Keeping Chickens Warm In Winter

If you are worried about your chickens freezing during the winter, keep in mind that you only have to take minor precautions to keep them warm. Remember, chickens normally acclimatize themselves to cold weather. In fact, their physical constitution is more tolerant to cold than to heat. The body warmth they get from simply huddling together during cold weather can go a long way into keeping them warm for most of the winter. However, it doesn't mean that it's safe to neglect the environmental conditions that determine the well-being of your poultry during the cold months.

Heat conduction plays a critical role in the wintering of your poultry. Placing a bed of sawdust or bundles of straw in the coop helps in keeping them warm just in case huddling together is not good enough to handle the cool temperature. Setting up a heat lamp in a secure place also helps in providing direct heat just in case a particular chicken has poor tolerance for extremely low temperatures. Just make sure that the heat lamp is at a safe distance to prevent your chickens from getting too close (chickens like to perch, so make sure the heat lamp is at an elevated area that they can't reach).

A coop that is dry and free of draft (but still ventilated) is very essential to maintaining reasonable heat within the shelter. One thing to avoid is barring the door since chickens love to go outside and exercise every once in a while, even during winter. Make it a point to clear the coop's surroundings of snow in order for your chickens to have the luxury to venture outside whenever they feel the urge to do so.

Proper feeding is very important during a chicken's winter days. Corn is a good supplementary diet since it provides internal warmth. And of course, water needs to be provided daily just like in summer days. I highly recommend using a hard horse rubber dish for the fact that it's relatively easier to remove the ice without breaking the dish.

Providing roosts is also vital in avoiding your chickens' toes from freezing. A roost made out of wood is always better than metal or plastic because wood doesn't conduct cold. The roost should also be wide enough so that the chickens' feathers can cover the toes and be able to provide warmth into them.

Combs and wattles on chickens can be a big problem since extreme coldness can cause frostbites. Rubbing Vasoline regularly can be a big help to alleviate this particular problem. You can also resort to "dubbing", which is the process of removing these extra appendages, in the means to fully remove the possibilities of frostbites and the complications that go with it.

Remember that the rules change if you are brooding chicks. They should be kept entirely safe from drafts by placing a solid wall around them. Maintain a heat lamp over them the same way you do with full-grown chickens. If you can't establish an airtight habitat for them, it is best to avoid the notion of raising them in the winter.

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Raising Chickens: What Chickens Need to Survive and Thrive

Ancestrally, chicken are jungle birds. They are survivors living in trees and are good at adapting to outdoor conditions. Taking good care of chickens then is easy provided that the chicken raiser give them what they need to survive and thrive. The needs of chickens are few and simple.

Housing

• The first among the basics for raising chickens is a housing that is clean and secured from predators. Chickens are a good prey for foxes to badgers and for cats to rats. The chicken house then should be secured that every possible entry point of predators are closed and barred.

• Build a chicken house that is elevated from the ground. This will keep them away from damp and diseases. While chickens are sturdy birds, they are prawn to bacteria and diseases, many of which come from the damp ground.

• The chicken house should also be made of materials sturdy enough to withstand different weather conditions and it should have ample ventilation.

Space

• Provide enough space for chickens. Chicken could be irritable creatures when the mood strikes them and that could be just about anything. When they are, quarrels will start. When blood is drawn, the blood will strike the fancy of other chickens in the henhouse will start pecking at the bloodied chicken sometimes to death. A chicken house is already cramped when there is less than three square feet of space per chicken.

• Likewise, the nest box should not be designed to accommodate more than four chickens. Two chickens per nest box are good.

• Chicken runs should be secured and fenced around with the base of the fence buried at least 10" into the ground while the height should be at least five feet.

Food and Water

• Chickens could live on yesterday's water but when the water has droppings it has to be cleaned. A steady supply of clean water is essential if the chickens are to be healthy. Vitamins and minerals could also be introduced into the water to boost the chicken's immunity from diseases.

