Chickens are fairly easy to look after, but like all animals they still need care and consideration. They need to be taken care of with precise procedure. Follow these ten steps and you’ll soon be collecting eggs from your own happy hens.
1.Find out whether you can keep chickens
First, you need to make sure there are no clauses in your house deeds, rental agreement or in local laws against keeping animals even chickens are usually regarded as livestock. Also consider your lifestyle, and whether you’ll have time to look after chickens properly.
2.Decide how you will keep your chickens
Chickens destroy a patch of ground very quickly. A traditional chicken run soon becomes a muddy and prone to chicken infections.
This can be avoided by:
- Dividing the run into two, allowing each half to be rested alternately.
- Using a moveable chicken-house and run.
- Covering the surface of a small run with a thick layer of scratching material that can be cleaned and replaced regularly.
- Overcrowding causes stress-related problems and sickness. If space is tight, keep just two or three hens and give them us much room as you can.
3.Choose a chicken house
There is a wide selection of styles and prices when buying or building chicken houses. A chicken’s basic needs are for a secure, weatherproof house, with branches for roosting and nest-boxes for eggs. A human’s basic needs are for a coop with easy access, especially when it comes to cleaning it out.
Check the following:
- The house and run must be robust enough to keep out the large and powerful, as well as the small.
- Good insulation and ventilation are essential.
- There should be 25-30cm of perch for each average-sized chicken.
- At least one square metre of run space per chicken is required – double that is preferable. A raised house allows chickens to use the area underneath.
- Moveable housing should be easy to manoeuvre. Wheels or strong stands are normally required for this.
- Be careful of second-hand housing, which may contain dormant parasites such as red mite.
4.Get the equipment
Apart from the chickens and their house, you will need some basic equipment’s. These equipment are;
- Well-designed feeder to keep feed dry and prevent waste.
- A purpose-made drinker helps in providing constant, clean water.
- A dry, insects proof-container for storing feed.
- A plastic box filled with fine soil or play sand will do the job.
Poultry supply stores offer a tempting range of items, and quality varies. The cheapest can sometimes prove false economy so shop around carefully.
5.Purchase some feed
Manufactured chicken feed usually comes as pellets or mash, and will provide your chickens with a balanced diet. Chickens with no access to grass will appreciate some green vegetables – hang these up to avoid them being trampled and to provide a distraction. If you hang them slightly above their reach, they will struggle while jumping
6.Choose the bedding
Spread a layer of dust-free, absorbent bedding over the floor of the hen-house to help with cleaning and add insulation. Soft bedding material is also needed for the nest-boxes. Dust-extracted shavings are a popular choice.
7.Buy your chickens
Look around carefully when visiting your intended supplier. The birds should be kept in clean, spacious conditions. You should see if they look healthy .Be wary if any chickens are hunched and miserable, as this is a sign of sickness. The supplier should be happy to give advice, and to take back any birds that prove unhealthy after a few days. Keep the chickens’ transfer to their new home as calm as possible. Furthermore, make sure they travel comfortably and don’t get overheated.
Just follow these steps when getting started in poultry farming and you will not be disappointed.
