Are you raising Chickens?
If you have chickens already or are considering raising chickens you will want to be sure that these little animals are comfortable, happy and healthy. Chickens make great backyard animals due to the fact that it takes very little effort on your part to give them a really great home. Here are some things that you can do to make their lives all the better!
Feeding your chicken the right food is important. Chickens need a good quality chicken feed, calcium (oyster shells are good for this) and grit although a lot of chicken will feed will include the calcium and grit. Speak to the folk in your local feed store and they will advise what’s best for your breed and age of chicken. Some people who are raising chickens prefer to feed them with food from their own kitchen but for beginners a commercial feed is easiest and simplest as it ensures your chickens are getting the best range of vitamins and minerals. Chickens do love clean water for drinking so make sure to give them fresh water every day.
It is equally important that your chickens have a coop that is adequate in size, layout and position. You coop should be built or bought in mind to give 2-3 square feet of space for each chicken. So it’s a good idea to buy or build a coop bigger than you need in case you later decide to raise more chickens. There should be a 2 inch thick perch positioned around 10 inches off the floor. Allow for about 10 inches perch space per chicken. Its important to remember when raising chickens that they must feel safe. Chickens do stress quite easily. This can seriuosly affect their health. If the coop is located off the ground then you are giving your birds much better protection from predators especially those who might burrow underground to get to your chickens. Chickens will go inside the coop at dark of their own accord but don’t forget if you need to also close the coop door to protect them from predators. If so you will also need to remember to open it in the morning. Read the rest of this entry »