• There are two basic types, the corn, and the pellets. Corn feed is mixed with other seeds and the seed mixed to the corn does not differ much from one manufacturer to the other. The other type is pellets. Pellets have three categories. First is the starter mash or layer mash, the second is the crumbled pellets that are recommended for feeding the pullets and the third is the pellets. There is no difference in composition and nutrients present. The difference only lies in the manner of fineness and coarseness of the feed.

• Chicken eats most food and it is good to let them roam around for variety. Chickens should also be fed grits, as they would need this for digestion to prevent having a sour crop.

These are the basics that the chicken will need to survive and thrive. There are other minor issues like disease prevention, selecting the breed, laws and regulations, but for chicken keeping, these are the things that come first.

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Do Chickens Make Good Pets?

Gone are the days when chickens were only kept for their eggs and meat. Nowadays, people take a liking for chickens because of their domestic appeal, and many would even claim that they get a sense of kinship with their poultry, that same kinship people get from common pets such as cats and dogs.

But before you entertain the idea of keeping chickens as pets, you have to check the local zoning laws in your area for the simple fact that some counties prohibit the housing of "farm animals". Once you're able to verify this, the one thing left to do is to pick the particular breed of the chickens you want to have as your constant feathery companions.

You will need to have extensive knowledge of which breeds are most suitable to your preference. A bit of visual appeal can also go a long way into sparking and maintaining interest. A chicken can have a variety of colors and styles to choose from - red, gold, brown, spotted, dappled, high-tailed, bushy tailed, feather-legged, the list goes on. Be very nit-picky, for it's your sole responsibility to ensure that your chickens are not only well fed, but also nurtured and yes, loved. Why keep a pet in the first place if you're not going to shower it with attention?

If there are kids always hanging around the chicken coop, it might be advisable to choose the smaller breed, or in poultry talk - bantam chickens. That way, kids won't be afraid of them, and will be drawn to them as much as they do to small pets like rabbits and cats. It goes without saying that you need to pick one that is young, more preferably a one-day old chick. This gives the bird ample time to get domesticated and get used to being handled by people. The birds won't "fly the coop" and be predisposed to hurt anyone every time people get close to them.

In that parlance, hens make better pets than cockerels since they are more docile in nature. The fact that hens are capable of providing you a steady supply of eggs without the requirement of fertilization only fuels that premise. Sexing the chicken is not as easy as it looks, so you are better off asking the help of a “chick sexer” if you're not well trained to do it on your own.

Pet chickens naturally have to be free-range. They love to have enough space to walk around with, so make sure there's enough of it. Perches also need to be set up since it is hardwired into a chicken's instincts to roost and sleep on an elevated surface. Also make it a point to scatter some dirt into the ground since they love to dig and scratch with their feet.

Feeding your chickens occasionally with special treats (worms, fish, table leftovers, etc.) in the palm of your hand can also help tame them as they grow. In this manner, they associate you as a source of food and will always cluck in anticipation every time they see you.

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Keeping Your Chickens Healthy While Raising Them

There have been thoughts on what to do with your flock daily. Raising chickens can be quite easy but also needs maintenance to keep their environment safe and clean for both your chickens and your own happiness. Some owners hesitate to do such a grueling task. But in reality it is one of the easiest works you can do to give your chickens the welcome they deserve.

