Posts Tagged ‘chicken’

Raising-Chickens.org Newsletter #24

Welcome to all things Chicken!Welcome to all things Chicken!

SPRINGTIME IN THE CHICKEN HOUSE

In most places springtime is a wonderful time of changes. In the chicken house the warm weather is a great time for a good deep clean after maybe a long winter of chickens spending much time indoors. A thorough removal of all floor litter and hosing the place out on a hot day will cut down on dust and any mites, flies and bugs that want to call the coop home. Scrubbing perches and disinfecting surfaces with diluted bleach can keep the coop a healthy place. You’ll need a good hot day to dry the coop out before replacing floor litter and roosting time.

Hens naturally lay best this time of year since spring is the best time time to sit on eggs and hatch babies. If you don’t want your hens getting broody make sure to get eggs out of nests at least once a day and remove any dummy eggs. Some hens will go broody no matter what you do, but an empty nest won’t be as inviting to some hens and they will lay and get back out to their favorite activity: eating.

If you do want chicks start saving fertile eggs. When you find you have a hen that stays in the nest all day and night, she will be a great one to hatch out some replacement hens for you. Mark the eggs you want her sitting on in case other hens jump in and add eggs to the nest. Place all the eggs you want her to hatch under her at the same time, so they will hatch the same day.

Too many eggs under a hen will reduce the hatch rate. Six to eight are what most hens can handle easily. I like to put food and water containers in the nest boxes with setting hens since some of the best brood hens will stay on the eggs for the entire 21 days and can lose too much weight and become dehydrated. Make sure when chicks hatch that they can get to food and water the same day.

With summer heat on the way spring is a great time to get prepared to keep your chickens cool and comfortable. A coop with good ventilation day and night is important making sure that predators can’t get in. In warm weather fumes from droppings increase, so windows and vents that only let air in will make the coop a welcoming place for chickens. They don’t have much of a sense of smell, but chickens can develop breathing problems and sickness if forced to live with bad air quality. Chickens must be able to enjoy cool shade and plenty of fresh water in hot weather or can become over heated and die.

Watch for any signs of illness or parasites in your chickens. The high temps of summer heat can be stressful for perfectly healthy chickens and a death sentence for any fighting infections or competing with parasites for their resources. Just like preparing for winter, good health in your chickens coming into summer will get them through and help keep up egg production. It is normal for chickens to slow or stop laying when heat waves strike, so just let them rest, eat and drink well, and they will resume laying in a few days.

Since egg production is highest in spring this is a great time to assess your flock. Older hens may not be able to produce the number of eggs they have in past years, so you may need to add replacement hens to keep production up, and you may want to retire older hens in the way you decide is best. In some breeds you won’t get much more than 2 good years of laying and other breeds will lay well for 5 or more years.

If you breed your own replacement chickens, you will want to replace your rooster, or roosters every few years. Three years of siring hens will make a rooster the father, grandfather and great grandfather of some of your girls, which can lead to inbreeding problems. By getting a new rooster of different blood lines you will maintain better general health of your flock.

See our Coop Design articles: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IH8kY&m=3XK1A7xRNNDKmgM&b=kMwKsLoFQutqJfv5sgKdrQ

We’ve searched the world over for information about most known and available breeds and included an informative article about each one on the web site. To help you get started just click on the link below: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IH8kY&m=3XK1A7xRNNDKmgM&b=YoHvS6pZLzQcj6Xd6Ibz2g

Please check out the web site http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IH8kY&m=3XK1A7xRNNDKmgM&b=hutz6Ho8sDb8xZrEnVs84A for more detailed information. See: Organic Chickens, Feeding Chickens, Meat Chickens , and our Chicken Sitemap and Questions for lots of healthy ideas for your chickens.

If you are interested in or already have backyard chickens, our web site offers much needed information that may help you avoid or solve problems. We have a library of over 1000 questions and answers from people all over the world, plus articles, that can help you get started learning what you need to know.

Stay tuned for our next newsletter!

