Raising Chickens: All The Way From Hatch To Scratch

Raising chickens is rewarding in many ways. So let's start at the beginning, shall we?

If you want healthy and friendly chickens, (who doesn't?), it's recommended you buy day-old chicks or if you prefer, hatch them out yourself. All babies are adorable and you'll fall in love with your chicks with their chirps and cute, tiny features.

When hatched, chicks can live for 3 days on their yolk. Then they need water and "chick start" which can be medicated or non-medicated. Place water in a shallow dish with shiny stones or marbles. This is so your chicks will peck at the stones and drink water. But if they fall into the dish, they won't drown.

You'll keep your chicks in brooder boxes. Either purchased or made yourself. Heat is so important for the baby chicks. If they are indoors, a light bulb will be enough. Most choose a 250-watt "red" heat lamp. This keeps the chicks from pecking at each other.

Make sure the brooder is tall enough so the little ones cannot fly out easily. Because in their third week, they'll have the means to fly a remarkable distance. This is why brooders should have wire lids. And you don't want any drafts to give the chicks a chill.

Set the heat at 90 degrees the first week. You can lower the temps by 5 degrees each week for four weeks. This helps them get used to the temperatures in the great outdoors.

Just like you and me, a chick who is comfortable and well-rested is one happy camper. So pay attention to chicken bedding. Caution: Do not use cedar or redwood shavings because these are toxic to them and will cause damage to their respiratory systems. Bad!

Instead, you can use shredded newsprint, straw, pine shavings, walnut shells or specially made chicken bedding materials. Your chicks can be moved to outside chicken coops once they are fully feathered. Keep a heat lamp in a corner of the coop so they can stay warm in cooler weather.

Until your chicks are 4 months old, you will continue feeding them chick feed. Then you can change to layer mash or pellets. Oyster shell and hen scratch can be added to their diet because this will improve the quality of your chickens' egg shell. And more importantly, will help them to have strong bones.

Giving your chicks hen scratch keeps your chickens occupied if they are in a confined run rather than out free ranging. If circumstances require your chickens to be in enclosed chicken runs, be sure to add some hen grit. This is necessary for their gizzard in their digestion process.

Again, just like us, chickens love treats. Garden and table scraps will be appreciated. They also love looking for bugs, ants and worms. Children get a kick out of tossing treats into the hen house and watch the chickens racing for the prize.

By 6 months of age, most breeds will begin laying eggs. Your backyard chicken coop should be enclosed with a door, and chicken nesting boxes should be large enough for a couple of hens. It seems no matter how many chicken nesting boxes are available, those choosy hens always seem to want the same one.

Ventilation is important; make sure the airflow is good through the coop. Again, the bedding in the backyard chicken coop will be your personal choice. Fresh water and food are necessary daily.

By the time you've reached this stage in your "raising chickens" adventure, you've probably named them and delighted in their unique personalities. Now you can look forward to their blessings of quality, fresh eggs!

Keeping Chickens? What Makes A Good Chicken Coop?

Thinking about keeping chickens?

Chickens are easy to care for but they do need a place to live which protects them from the weather and predators. Their overall well-being is important and you'll want them to be safe and happy. Hens also need a safe place to lay their eggs.

The size of your flock will determine how big the coop will be and how much lumber is needed to build the coop. If planning to use recycled materials, do not use wood that's been chemically treated. Since the birds peck at everything, this could harm them.

The coop must have sound structure...

Have 3 to 4 square feet of space per chicken. After taking zoning laws into consideration, find a place on your property that gets enough sunlight and has good drainage. Your coop needs to stay dry. You've heard the saying, "Mad as a wet hen!" Riiight.

Protect your flock by making sure the housing has a solid roof to protect them from the elements. And predators. Racoons are very creative in getting to what they want! Check every angle of the coop to make sure it's secure.

Chicken runs...

This is an enclosed area that gives an area where chickens can move and roam around. Ideally, the run should have 10 square feet of space per chicken. Of course, the bigger the run, the better it is for the chickens. Make sure to cover the run with wire mesh to keep out the nasty predators.

Bedding...

Now for the chicken coop floor. This can be concrete, wood, linoleum or vinyl. For ease of cleaning, choose vinyl or linoleum. The floor should be covered with wood shavings, hay or wood pellets. For a nice smell, use pine wood shavings. DO NOT use cedar because it can be toxic. DO NOT use sawdust because it can cause respiratory problems. You may think hay and straw would be good options, but this material can attract rodents, mites and lice. You don't want this!

The Deep Litter Method is a popular choice of bedding because it also provides compost. To do this, layer 4-8 inches of wood shavings on the floor, which you'll rake everyday to spread evenly. If you throw corn on the floor, your chickens will scratch through the shavings. This helps keep the bedding aerated and even.

After mixing with the chicken manure for six months, the shavings will become compost which you can spread on your lawn or garden for fertilizer. You will only need to clean the hen house once or twice a year with this method. You'll know when it's time by the smell.

Nesting boxes...

In order to lay eggs, your hens need nesting boxes. These should be 15 inches long, 15 inches wide and 12 inches deep. For fillers, use hay or straw. The boxes should be changed once a month to prevent health problems. One box for 4 to 5 hens will be enough. Keep the boxes at a slant. This keeps the birds from roosting on top of each other.

Lighting...