In this section, you’ll learn about what to do and what not to do daily.

a. Keep their feed and water containers full at all times. Do not let them run out of these two essentials. They need these two things everyday to live. If you tend to leave your house for a couple of days, be sure to leave sufficient food and water so that your chickens don’t run out of their needs and will not reach the point of picking on each other.

b. Clean their water canister. If their water becomes cloudy or if they sensed that it’s already dirty, they will refuse to drink it and in the long run, they will become dehydrated and eventually conjure illness and die.

c. Every morning, observe for their health status. Look at their physical attitude. Do they look bright, active, and healthy? If they don’t look anything close to normal, then you should call or see the vet to ask for suggestions and answers.

d. If you are the type who loves collecting eggs for breakfast or for selling, the moment they are laid, you can already get them from the coop. Put the eggs inside the fridge to maintain its freshness.

e. From time to time, you will have the chance to visit their coop and look at your chickens. Before you leave, make sure that things are safe inside and outside the pen. If you see rat holes, block it. If everything seems fine, be sure to close the door. As dusk comes, that’ll be the time when all the chickens are in their nest. Not a single chicken in sight. Secure the area so that predators will not have the opportunity to get in.

Unlike other pets, you can leave the chickens for days. You have to keep in mind that they have to be provided with enough food and water supply. If you came back and found eggs, it’s still okay to collect. It still has its freshness.

Here’s a fact that you should know about an egg’s freshness: it will take you at least 12 days from the day that it was laid before it matures and an embryo develops inside.

Another thing that you should know about eggs is that upon collecting them, there will be chances that you’ll see slight smudges of dirt or feces on the egg’s surface. Do not attempt too scrub the dirt off no matter how the urge is killing you. Because one thing about eggs is that they are not ejected to this world without protective barriers.

Bloom is the term that is given to the membrane that is located at the surface of the egg itself. The use of the bloom is to protect the egg from bacteria and microorganisms that may insist on penetrating through the shell. If you scrub this, you take away the protective covering.

But if you are that type of person who wanted things to always be spiffy clean, like that of the obsessive-compulsive type, you can clean the dirty egg provided it will be under warm water and in a very gentle touch.

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Keeping Chickens Healthy

As the old adage goes, "health is wealth", and it brings home the point when one considers the importance of keeping our bipedal companions free from diseases or any debilitating illness. After all, we constantly require eggs and chicken meat from them, so it goes to show that the general health of the poultry can be important to sustain our own.

THE PERFECT ENVIRONMENT

The general well being of a chicken starts with the environment. While it's true that chickens adapt real well to both cold and hot weather, constant exposure to harsh climates can still get the best of them. That's why a coop or a hen house should be set up, while making sure that it's well ventilated and free from draft. Make sure that the perches are not too high to prevent any foot injuries. Keeping the chicken house devoid of moisture also helps prevent diseases that result from ammonia and other toxic gases.

And of course, you have to maintain cleanliness in the coop and its surrounding environs to prevent the proliferation of mites, lice and other critters. These pests can cause serious health risks if left alone. Regular cleaning through the use of clean water and disinfectants should always be undertaken to maintain a healthy environment for your chickens.

PROTECTION FROM PREDATORS

Chickens are delectable treats for any predators prowling the area around the coop. To ensure the safety of your hens, make sure that the coop and the fence around it is well sealed. Do not settle for just any wire to build the fence, and use one that is durable. The fence should be high enough that even high leapers can't jump over it, and its bottom buried deep enough (20 inches at the very least) under the ground to prevent predators from burrowing underneath.

PROPER FEEDING AND WATERING

Just like with any livestock, chickens need a well-balanced diet and a daily intake of water. A waterer device is a great tool for providing drinking water due to its timer and operant conditioning capabilities. Chickens have a formulated diet that depends on their needs as befits their age and what they're meant to provide. You might do well to do some research on the recommended diet for your chickens to ensure that they are getting the proper nutrition they require.

GIVING CHICKENS THEIR SPACE

Not giving chickens enough space to move about or "free-range" can induce a lot of stress in them, which in turn becomes detrimental to their health. Crowding can also lead to lots of fighting inside the coop, and will eventually run the risk of some chickens getting seriously hurt. Remember that each chicken should have a two square foot of shelter and a three square foot of run area, so take note of the amount of space you have in your back yard when choosing the amount of chickens you want to raise. If there's not enough, then make sure to clear enough space for them to run about as soon as possible.