Your Guide to Everything Chicken Mel www.raising-chickens.org, 101 Preston Court, Macon, GA. 31210

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit: http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?jJwsbEyMnLSsTByczCyszLRGtIwcHBzsnOwc

Raising-Chickens.org Newsletter #23

Welcome to all things Chicken!Welcome to all things Chicken!

KEEPING PEACE IN THE COOP; A HAPPY FLOCK IS HEALTHIER!

The first duty of anyone deciding to keep animals of any kind should be creating an environment that provides a healthy life. Chickens’ needs are no different. The more pampering they get the better they will feel about life, and likely, the better you will feel, too!

A little research into the life of chickens can go a long way, even if you’re still deciding if you can and should keep chickens.

We know from industrial egg & meat production that chickens will survive in minimal space and on wire floors, but this is the opposite of a natural and happy life for a chicken. A lot of industrial chickens have very short lives and debatable health.

ROOSTERS IN THE FLOCK: Many keep a flock of hens with no rooster. Roosters can be noisy* and may not be allowed in communities where people live close together. Healthy hens will be happy to lay eggs for you with or without a handsome rooster in the flock. Of course, eggs will not be fertile, but still a very good and healthy source of nutrition.

There is one rooster breed I know of that doesn’t crow. He’s a Frizzled Cochin Bantam. For some reason, in the process of producing this fluffy little guy, when the Frizzled feathers came in, he maybe has no need and thus no ability to crow. Not all these roosters are crowless, but most are, and may be a great alternative, if you don’t want to bother the neighbors or your own family with crowing early in the morning.)

Too many roosters in a flock can cause wear and tear on your hens and each other. The general rule is 1 rooster for each dozen hens. Raising young roosters together, if you plan to keep more than one, is the best way to keep peace between them. Some breeds are more docile than others and some individual roosters can be killers, so you have to monitor your flock.

Be on the look-out for plucking and injuries of both hens and roosters. An overly aggressive individual should be removed from the flock, male or female. Any chicken that seems injured & picked on may need to be removed and nursed back to health.

With a mature rooster in your flock, hens will be bred maybe once or twice a day. With multiple roosters competing and breeding hens, the girls may start to lose feather on their backs, wings and back of the neck. Being continuously pursued by roosters is stressful on hens.

WARNING! : A large human-aggressive rooster can do some serious damage to a person, especially a small child. Those spurs develop to harm predators or a challenging rooster. As a rooster grows, his spurs get thicker, longer and sharper. His first attacks may seem funny, but should be taken very seriously.

A rooster that’s aggressive to its keepers should not be kept in the flock. You may want to replace him, or confine him until he is needed for breeding. It’s natural for a rooster to attack an intruder, but that shouldn’t include his keepers. Clipping his spurs off can be an alternate solution, and will cut down on damage to people and to hens during breeding. A rooster’s spurs are just a long toe nail. You can cut off the sharp tip or at the base. There will be some bleeding, most likely, so have “Quick Stop” or similar product handy.

OVERCROWDING IN COOPS, CAGES OR YARDS: We’ve changed quite a bit about chickens in the last thousand years of their domestication, but other than looks and how many eggs hens lay, they are much the same animal. The Red Jungle Fowl is the wild ancestor of most chicken breeds today and the Green Jungle Fowl was also used. These wild chickens roam the jungle floors in their native lands and roost in trees. When we free-range our chickens, we allow them to exercise, to forage for seeds, bugs, and a variety of foods that are naturally healthy for them. If chickens must be confined, overcrowding can lead to injuries, disease, stress and death.

As chickens grow and mature, they need more space. Plenty of food and water and room to exercise will prevent grumpy chickens that might pick on each other and do damage. Chickens with injuries or plucked feathers should not be ignored. When chickens become hungry or thirsty they can become cannibals: eat eggs and feathers, or worse, members of the flock. The first signs of aggressive behavior may be a message from the flock that they are overcrowded.

An ideal set-up allows 4 sq. feet of floor space per standard chicken in the coop and 10 sq. feet or more in the yard. There’s no such thing as a coop, cage or yard that’s too big. If you find your set-up is too small, you may need to reduce the number in your flock, or the size of your chickens. Bantams do better in smaller set-ups, but of course lay small eggs.

