Chickens can eat almost everything from meat to vegetables…
You can give them dog food and they’ll peck it with full gusto. You can give them pig food and they’ll eat it without hesitation. Chickens are cleaners of garbage tidbits. They can even wipe out every insect, worm, or anything little and more vulnerable than they are. The good thing about raising chickens in your backyard is that it needs no feeding qualifications other than vitamins and boosters.
Grains can also be fed to your chickens. Scraps of food bits and peelings can also be fed. You see, feeding isn’t that hard for as long as you save some of those leftovers for your poultry to feed on. Chickens are also intelligent for they know when the bucket of treats is ready for lunch.
You can feed your chicken in many ways. You can either put it in a container in the chicken coop that is big enough to accommodate their number during mealtime. Scattering their food isn’t also a bad idea without the worry that it will go to waste and remain scattered. Bones with tiny bits of meat are also their favorite.
Now, when it comes to hens laying eggs, calcium is required for their diet. During the months when laying season is on its verge, you can feed your hens calcium just by including in their meal clam shells that are already crushed. Do not, by any means give clam shells that are whole. They may be at risk of recognizing these clams as their own egg shells. So you have to see to it that the clam shells are thoroughly crushed into pieces before giving it to them. These are available in your local feed stores.
The most advisable food for your chickens are feeds, pellets, corn and grains. Meat, fruits and vegetables can be given out too. But chickens can’t have all the fun gobbling everything up. Their diet must also be kept in observance because there are certain kinds of food that aren’t advisable for them to eat. These foods can either be harmful or worse, deadly. Aside from the foods mentioned below, basically, other feedings are safe.
Reason why chickens should not eat these types of food
Chicken If you were given the opportunity to eat the thigh of your neighbor, would you do it? Same reason why chickens will dearly object if served with their own kind. But they will not know this. They never will. That’s why, it is alright if you have included chicken bones to their meals. But the consequences can be outstanding because if given large amounts of chicken meat or parts of the spinal cord and brain, this may lead to the development of encephalopathy.
Apple: An apple every two weeks given to 4 birds is fine but if this routine is done every day, you could expect digestive problems.
Peelings of Potato: Chickens don’t really like the idea of eating roots crops. The taste isn’t that enjoyable either.
Orange Peelings: The toughness of this is too much for them to take.
Tomato: Given in small quantities, tomatoes can be good but be careful cause if given in excess, they might affect the chicken’s droppings.
Banana: For some reason, they just don’t like them.
These are just some of the foods that arenít really advisable to give to your chickens. Just take note: Root plants arenít on top of their list; hard fuits can never be favorite; if given in large quantities, whatever the food is, will give their digestive system a hard time.
Being a starter in the world of raising chickens, one of the important thing you should consider and is also necessary is the fact that you can protect your raised chickens without even being on a shot-gun watch for 24 hours every waking day; that is why you have to build a pen that will last for a very long period of time. Before building chicken coops, planning and gathering is the very first step.
Location is the first thing to consider. Do you live in a rural or in an urban area? Your answer will depend on the chickens you can keep. Usually in rural communities, the number of livestock you want can be unlimited but when in urban settings, raising chickens can have restrictions regarding its number. Or sometimes, they are totally banned.
Another thing is the kind of chicken that you are planning to raise. If they weigh heavier, this will be an advantage because this kind of status will make it more difficult for them to fly away. A simple wire and post design pen can be used. But in most instances chickens are more prone to flying away. Especially if they are not used to the place, a fence with a higher walls or wires is more appropriate.
The place where you construct your chicken coop must be safe and sturdy enough to withstand any predator’s mark. It should be constructed in a way that your poultry are not easily snatched not only by scavengers but also by people who are pretty much interested in chicken stew. They must be protected and locked-in, especially at night.
What is a post and wire type of pen? It is by far the simplest kind of design wherein materials like posts, strong wires, fence staples are used. The tools needed to help you complete the job are the ordinary hammer, wire cutters, crowbar and sledgehammer. Gathering these materials are the very first thing you have to do upon planning.
Fence post can’t be bought one at a time but in bundles. If you became worried that the excess lumbers will go to waste once the fence is finished, worry no more. This is because fence posts can be used in incredible purposes like supporting beams for sheds. Chicken wire is usually used. But for safety purposes a stucco wire is stronger and is more recommended for holding building sides.