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Keeping Chickens In The City

Chickens could be kept in many urban areas, in some chickens are less welcome. If the intention however is to keep one as a pet, that is already accepted practice. Some are even keeping reptiles for pets but just to be on the safe side, check for local laws and regulations. The local animal control office in your municipality would know how many you can keep and whether that would include a rooster. The main deterrent here is that these birds may fall under noise ordinances and so check out first as it is very easy to be emotionally attached to these birds. In Urban areas that used to be a farming community, the ordinances are more relaxed. Either way, keeping chicken in the city does not require a license.

When the issue of ordinances is out of the way, decide the kind of chicken that you want and for what purpose. If pets are what you want, you would settle well with bantams. Bantams are chicken breeds that are about one fourth of the size of a regular chicken. It is very much like having toy dog breeds. Example of the bantam breeds that are good for pets are the Barred Plymouth Rocks and the Rhode Island Reds as they are mild tempered. If you want a good layer bantam, you would do well with a Cochin. The Buff Orbington on the other hand is a larger bantam breed and is very friendly too. These are only some of the excellent choices. There are many more choices to select on when you surf the net.

You may want your pet chicken to roam around the house, even sleep in the bedroom but the chicken would pretty much prefer its own coop to roost and its own nest box to lay eggs on. You can always build one using the materials that you already have or are readily available at a local farmers market or hardware. When you do, allow a two feet square space for every bantam. The chicken will also need a place to roam; they could be cranky when they do not besides it is good for them. Allow eight square feet for the bird. Chickens are very sociable.

They prefer to huddle together with other chickens. Having that in mind, keep at least two chickens. Likewise, double the spaces allotted to them because even when they are sociable, they could be cranky at times especially when they feel crowded and might start pecking at each other. Remember also that chickens do not need a rooster to produce chicks. Expect then and make provisions that they would multiply soon if you would not need all the eggs they produce.

Remember also that keeping chickens in the city will attract predators. Bantam chickens have no way of defending itself against cats. If you love cats, it would be most likely that you know your cat is not the kind that would attack and could live side by side with a chicken. Rodents however are a different issue. When you build a chicken coop, insure that the coop is very well secured and could never be accessed by these predators.

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Raising Chickens: Chicken Sour Crop, Prevention and Treatment

A chicken's crop is just below its neck and at the center of its chest. This is the chicken's food storage and also where the first stage of digestion takes place. Often, a chicken eats more than it could digest, when that happens the chicken develops a sour crop.

Detection and Symptoms

You would know if the chicken has sour crop if there is a bulge at the center of the chest of the chicken (often bigger than a gulf ball) making the chicken very uncomfortable and moving the head in a funny sort of way. When you open the beak, there is often a sour, foul smell. When you touch the chickens crop and there is that hard yet squishy feeling, sour crop is setting in if it is not yet impacted. What complicates this is that even when the chicken appears to be lethargic; it will still try to eat even when the crop is full, then the chicken suffers more.

Prevention of Sour Crop

The crop is a vital organ in chicken that you have to keep a close watch on. As chickens are likely to eat just about anything, sour crop usually occurs. When chickens feed, the crop will normally bulge. But then a healthy chicken with a crop that is working well will have emptied the crop overnight. If the crop has not, there is something wrong with digestion. To aid digestion, the chicken feeds on grits. Grits are bought in any farm and poultry supply store, the grit is then mixed with the chicken feed that aids digestion.

Normally, healthy foraging chickens will swallow small pebbles. They know what to select and what is good for them. However if the chicken is not let out of the coop for long periods, they miss this digestion aids. Another thing that is common to most animals is to eat a particular grass for a particular illness. When the chicken has sour crop, the chicken feels the illness and will forage for grass. This often complicates the sour crop, as long strands of grass are harder to digest.

To prevent the onset of sour crop, check the chickens once in a while as the crops are likely to be empty every morning before they feed. Observe also the kind of grass that the chicken feeds on when they have a sour crop so you can chop the grass into smaller sizes and feed this to the chicken to treat the sour crop or when a similar problem occurs in the future.