A MIXED FLOCK: Mixing ages and sizes of chickens can cause problems. The term “pecking order” should be understood. As with many flock or pack animals, being dominant or assertive is a way of life. Suddenly placing young chicks in a group of adult chickens can lead to harm. It’s best to grow your chicks to near adult size before adding them to the flock. Mixing bantam breeds with standard or giant breeds can cause problems. A rooster isn’t thinking about the size of a hen when he wants to breed her. Large hens can be pushy with smaller hens. Generally chickens raised together will get along, though some breeds and some individuals can be overly aggressive.

ALWAYS PROVIDE A CLEAN AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE CHICKENS AND THEIR KEEPERS. PREVENT PREDATOR ATTACKS. CLEAN WATER AND WHOLESOME FEED ARE A MUST. SHELTER FROM HARSH WEATHER IS VITAL, HOT OR COLD. CHOOSING A BREED APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR CLIMATE AND NEEDS CAN LEAD TO MANY GOOD YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL CHICKEN KEEPING.

IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU KEEP CHICKENS FOR EGGS, MEAT, SHOW OR ALL THREE; YOU WILL HAVE THE HEALTHIEST AND HAPPIEST CHICKENS IN A PEACEFUL ENVIRONMENT.

See our Coop Design articles: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IH8kY&m=3WAN.ExYRNDKmgM&b=xvROtWnWxlIIvPeRYMBV4g

We’ve searched the world over for information about most known and available breeds and included an informative article about each one on the web site. To help you get started just click on the link below: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IH8kY&m=3WAN.ExYRNDKmgM&b=5NJTevzrKNrDajDqSM7REA

Please check out the web site http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IH8kY&m=3WAN.ExYRNDKmgM&b=UW3NKrosVQzCIo7VxF7mLQ for more detailed information. See: Organic Chickens, Feeding Chickens, Meat Chickens , and our Chicken Sitemap and Questions for lots of healthy ideas for your chickens.

If you are interested in or already have backyard chickens, our web site offers much needed information that may help you avoid or solve problems. We have a library of over 1000 questions and answers from people all over the world, plus articles, that can help you get started learning what you need to know.

Stay tuned for our next newsletter!

Your Guide to Everything Chicken Mel www.raising-chickens.org, 101 Preston Court, Macon, GA. 31210

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit: http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?jJwsbEyMnLSsTByczCyszLRGtIwcLMwsLMyc

Raising-Chickens.org Newsletter #22

Welcome to all things Chicken!Welcome to all things Chicken!

What’s So Important about Chicken Coops?

After years of keeping and observing chickens and working to keep them healthy and happy, the following are basics we’ve learned for a good coop.

The main purpose of a coop is protection from predators and weather. What chickens want most, besides food, is a place to sleep at night that’s always safe from predators, since they can’t see in the dark to escape. Shelter from harsh weather is important, too. (See our link to Chicken Predators at the bottom, for a very complete list of animals capable of harming your chickens.)

Chickens really aren’t too picky about where they live and are easy-keepers in the right set-up. Establishing a safe roosting area is one of a chicken’s strongest instincts, so must be a top priority for chicken keepers.

Chickens locked up safely every night will faithfully return before dark every night, once you’ve established them. (If you want to free range your chickens, make sure they have a routine of returning to the roosts each night first.) Remember: Chickens need exercise, sunshine and fresh air, so want to go outside the coop, too!

Forgetting to lock chickens up at night or poor coop construction is an invitation to predators. Once in, predators are more likely to return and your chickens may be afraid to come back and roost. Hens may decide to find a safer place to lay their eggs making eggs hard to find.

Just because you haven’t seen a predator or lost a chicken, chickens acting nervous about entering the coop are a good sign that something has been stalking them – usually when chickens and people should be sound asleep. For good health, chickens need 7 – 8 hours of stress free sleep every night.

