least stressed hens produce better eggs, and that stress affects the quantity of eggs a chicken can produce. A favorable environment and constant companionship for your chickens can alleviate this problem.

Chickens have an internal mechanism to keep themselves warm. This expends some energy, which is normally used for the act of laying eggs. Be sure to set up a heat lamp in the coop during winter so that your chickens can have more energy required to lay eggs. As was stated before, egg production starts to lessen as a chicken gets older, and stops in its fifth year. If this happens, we should give the hens enough courtesy to deem them 'retired' and just allow them the luxury of living out the rest of their years with their happy disposition in mind. Hey, after all the eggs they've provided, it's the least we could do!

Chicken Keeping Secrets - Guide To Keeping Backyard Chickens