There are many stories on how to keep chickens, some of them are true and others are simply rumour. Chickens can be very easy to keep if you know the right things to do and when or how to do them. Depending on the method you are using, it is very easy to formulate a regular routine and to stick to it.
Some people like to keep chickens for their eggs or meat, others for both meat and eggs and others simply as pets. Out of all these reasons, one thing is certain; you must know how to take care of your chickens if you are to co-exist well.
If you are keeping chickens in a free-range set-up, you need to know how-to chose your flock well. It is for instance advisable to know that it will not be very safe to keep two fully-grown roosters in one coop. They are likely to fight to their death.
In addition to giving them the space they need to roam around, it is very important to observe safety precautions as you build the chicken coop. Predators like rats and mongoose or squirrels will go that extra mile especially in the night to get a good chicken meal; they will go as far as digging through the ground to get through, if you have fenced the coop.
In such cases, it is advisable to extend your fence to about 6 inches or more into the ground to keep out burrowing predators like mice so that if they try to dig through the fence, they will run into the same below the ground.
When keeping layers, the coop needs to have a good airflow and a low roost for the chickens to sleep. The bedding should be lined with wood chips and not hay, and the cleaning of the coop can be carried out on a weekly basis. The birds also need nesting boxes where they can get comfortable and lay their eggs; a single nest box should comfortably serve about four chickens.
Keeping an adequate supply of feeds in advance makes it easier, but keep an eye on the use-by-date, chickens don't like stale feed. It is crucial to ensure your birds do not come into contact with garlic or onions because their traces often end up affecting the flavour of the egg. You must also learn how to keep chickens away from possible infections, stuff like chocolate, raw potatoes and avocados are very toxic to birds, therefore need to be avoided at all costs.
Chickens enjoy table scraps and any baked items like cakes, bread, biscuits etc. Other green stuff like weeds and leaves are a good vitamin source for your birds, fresh or cracked corn is a delicacy to them not forgetting fruits like guavas, tomatoes, papaws and apples.
It is common to hear people complain of bad smells coming out of chicken coops. This happens when you leave chicken feed for too long without cleaning; you should always try to give enough feed that the chickens can consume within a few days so that it does not get stale. If it gets stale, the chicken will decline to eat it and you make losses and loose time cleaning it up. Dirty coops will also expose your birds to infections.
Do you need that final reassurance, to truly succeed at how to keep chickens then you must visit the worlds best resource. Go to this site immediately http://www.chickenkeepinganswers.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_H_Perry
No comments:
Post a Comment