If the coop feels unsafe, and if they can, chickens might fly into trees or shrubs where they could be dinner for an owl or tree climbing predator over-night. Once frightened by a predator in the coop, getting chickens to come in to roost again can be a difficult task.

Next to safe shelter and good food, plenty of room in the coop for all your chickens is important.

Your climate plays into this, too. The more time chickens spend in the coop, the more floor space is recommended. The size and design of your coop can be small and simple, large and elaborate, portable or stationary. (See our Coop Designs link at the bottom of this Newsletter for a free design and pictures of different coop ideas.)

A coop that’s too small for the number of chickens you keep can lead to bullying. Bullying can stress a flock to poor health. My chickens stay inside all day if it’s cold and windy. They don’t mind a little rain or snow, but a heavy rain will drive them inside the coop or under covered areas outside.

The larger the coop, the less often you’ll need to clean it, especially if chickens stay indoors during uncomfortable weather. Allowing 3-4 square feet of floor space per standard sized chicken is a good design guide. Covered areas outside the coop will encourage more time outside during rains or heat and cut down on coop cleaning.

In hot weather you’ll want good ventilation in the coop day and night. Windows that open, but are covered with chicken wire, will allow fresh air in and keep night predators out. (You might want to use screen material over windows, too, if mosquitos are a problem.) Remember, if predators can get to the chickens, eventually they will.

In warm weather ammonia fumes from droppings are usually strongest. Good night-time ventilation, while chickens sleep, is very important for their health. Clean the coop whenever it starts to smell bad. If you don’t like the way the coop smells it’s not healthy for you or the chickens.

Some ventilation is just as important in cold weather, but should be minimal. You don’t want the coop to close up air tight trapping ammonia fumes. Slight ventilation is necessary for fresh air without causing drafts.

Healthy chickens of most breeds can handle sub-freezing temperatures when the coop protects them from moisture, wind and drafts. In most climates heating the coop is optional. A chicken’s feathers work like a down comforter to hold in body heat, keep blood flowing to extremities and keep them comfortable. On cold nights chickens will usually sleep near each other for added warmth. In hot weather they spread out and need about 3′ of roost per standard chicken.

Drafts and wind force body heat out of the feathers causing a chicken’s body to have to work harder to stay warm enough. Laying hens especially, need an easy environment, if you want a steady supply of eggs. Drafty nights and lack of shelter day or night can be stressful and cause illness in chickens. Immune systems fail and diseases can take over when body temperature gets too low.

You’ll want a good roof on the coop, too. A metal roof will require the least amount of maintenance and last a long time. A light color will keep the coop cooler on hot summer days.

Anything causing wet floor litter creates a breeding ground for bacteria, mold and bad air quality. Don’t worry if your chickens are a bit wet before they go to roost at night, they will groom and dry their feathers before sleeping. They should stay warm enough all night as long as feathers don’t get wet again. If roosts are wet or chickens are forced to sleep on wet floors they can lose toes in freezing temps.

A place for raised feed and water is important in the coop. I always keep food and water in the coop. Hungry or thirsty chickens can get grumpy and turn aggressive towards each other; leading to injuries and sometimes death. Hunger and thirst may also lead to egg eating.

A sloped roof over the nest boxes can prevent roosting above and keep nesting material and eggs cleaner. Have enough nests so hens won’t fight over them or go lay somewhere else.

Electricity at the coop is a great idea, especially if you plan to: heat your coop in winter, use fans in summer, provide artificial lighting to encourage winter laying, and need a way to keep the water supply from freezing.

No matter if you repurpose an existing building, buy or build new housing for chickens; keeping them safe and warm enough, but not too hot, and clean, will establish your flock where you want them, and help keep them healthy and happy.

See our Coop Design articles: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IH8kY&m=3jO9cM5VjBDKmgM&b=ORyDS7js_uaERHb3Rclu_g

We’ve searched the world over for information about most known and available breeds and included an informative article about each one on the web site. To help you get started just click on the link below: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IH8kY&m=3jO9cM5VjBDKmgM&b=hn4D1fzBi4a0nBWhajLybw

Please check out the web site http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IH8kY&m=3jO9cM5VjBDKmgM&b=Z1.zSufh6sntiUNfHummag for more detailed information. See: Organic Chickens, Feeding Chickens, Meat Chickens , and our Chicken Sitemap and Questions for lots of healthy ideas for your chickens.