Once a month, mix one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to every liter of water in the chicken's water supply. When you do, buy the vinegar from farm shops and not those sold in the supermarkets.

Treatment

Hold the chicken upside down to induce vomiting. Massage the crop gently to release the food that is stacked. This should be done with rest times to prevent the chicken from choking and the liquid from entering the respiratory system. Feed the chicken with live yoghurt mixed with chopped grass, pellets and apple cider solution. You may repeat this for a few days until the chicken is relieved.

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Chicken Raising Tips: Chicken Feeding Worries

For people who are getting started with raising chickens one of the main issues is the right chicken feeding proportions, the heating of some of the feeds, the kind and the quality of the feed. Another worry considered seriously is the chicken actually starving because the feeding failed in one way or the other.

No. In fact it is not. Chickens may be very low maintenance birds but they have survived longer than us and their population is several hundred folds over ours. True they are prone to diseases and pests but their population is a testament that chickens are survivors. More so with hands that care.

Chickens will eat just about anything. They will scratch for worms, they are happy with people leftovers, they love pellets, seeds and vegetables, peels, bugs and slugs. They are just as happy eating bread while pecking at a cockroach, and when something is not right with them, they will eat grass and even pebbles. They are most content when they range around for food and they will know what to eat and what not to every time. On the other hand, people could prepare the fanciest feed preparation for them but if they do not want it, they will avoid it.

So once in a while, if the size is manageable, let the chickens roam around, with supervision of course. Because if chickens are caged their diet is only as varied as those that are fed to them.

While the chickens are in their pens, there are two types of feeds. The first and most important is the corn mixed with other seeds. The second is the pellets. There are three kinds of pellet feeds. The layers mash, the crumbled pellet and the pellets. These variations typically have similar composition. The different names are only to identify the grade of the milling. Layers mash for example is crushed to almost powdery consistency to make it easier for chicks to peck and digest.

The crumbles are milled to rough consistency and are ideal for young chickens and the pellets for the full grown. Chickens could get by very well with one measure of mixed corn with one measure of pellets. If you can throw in other food, they will pretty much eat that too and if they do, there is no cause for worry.

Chickens eat grit too. They need grit to aid their digestion. If you do not provide them that, they would be pecking pebbles. If you want that prevented, you could purchase that at farm supplier but you could very well make grit yourself. To do that, roast eggshells in your oven until they are brown, pound it (not too powdery), and mix it with their meal. One of the few things that you do not have to feed chickens is preparing grit from oyster shells. Oyster shells, even when prepared in similar fashion to those of the eggshells will always have rugged and sharp edges.

Chicken feeding is never complicated. Simple steps like this could provide eggs for the table or for hatching. You will know if something is wrong when eggs are getting scarce but then you would easily find a way to correct whatever the cause may be.

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Building A Chicken Coop For Keeping Chickens

A chicken coop is instrumental in many important aspects of keeping chickens in the back yard. In this article, we're going to lay down the groundwork on how to build one that guarantees the safety of your poultry.

Building your own chicken coop shouldn't be expensive. Some owners spend up to $300 by purchasing a ready-made chicken coop, but keep in mind that you don't really have to spend that much if you are aware of all the important elements that a fully functioning coop requires. More often than not, you can get everything that you need in your own house!

Before you start building, it is advisable to do a sketch out of your design on a piece of paper. A little creativity can help, but if you are not the artistic type, you can find a lot of blueprints that you can use as a framework for the coop you are about to install. A site I would recommend for this is buildingacoop.com.

Once you are ready to install the coop, make sure that it is set up in a way that will make cleaning and disinfecting more efficient. For instance, a floor that is slightly sloped downwards towards the door can make it easier for water to flow outside when you hose down the coop.

