Raising Chickens 101: Protecting Chickens From Other Animals

Chickens have a lot of attributes but unlike most animals in the food chain, except for their typical if not initial distrust, they have none for defense. Aside from that, chickens do not move fast, are noisy, meaty, and tasty, that makes them the ideal bird to prey upon. To protect chickens from predators and other animals, observe try the following.

Introduce human smell.

The scent of humans is very repulsive to animals. It has often been claimed that the reason that man is the least to be preyed upon is due to human smell. There is not much study to support this but the fact is man will only be preyed upon when a predator is starving and there is nothing else available, when a predator is sick and is unable to hunt or is very old that their movement and ability has been limited, when the animal is threatened with its back to the wall and escape routes are closed and sometimes when a man is mistaken for another identity. To do this, hang bags of hair and used clothing inside the chicken coop and the fence preferably near entrances.

Discourage predators from your premises.

This will depend much on the predators that are in your area. Different predators use different methods. Consult with the animal control or the local authorities in your area. Aside from that you could use chemical deterrents. An electric chicken fence may also be ideal. Outside of these, remove places and clear spaces where predators could hide. Having dogs around will discourage most predators from getting near the place.

Build sturdy chicken coops.

Build the chickens living spaces free from gaps and holes. If the flooring of the chicken house is made from slats, install wires underneath to prevent predators from digging from underneath. Cover weak posts with wires to prevent them from biting through and lock up the chicken hutch without fail when the chickens are roosting in their coops.

Prevent access.

Predators will dig underneath a fence if they could not jump over it. When building the fence, ensure that it goes at least 10" or more below the ground to discourage digging. See to it that there are no weak points either in the fence or in the chicken house itself.

Provide barriers.

When the fence is made from chicken wire, bury planks that are at least 8" deep into the ground, also put footplates near the fence. Make the height of the fence at least five feet to prevent foxes from jumping over. Leave the top of the fence rough for added measure. Generally foxes could jump as high as their length. There are foxes though that could jump more than that. Leaving the top of the fence rough could catch if not scrape their underbellies on it.

Other methods of protecting your chicken from other animals could be provided by other farmer/residents in your area who have been raising animals longer than you do.

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

Mobile Chicken Coops

By Shannon Clark

More and more people are starting to turn towards using mobile chicken coops rather than building larger ones that are stationed in one place. There are many benefits to using a mobile chicken coop, so going this route does become appealing to many individuals.

There are some things you need to know first though before going ahead with mobile chicken coops because if you don’t, you may find that this particular variation wasn’t exactly the best choice for you.

Here are some of the pros and cons to a mobile chicken coop.

Easier To Clean

One of the biggest benefits to a mobile chicken coop is the fact that they are easy to clean. Since you can just transport the coop closer to your house, this makes it an ideal situation for those who have limited cleaning facilities.

If you prefer, you can move the mobile chicken coop to the cement garage and then use a hose to wash it down if necessary.

Cheaper To Build

Another big benefit to a mobile chicken coop is the fact that it’s cheaper to build. As these coops are generally smaller you can often use materials that you already have around the house. If not, there’s a good chance that a neighbour will have some of the stuff you need, further making it easy to build a cheap chicken coop if necessary.

Decreased Feeding Time Commitment

Moving on, another nice thing about mobile chicken coops is they are much lower in terms of total time commitment to feeding. Again, since you can simply just move the coop closer to your house, this makes it ideal for feeding your chickens.

If you constantly have to walk out a ways to get to your coop to provide food, that will really become a chore day after day. Most people really appreciate this aspect of mobile chicken coops, so it’s definitely something to consider.

Limited Coop Size

One thing that is important to remember about mobile chicken coops is that you will be slightly limited when it comes to their total size. Mobile chicken coops are not going to be able to house all that many chickens, so if you’re attempting to keep six or more, you may want to consider a larger, more permanent coop.

You could always also build a mobile coop to use on occasion for a few of your chickens, just don’t expect to keep a large number in it for a longer period of time.

Durability Factors

In most cases, mobile chicken coops will be relatively durable due to the fact that they need to be in order to sustain the constant movement. When they are not constructed properly however, then you might run into problems with their durability and find that you are repairing them more frequently than normal.

Always be sure the mobile chicken coop plan you are using is well laid out so you don’t run into this problem.

So, keep these factors in mind when thinking about building a mobile chicken coop. Many people really enjoy them, so if you decide it’s right for you, don’t hesitate to begin the hunt for a plan to get going.

Here is more information on how you can build a chicken house 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/?Mobile-Chicken-Coops—The-Advantages-to-Mobile-Chicken-Coops&id=2168600

How To Build A Chicken Coop

Raising Chickens 101: Where Do Chickens Live?

Chickens are domestic birds. Dogs and cats are also domestic. You can usually find chickens on farms. They provide eggs and meat for the farmers.

On many farms, chickens can roam free during the day, and sleep peacefully inside the safety of a chicken coop at night. This keeps them away from foxes and other hunger predators. There are several different shapes and sizes of coops, each having different advantages. Some coops have runs. Runs are fenced in areas connected to the coop which allow chickens to roam in a certain amount of space given. All chicken coops protect chickens from the cold and wet weather outside and have nesting boxes for hens to lay their eggs.

Sometimes, farmers decide to let their chickens live outside. Chickens that are allowed to do this are called free-range. They get plenty of sun and fresh air during the day as well as shelter when they need it. These chickens are fed by farmers but also have the ability to search for food on their own.

Chickens are sometimes even kept in large chicken farms where thousands of chickens are crowded together in factory-like sheds. These chickens live in here their entire life and never get to feel the warmth of the sun or see the wonder of seasons. This is very unnatural.

Build A Chicken Coop In 3 Days

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

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