If you are interested in or already have backyard chickens, our web site offers much needed information that may help you avoid or solve problems. We have a library of over 1000 questions and answers from people all over the world, plus articles, that can help you get started learning what you need to know.

Stay tuned for our next newsletter!

Your Guide to Everything Chicken Mel www.raising-chickens.org, 101 Preston Court, Macon, GA. 31210

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit: http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?jJwsbEyMnLSsTByczCyszLRGtIzszGxsbAxM

Raising-Chickens.org Newsletter #21

Welcome to all things Chicken!

Choosing Chicken Breeds

With an ever growing list of chicken breeds and colors to choose from, it might be hard to know where to start with chickens. Going to a Poultry Show or County Fair and surfing the internet can help with plenty of ideas, but when it gets right down to deciding there are several points to take into consideration. I remember a time when the word “chicken” brought to mind a very generic feathery creature that could lay eggs, and the males were more colorful and could be quite loud. I grew up in a big city. My best friend lived across the street and her mom had a sweet little banty that laid her a cute little egg almost every day. She would save them up and make an omelet and I can still remember the nice smell of the melted butter and the eggs cooking. It wouldn’t be for another quarter of a century that I could cook up my own chickens’ eggs for a nice breakfast.

The egg is so important. As beautiful as chickens can be, I’m sure I wouldn’t keep them if not for their eggs. I’ve had chickens that lay blue, green, pink, many shades of brown and white. I’ve had big and little eggs and had chickens that stopped laying. Considering the rising cost of feed, I choose a chicken that will lay eggs most of the year.

A breed suited for your climate is very important… unless you plan to heat or cool your coup to support the good health of the breed you choose. Some breeds cannot tolerate extreme cold and some cannot tolerate extreme heat. Purchasing from a reputable source close to you or having chicks or chickens shipped from a similar climate to yours can save frustrations later.

A chicken that is pleasing to the eye is important, too, for many of us. There are some breeds so beautiful that I must have some in my flock. The Speckled Sussex was one I saw at a poultry Auction. I thought they were stunning. I didn’t buy any that day but did raise some chicks a few years later and still keep a few today. If you keep chickens for any good portion of your life you will need to replace them. I personally like a mixed flock and have had the opportunity to keep almost every breed I like.

The life span of a chicken breed should be taken into account, just so you know what to expect. PRODUCTION breeds are designed to lay almost every day for about 2 years. Egg production is hard work for a chicken’s body, so the more frequently she lays the sooner her productive life will be done. Many HERITAGE breeds can be coaxed into laying through the fall and winter giving them several hours of artificial light. These breeds can live as long as 8 – 10 years, but pushing their laying artificially will cause them to be layed out in 2 – 5 years.

Breeding and raising their own replacements. PRODUCTION breeds generally don’t make good mother hens, so about every two years you’ll need buy and raise either pullets or chicks. HERITAGE breeds are the best at raising their own replacements, but generally for the time she is incubating eggs and raising chicks she’ll stop laying. We’ve searched the world over for information about most known and available breeds and included an informative article about each one on the web site. To help you get started just click on the link below: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IH8kY&m=3Y5.xXIpVRDKmgM&b=XBJBlT80Xanv0O24CbXrTA

Please check out the web site http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IH8kY&m=3Y5.xXIpVRDKmgM&b=jgm5Wn5BAnaLsNJeJgpwhg for more detailed information. See: Organic Chickens, Feeding Chickens, Meat Chickens , and our Chicken Sitemap and Questions for lots of healthy ideas for your chickens.

If you are interested in or already have backyard chickens, our web site offers much needed information that may help you avoid or solve problems. We have a library of over 1000 questions and answers from people all over the world, plus articles, that can help you get started learning what you need to know.

Stay tuned for our next newsletter!