There are really no actual fence staples, that is why the local staples used for wiring can be used as an alternative. Skimping the staples should not be stressed. You need a lot while construction is ongoing and also additional supplies in cases of emergencies.
The sledgehammer is used to pound the post into the soil. Weight is the first thing that you have to take note of when choosing a sledgehammer. Make sure that it is not too heavy that you can’t lift it up and not too light that you will need to exert all your efforts just to pound your post.
The crowbar is used for digging a hole where the pole will be placed. Lastly, the regular hammer will be useful for those hardheaded staple wires to dig in the posts.
Now that all materials are properly intact, you can plan on the actual building of the pen.
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.
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.
Keep them safe, warm and protected with a nice sized chicken coop. If you need ideas on how to build a chicken coop, check out the chicken coop plans that I found online.
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.
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.
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.
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 will 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 will 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.
By now you should have some basic information on the ‘musts’ for building a chicken coop. This includes choosing the best type of coop for your preferences in the first place, choosing the correct materials that will enable you to keep costs down, and then how to build a chicken coop that will last for years to come.
All of these are vital so that you’re fully satisfied with the chicken house you build and don’t spend any more money than you absolutely have to.
Now it’s time to move on and take a look at what you must do in order to keep your chickens protected. Again this is a key element that must be taken care of if you want to keep your chickens for the long term because without protection, there is a very high chance that at some point or another, a predator is going to come around.
First you need to assess what potential predators you have in your area. This would include animals such as coyotes, foxes, larger dogs, or rodents that may try and dig underneath the fence and get into the coop in that manner.
If you have no idea what types of predators are present in your surrounding area, you may want to consult with your neighbours and check and see if they’ve ever encountered a predator. This will give you a more precise idea of exactly what you’re dealing with so you can take proper precautionary measures.
Location
It’s important that you also identify the best location to place your coop. As we’ve already discussed location is partially going to be determined by land forms already, but having the coop within a close distance (eye’s range is even better) will help you keep a closer eye on your chickens and ensure they are safe.
This is where having a mobile chicken coop comes in really handy since you can easily transport it to wherever you are going to be to really keep a watchful eye on them.
Type of Fence
It’s also vital that you factor in the type of fence that would be best to build with your chicken coop. Consider the type of predator you’re looking at and then research the different types of fences that are available to choose the best fit.
As mentioned above, if you’re going to encounter digging animals, it will be most important that you build the house low enough into the ground that it’s difficult for them to burrow underneath it.
If you are looking at the possibility of larger predatory animals, then you’re going to need a fence that’s incredibly sturdy in order to keep them out effectively. This is why having a good guide to follow will help – it’s vital that you pair your needs with the variety of fence. If you don’t, you may think you’re protecting your chickens, but you really haven’t done much but added a bit of decoration to your chicken coop.
So be sure you’re keeping fencing and protection in mind. You could build the most perfect chicken coop ever, but if another animal decides to venture in, that perfect chicken coop could be no more.
Look forward to learning more information about understanding exactly where to position your chicken coop in the next newsletter.
Since we’ve gone over a great deal of the information you need to successfully build a chicken coop with our chicken coop plans, it’s time to talk about one last factor, maintenance. Since you’ve put in a good effort getting your coop up and running, it would be a shame to let it start to disintegrate over time due to lack of care. Fortunately, maintaining and repairing a chicken coop isn’t all that difficult provided you stay on top of things regularly.
Here are some of the main things you should know about.
Pay Attention To The Door
Since the door is one area of the coop that’s going to be constantly moving as you go in and out to feed the chickens, it’s something you’ll want to watch and maintain regularly. If the latch is becoming loose, be sure you fix this immediately so your chickens don’t find a way to escape out.
If you find that you’re regularly having issues with it, you may want to consider either replacing the door altogether or else just finding a more secure latch and being sure it’s bolted to the door properly.
Each farmer will have their own preference when it comes to the opening door so figure out what works best for you.
Regularly Check Your Fence
Another aspect of the chicken house that should be monitored at least once a month is the structure of the fence. If you do have predators that come around frequently, they may attempt to get in which can impact the stableness of your fence, calling for some rebuilding if necessary.