If built correctly, the chicken coop can be very effective in protecting your chickens from outside elements. A coop should be safe from cold drafts, but also well ventilated. Too much moisture can cause ammonia to accumulate within the shelter and cause diseases. The general rule of thumb is to set up the door in a way that it opens inwards, so that the air can freely enter the shelter. Another technique is to position the coop in an area where it faces the sun. This allows the sun's heat to dry the ground and prevent too much moisture.

Having proper insulation installed around the walls can also help the chickens warm in winter and cool during summer, as well as keep them dry. This minimizes the chances of your chickens from getting sick. This is most important when the chickens you are raising are specifically meant for egg production.

The best way to keep your poultry safe from predators is to surround the shelter with strong chicken wire. Even the doors and windows should have a screening system for double protection. In the case of those that burrow or dig under the ground, burying chicken wire around the coop at least one foot below the soil should be able to prevent entry.

The waterers and feeders should have designated spots in the coop that are easily accessible. Keep in mind that chickens love to scratch with their feet, which can create quite a mess on the coop's surface. You can avoid this by setting up the waterers and feeders at the same level as their necks. This should keep spilling at a minimum. And don't forget to replace the water and food daily!

There are still many ways to improve on the living conditions of your poultry, but following what has been advised on this article should place you in the right direction.

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Raising Chickens: Getting Started The Pecking Order

Keeping chickens is a practice that dates as far back as when people started domesticating animals. They are fun to have around, are a good food source, and are low maintenance. If you have an ample backyard the idea of keeping chickens may have occurred to you but needed a little more information before getting started.

Of Hens and Roosters

You do not need a rooster. Keeping a rooster is a matter of choice but not actually a necessity. While having these handsome, brassy, noisy, aggressive characters to have around your hens is an attractive choice, the hens are quite content not having a rooster that keeps mounting them as they can lay eggs without the help of the rooster. Chickens are sociable birds. They want to hang around each other most times and cuddle around each other on cold days. You may need only one chicken for a pet however, chicken are happier when in the company of chickens. If you want to keep a few have at least two or three.

The Hen House

Where there are hens, there are predators. Chickens will be happy to be strutting around free range-like but sooner, without a place to roost, you'll end up losing some. In the country, they attract a lot, in the city they attract rats let alone cats. The hen house then is a good area to shelter and raise them. There are fanciful chicken pen designs that are available everywhere if you do not want to go through the trouble of building them. Fancy chicken pens are good and attractive accessory to your backyard. There are however the basic elements to have for a good chicken house. First chicken love having dust baths during the day. They do it all the time so they must have access to dirt where they can scratch and dig and have fun.

The Bigger the Better

While chicken are not territorial, they need also their spaces. Crowding them would result to pecking at each other, sometimes even to death. They do this to protect those that catch their fancy. For example, they'll start pecking at another chicken if it goes too near a string of water droplets running through a hanging string that caught their interest. To prevent overcrowding, allow at least three square feet of space for every chicken. During colder days when they will be huddling hang grass and vegetables that they eat to keep them occupied.

Settling Down

Other people prefer buying pullets and raising them, others want to start with hens. No matter, they will be brought inside their pens to familiarize them to the chicken house. Once there, do not let them out for a while. The chicken has to know very well where the home is otherwise, they will be roosting on branches, roofs, awnings, anywhere they feel safe.

Getting started with chicken is also knowing that they enjoy people leftovers and would fight over it. Their normal fare though is chicken pellets and clean water.

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Raising Chickens 101: Preventing Chickens From Eating Their Eggs

Chickens love to peck. Normally though they do not peck their own eggs but when it starts and nothing is done to keep them from doing it, they would develop the taste of the eggs and the habit could form. To prevent chickens from eating their eggs, try the following.

Feed your chicken grits. Grits are purchased in your local farm supply store or you could make your own. To make grits, roast eggshells until they are brownish and crunchy. Pound the shells and mix it with chicken feed. Chicken that does not have enough calcium in their diet will try to find it elsewhere and eggshells are an alternative source. Make sure that the feed has enough calcium and protein.