Your Guide to Everything Chicken Mel www.raising-chickens.org, 101 Preston Court, Macon, GA. 31210

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit: http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?jJwsbEyMnLSsTByczCyszLRGtIzsDEyMHEwc

Best Location To Build A Chicken House

There are a number of benefits that you can get if you build a chicken house. You will have your own source of fresh eggs and edible meat, you save a lot of money, and you have the assurance that what you are consuming is free from diseases and illnesses. In addition, you also have a business that will surely earn. Hens lay eggs about a hundred times a year and an average person consumes about 200 eggs a year. Therefore, you are sure to break even or earn with selling the eggs from just two hens. If you do the math, you know that you will earn a lot!

Before starting a business in raising chickens, you must first know a few things. One of the most important of these would be the ideal location to build a chicken house. Sure, you may be able to build or buy the best chicken house there is but if you place it in a location that is not conducive for their growth and survival then you can say goodbye to your earnings. Finding the best location should be your top priority, even before you start constructing your chicken coop.

Raising chickens in your backyard just because you have enough yard space may not be just the simple fact that you have to consider. It is highly advisable that you build a chicken house that is far from your own home. This is beneficial for both you and the chickens. You have to consider that chicken droppings, especially if you have several chickens, would produce a smell that may not be tolerable to humans. If this smell can ever reach the water source then you run the risk of them getting sick from the moisture it produces. If the droppings themselves, or any runoff, can reach the water source, well that’s definitely a big problem that you have to rectify.

It is important that you build a chicken house on a flat surface. This would ensure that you would be able to layout the structure properly and subsequently help you build it correctly. It is imperative that you have the correct dimensions to ensure that your chickens will grow well and produce more eggs.

Build your chicken house on a location that offers protection. Protection not only from predators but also from excessive heat and cold drafts. Keep in mind that chicken must not have exposure to these kinds of stresses, as this would greatly affect their ability to lay eggs. Build the coop that has enough shade and walls to block strong winds.

These are just few of the things that you have to bear in mind as you decide the best place to build your chicken coop. If you are not sure of your current location in mind, then it is best that you consult an expert who can help you with your poultry business. These experts will help you in deciding the ideal location to build a chicken house to kick off your business.

Brian is a chicken raising enthusiast. For more great advice on how to build a chicken house, visit http://www.diychickencoopsinfo.com

Chicken House Plans – 5 Reasons Why Location Matters

You have your chicken house plans, your materials and your tools and are ready to start building. But are you building in the right location? Just as in real estate, location is very important to the success of your chicken house. The following five factors should be take into consideration when selecting your site:

1. Light: Your chicken house needs to be situated to maximize the available light. Make sure the windows face the sun so that your chickens will have a bright, warm home. To lay eggs, chickens need approximately 14 hours of light a day.

2. Protection From The Elements: To prevent flooding during heavy rains, build on slightly elevated ground. If high winds are a problem select a sheltered location. When selecting a location for your chicken house take into account the worst weather conditions for your locale. Make sure your chickens will be safe and dry no matter what Mother Nature throws at you.

3. Protection From Predators: In addition to building a strong, predator-proof chicken house and run, you can minimize the danger from predators by building near your home. This will allow you to easily keep an eye on your chicken flock. If you live on a farm, locating your coop near large grazing animals will also help deter predators.

4. Convenience: Locating your chicken house close to your home will make it easier to look after your feathered friends. Since chickens make good pets, they will be close by to keep you and your kids entertained. As an added bonus, if allowed to range free your chickens will keep your grass trimmed and get rid of pesky insects.

5. Room for Chicken Run and Expansion: If building a chicken run, make sure you allow sufficient room for this. Six to ten square feet per chicken is recommended. Also, if there is a possibility of increasing your flock in the near future, allow room for expansion.Chicken coop plans provide excellent blueprints for the construction of your chickens’ new home.