Some fences are also quite prone to falling over after so much time, so walk around and test various areas of the fence to see how well it’s standing up still.
Check The Feeders
Keeping a close eye on the feeders located in the chicken coop is also vital since these will be used on a daily basis. In some cases if the feeders are very beat up it could be a signal you should consider installing another one into the coop as the chickens may be constantly fighting over food and picking at the feeder.
You also want to watch how your chickens are responding to the feeder height. In some cases you’ll get chickens who prefer a feeder to be slightly lower or higher than how you placed it, so adjusting this as time goes in is important for the overall comport of your chickens.
Usually it just needs to be adjusted an inch or two, but this makes a huge difference in how easily they can access their food.
So, don’t neglect the maintenance of your chicken coop. If you decided to go with a mobile chicken coop you’ll find that maintenance does tend to be quite a bit easier since you can just move the coop to wherever you are. If you didn’t, than that just means regularly planning maintenance into your weekly or monthly schedule as you see fit.
The groups that chickens live in are called flocks Chickens are very social birds. But they are often aggressive toward each other.
They have a “pecking order” which is the order of the weakest bird to the strongest. Chickens dominate the weaker birds especially when they are competing for food or a nest.
Chickens are noisy like many other birds. They often cluck at each other and roosters’ cock-a-doodle-doo at dawn. Even from the top of the chicken coop.
Chickens are not very fond of water. So instead of taking a bath in water, they like to take dust-baths. They like to keep their feathers in good condition so they also stroke themselves with their beaks.
When chickens aren’t feeding or exercising, chickens enjoy taking a nap by perching about the ground on a branch or pole. Most times the chickens stand on one leg. The muscles lock into place so when they are resting, they won’t fall off of the perch.
Like back in the day, chickens still peck and scratch at the ground to fine yummy food for the day. Even though it is many years later, chickens are still the same animal as before.
A coop is what you normally call a chicken’s house. It’s their kingdom! A hen’s castle. So you have to make sure to keep their house maintained at a four star accreditation for this will help the chickens grow healthy and happy. Therefore, to keep it the way it should be, there are specific requirements to cope up with to build a coop that will satisfy both you and your chickens. You, the poultry owner, of all people should understand this.
Requirement #1
Regarding its design, the coop must be secured from any kind of predator. Every single angle in the pen – sides, below and above, must be structured to withstand the wrath and longing of predators who are always on the lookout for a free meal. When selecting a wire mesh, be sure it is the right one. Predators are more than one. They scour within the area of your coop unnoticed just waiting for the time when they can attack. You have to make sure that the coop is impenetrable because some predators like raccoons just reach out for their prey, easily.
Requirement #2
In connection with requirement number one, this is a continuation. Aside from predators, you have to secure the coop from those nasty rats. They burrow through the ground and come up from below. If the coop floor is not blocked, these rodents will slip into the henÂ’s quarters. Rodents are attracted to the food youÂ’re giving your chickens and the droppings they excrete.
WhatÂ’s more devastating is that these pesky rats love eggs. So whenever laying season comes, they gather too. Want to get rid of them? Good idea. But prevention is better than cure. That is why preventing them to come into the pen is better that getting rid of their presence completely. All you need to do is construct a floor within the pen, otherwise, bury a fence about 12 inches deep around the henÂ’s house. Be sure that the materials you will use for the fence and the floor is thick or hard enough for them to impossibly bite through.
Requirement #3
The way you build your coop must not be drafty or breezy. Subsequently, seasons will change and so would the weather. That is why; your coop must be able to endure any kind of natural effects.
Requirement #4
Roosting poles must be provided for your hens to slumber. It must have an approximate 2-inch wide rounded edges. You allot an 8 to 10 inch space between every bird. Put nest boxes to encourage egg laying. One nest box is equivalent to three to four chickens. Situate the boxes inches above the ground. Do not let it touch the soil. Place these nesting boxes somewhere private where no one can bother them while they’re doing their thing. Safety is the very first policy one should follow.
Requirement #5
Your coop must be roomy. Spacious. You have to allot at least 3 square feet for every bird. There should also be space where the feeder and the waterer can hang to which is 7-8 inches above the ground.
Chickens can eat almost everything from meat to vegetables… 