When an eggshell is weak, it could easily break and when it does, the chicken will start pecking on it. Weak eggshells are signs that the chicken lacks Vitamin D3, protein, calcium, or has an infection. Check for infection aside from feed composition.

When there are no infections and the feed is sufficient, it could be that the nest box is too hard. Provide padding for the nest to prevent accidents to the egg even when the chicken shuffles and scratches around the nest box. Keep the nest box dark. Chickens are less likely to keep on moving around in darker places. Dark nest boxes keep the chicken relaxed. When hens are less agitated they are less likely to trample on eggs. Limit also the number of chickens in a nest box. A typical nest box could accommodate four hens. Less hen for every nest box is better.

Do not feed the eggshells to the chickens. Gather the shells and clean up the coop, likewise, do not feed the dirtied eggs to chickens. Introducing the chicken to the egg will start them developing a taste for it that could start the habit. Chicken could also start pecking at the eggs if they are bored. Keep them busy by hanging vegetable scraps tied to a string for them to peck.

Collect eggs as often as twice a day if you can. That way you could monitor the production of the eggs better. When the eggs are reduced, and the causes are eggs that were pecked on, isolate the chicken pecking on the eggs. You could find that out when a chicken has egg residues in the beak. When the chicken is isolated, feed the chicken with liquid milk for a while. If isolating the chicken is not possible, try trimming the upper beak.

Another method to prevent the chicken from eating their eggs is to place golf balls in the nest box. Pecking on a golf ball will discourage the habit from forming. If you have done this and the egg supply does not return to normal, find out if rodents are getting into your nest box. Whatever the case though, prevent the chicken from tasting their eggs because when the habit is formed, it will almost be impossible to break.

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Keeping Chickens As Pets

Chickens by nature are evasive of human contact as most animals and birds are. Chickens raised as pets would not tend to run away as much when the bond and the trust have already been established. They would not mind too much the stroking and the cuddling when truly acclimatized to human contact. The chicken may run to you when they know that you bring a treat but that is just as far as it usually goes.

The evasiveness is not totally lost. From time to time, even, with the best care, they would try to steer clear of people. Staying clear out of people and other animals is its natural inclination and often its only defense to survive longer. To raise chickens as pets that will follow you around, seek your company and even nap in your lap, hand raise the chicken while still a baby chick. When the chick is handled gently and treated well, good bonding results, so does trust.

Chicks are one of those gentle precocious creatures and they are fun to watch and nice to have around. They could very well eat whatever little morsels given to them and walk around after hatching. Very young chicks though will need a heat source. In place of the mother hen, that provides the heat by gathering them under the wings, you will need a lamp as their source of heat.

You will also want a place to keep them. Young chicks would fit well in a shoebox or something similar so long as there are small openings for ventilation. Stuff the box with paper towels, as they are easier to replace daily. Clip the lamp in the lip of the box and cover it with cloth to regulate the heat. Ideally, the heat inside the box should be warm to the touch but not exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

The chick will also need layers mash or starter mash inside the box and clean water. Provide the water in a shallow dish weighed down with pebbles to keep the water from spilling as chicks would scratch and walk about in the box. You would know if the chick in uncomfortable or hungry when they peep loudly, when not, the chick chirps contentedly. As the chick grows, food consistency will be different. Starting from a starter mash, it will need crumbles and then pellets. This is no cause for worry though as the feed is basically made of the same mixtures and components, the differences accounts for the degree of coarseness of the milling only.

As the pullets grow, it will eat just about anything that catches its interest. It will also need a dirt run, preferably a sunny spot, to take dirt baths on. For this reason, it is best to supervise its activity if you have a garden, as it would peck at grass as well as the next Begonia.

Keeping chickens as pets is great to those who love its very sociable nature.

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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

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

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