Take time before you start to pick the right location and your life – and your chickens’ lives – will be much easier.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leslie_Wallis http://EzineArticles.com/?Chicken-House-Plans—5-Reasons-Why-Location-Matters&id=2867427

Leslie Wallis is a long-time gardener who has recently discovered the pleasures of raising backyard chickens. For more information on raising chickens and the best chicken house plans visit http://simplechickenhouseplans.com

“Cats and Molting Chickens”

New pingback on your post “Cats and Molting Chickens” Website: Chicken Fame « Marian Ronan (IP: 216.151.210.17 , 216.151.210.17) URL : http://marianronan.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/chicken-fame/ Excerpt: [...] [...] on your life. My first pingback was from Chicken-ark.com, a blog about raising chickens, building chicken coops, etc. (Turns out a chicken ark is a certain [...] [...]

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“Google Alert – keeping chickens”

New pingback on your post “Google Alert – keeping chickens” Website: How The Chicken Conquered The World | Keeping Chickens (IP: 216.246.98.180 , server.trafficslurp.com) URL : http://www.keeping-chickens.co.uk/how-the-chicken-conquered-the-world/ Excerpt: [...] [...] as we know and love it evolved and helped shape history. How The Chicken Conquered The World  How The Chicken Conquered The World How The Chicken Conquered The World is a great article posted on…ay. Basically it gives a three page history of keeping chickens and how the chicken as we know and [...] [...]

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Raising-Chickens.org Newsletter #20

Welcome to all things Chicken!

COOP MAINTENANCE In the US, where we are based, the seasons are changing. In many areas some early cold fronts have moved in after unusually hot and dry months. With these changes in weather your chickens and local wild life are working to adapt. Chickens will be molting; losing many feathers and growing in new ones to protect them through winter. Wild life will be looking for a warm winter home that includes or is near a good food supply.

Colder weather can mean an increase in mice or rats that want to take advantage of free room and board at the chicken house. Both rats and mice are most active at night, so you may not see them, but should be looking for their tell-tale signs. Small to large holes chewed in wooden floors or walls, droppings and a sudden increase in chicken feed usage are the most common signs of rodents in the coop. The smell of the chicken house will change, too. Rodent droppings and urine can carry diseases or bacteria that can be deadly to chickens.

I recently did my summer’s end deep clean in the coop. I found some holes in the floor when I removed the old shavings. When I removed the damaged floor board I found an unusual number of chicken feathers that appeared to have been pulled under the coop to make a nice warm nest for the rodents. They were planning to stay a while.

Be very cautious if you decide to use traps or poisons to get rid of rodents. However you do it, you need to get rid of them or they will multiply out of control and affect the health and peace of mind of your chickens. Chicken feed is an ideal rodent feed, too, so you may want to raise the feeder at night. Just make sure someone will lower it each morning.

I was able to safely place rat and mouse poison under the floor boards of the coop as we made our repair. Wire around the base of the coop keeps chickens and most critters from going under. I’m making sure to check around the coop each morning for any dead rodents that chickens might eat.

Snapping mouse and rat traps can be placed in the coop by placing them under a crate or wire cage that will let rodents in, but not chickens. Chickens will be attracted to baited traps, sticky traps, poison baits or poisoned rodents. Be 100% sure your chickens can’t be harmed in the process of getting rid of rodents.

It’s important to repair any holes chewed by rodents. Checking for places that larger pests can gain access to your chickens is important all year, but especially now. Many chicken predators need to put on winter fat to keep warm and healthy. Chickens and their feed need good protection as temperatures get lower.

A clean coop will cut down on odors that can attract predators while increasing air quality. A thick layer of dry litter, like wood shavings or straw will help insulate the coop from cold temps, too. Coop floors should be raised off the ground, if possible. Make sure that the coop has some ventilation, but protects chickens from predators, wind, rain and drafts.

A leaky roof can cause frost bite and loss of chicken toes and feet when temps dip below freezing. Providing clean and dry wooden roosts or perches well off the floor will protect your chickens and their toes. Chickens forced to sleep on the ground or cold wire will be uncomfortable in the cold and may lose toes. For chickens that live on wire you can use straw or hay layers to keep toes warm and prevent frost bite and drafts.

Chicken feeders and feed storage must be kept dry to prevent spoiling. Even though chickens seem to be able to eat just about anything, moldy feed can make them very sick. You may want to provide a heat lamp at night for your chickens if they have large combs. The high combs of roosters and some hens may turn purple with temperatures below freezing, which is the first sign that warm blood is unable to flow and keep combs alive.

The second sign of frost bite is when comb tips turn black. This means that comb portion is dead and will not revive or grow back. This frost bite to the combs generally poses no health risk, but can make exhibition poultry unshowable.

In general, healthy mature chickens suited for the type of climate you experience should be able to winter without too much extra care. When choosing chicken breeds make sure your climate is good for them. The most important things you can do are to keep the coop environment clean, safe and dry, make sure you provide plenty of quality feed, enough room for all to roost and exercise and a clean water supply that won’t freeze.

For more tips on winter chicken care please check out our extensive library on the website. Did you know that egg production is affected by the number of daylight hours in many breeds? Did you know that you can maintain good egg production through fall and winter months with artificial lighting?

TRUE OR FALSE: Chickens can easily digest whole sunflower and safflower seeds, including the shell?

Please check out the web site http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=IH8kY&m=3hRXC61x0VDKmgM&b=ndNSPo41sT_kh71z6EtMyw for more detailed information. See: Organic Chickens, Feeding Chickens, Meat Chickens , and our Chicken Sitemap and Questions for lots of healthy ideas for your chickens.

If you are interested in or already have backyard chickens, our web site offers much needed information that may help you avoid or solve problems. We have a library of over 1000 questions and answers from people all over the world, plus articles, that can help you get started learning what you need to know.

Stay tuned for our next newsletter!

Your Guide to Everything Chicken Mel www.raising-chickens.org, 101 Preston Court, Macon, GA. 31210

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Chicken House Plans – Build a Comfortable Chicken Coop

Constructing a comfortable chicken coop for your chicken entails paying close attention to the details in the building plans. Indeed constructing a chicken coop without adequate plans is a complete waste of money, time, building tools and materials. In your chicken house plans, make provision for the comfort of the chicken.

Make sure that you provide them with a spacious place to live in if you want them to be healthy. The least amount of space required for every chicken in a coop is about four square feet. Therefore, make out the number of chicken you plan to raise before constructing the chicken coop. Chicken house plans have never been that easy. It is quite easy to determine that for 30 chickens for instance you would need to build at least 120 square feet of chicken coop. It would not be bad if you are able to build more than the required space. The more space they have the more they are able to enjoy and produce better eggs. Never try to beat down cost by limiting the space allotted to each chicken. It could eventually work against you.

Again, in your chicken house plans, do not give room for the overcrowding of chicken. It rather leads to negative effects like diseases, pests and cannibalism. If your chickens do not get enough air then they would be exposed to all kinds of sicknesses and diseases. They could be very weak and die eventually. Construct a perch for your chicken. It would be very filthy to see chicken droppings mix up with the eggs. Ensure that you have boxes or any other type of containers under the perch to collect the droppings that come through. Similarly you could you could use broom handles to provide them a comfortable place to perch. It helps to keep the perch free from diseases.

Also your chicken coop should be well ventilated to prevent the chickens from sweating. Sweat promotes the development of diseases and ailments on the skin. Supply your chicken coop with small vents or windows to allow the sweat to evaporate. Indeed the best position for a window is one that does not face the direction of the wind. This position keeps stale air out and rather brings in fresher air.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances you should have a maximum of six chickens per nesting box. As much as possible the nesting boxes should be dark. This makes the chicken feel comfortable and relaxed. To prevent the eggs from cracks you could place straw shavings in the nesting boxes.

If you know how to design chicken house plans remember that the chicken coops should be strong to inhibit intruders. The wood used should be sturdy enough. Push your chicken after construction to see if it is really strong. If it shakes then you have not applied all the principles of how to design chicken house plans.

If you’ve ever wanted to build chicken coops for your own personal or commercial uses, visit our site for the most up-to-date information on chicken house plans.