Good lighting is critical. It promotes maximum egg production and in the months when the days are shorter, this becomes very important. Even artificial light helps in laying eggs. Use two 65-watt bulbs for an 8 foot by 10 foot coop.

Guidelines for light:

* 24 hours a day of light for chicks up to seven days old.

* 8-12 hours of light a day for chicks one to six weeks old.

* 12 hours of light a day for chicks 6 to 19 weeks old.

* 12 -16 hours of light a day for chicks 20 weeks and older.

Light also provides warmth for the birds. Use timers to regulate how much light they receive each day.

Insulation and ventilation...

For fresh air and oxygen, your coop requires good ventilation. This also releases the carbon dioxide which if allowed to build up can harm the flock. Drill several holes in the top of the walls to create air passageways. Cover them with mesh. Or you can install windows in the coop. These will keep the birds cool in the summer. In the winter, you must have a good vapor barrier and insulation. The insulation has to be covered so the birds don't peck at it. These two things provide a comfortable environment for your birds to live in.

Feeders and waterers...

Waterers can be placed inside and outside the coop. However, food should be kept strictly inside. This keeps other critters away. Deep feeders are best because there won't be as much waste of the food. If you use a trough feeder, only fill it one-third of the way. Automatic feeders are also available.

If you want to bond with your flock, you can toss feed to them. It takes more time but some people wouldn't have it any other way.

There are many type of waterers. You can also purchase a a heater to prevent freezing so your birds will have available water even when it's frigid.

Roosts...

Chickens have a natural instinct to perch up off the ground, especially at night. They'll sleep shoulder to shoulder on a roosting perch. If they are free-range, they will sleep in a tree. The number of roosts will depend on the size of the flock. Don't arrange roosts on top of each other. Not pleasant for the birds below when the ones above them are going to the bathroom!

Perches or roosts can be ladder style and sloping toward the back of the wall. If perches are across from the nesting boxes, you won't have to walk through the droppings to gather the eggs. As well, don't have perches above waterers or feeders for the same reason. You don't want them contaminated from the droppings.

Perches should be 2 inches in diameter for chickens. One inch for bantams. Wood is more comfortable for the birds than metal and you'll want the edges rounded smooth so they can grip and get a good hold. Have the space between the bars be about one foot apart to give them enough room.

Under the roosts is where the greatest amount of poop will accumulate. A good idea is to have a manure box placed under the perches. They are filled with bedding and covered with moveable screen lids. These can be cleaned once a week or every day if you wish. Again, compost!

With these things in mind, you'll be happy and you'll have happy and healthy feathered friends!

Keeping Chickens: How To Make Sure They Live Stress-Free

One of the most important things in keeping chickens is to look after them properly and help them avoid stress. Why is that?

Stress is a killer. For us and for our feathered friends. Chicken health depends on living as stress-free as possible. Chickens are very sensitive to everything around them. Excess stress can cause serious illness because it lowers the pH in their system. This makes them more prone to disease. Stress hormones also pass to the eggs.

Causes of stress in chickens are much the same as what causes stress in ourselves. Noise is a biggie. Climate change affects them. They don't like to be separated from their own kind. They don't like to be overcrowded. Other animals will upset them. Loud children will have them running for cover.

Steps to take to reduce stress in chicks:

** Make sure their coop is secure and has adequate lighting.

** Make sure they have enough space. No overcrowding!

** Cleanliness of the chicken coop is so important.

** Temperature control. Cool in summer. Warm in winter.

** Have the hens familiar with people. Interact with them everyday. Speak in soothing tones.

** Keep other pets away from the chickens if they are aggressive toward them.

** Make sure the birds have enough food and fresh water available at all times.

** Handle them gently. Never hold them upside down as it frightens them.

** In order to produce fresh eggs, make sure you gather the eggs on a daily basis.

** Provide enough grass for foraging.

** Be sure to provide a roost.

** The most important as far as I'm concerned...Teach children to respect these birds. Nothing makes me angrier than to see kids being cruel and indifferent to any creature. These lessons will go a long way in their lives.

**  Equally crucial is TLC. Give your flock love and attention.

Doing these things will help in keeping chickens stress-free, healthy and happy!

Raising Chickens In The Backyard: What's For Dinner?

Nobody can call chickens picky eaters! If you've decided to raise chickens in your backyard, the least of your concerns will be what to feed them. Because those birds will eat almost anything! I don't mean that in a bad way but the truth is that they'll peck at anything you put before them with great gusto.

Meat, vegetables, dog food, whatever...doesn't matter. They will clean out all manner of insects and worms they can pounce on. Watch your ankles! The food scraps from your own dinner is a very tasty treat for your birds. Same for peelings. This creatures are very cost-efficient. And cute, too! All you need to worry about are vitamins and boosters. And don't forget grains.

You can put the chicken feed in a special container or scatter it around. Don't worry about any of it going to waste. They don't miss a thing. Hens need calcium in their diet for egg laying. From your local feed store you can buy crushed clam shells. Add to their meal.

The foods I advise are feed, pellets, grains and corn. You can never go wrong with this diet or have to worry about their health. There are foods you should never give to chickens.

Chicken. They don't want to eat their own kind. Do you? And health problems could develop.

Apples will cause digestive problems if given all the time. Every couple of weeks is fine. But I stay away from them.

Potato peelings. They don't like the taste of root crops.

Orange peelings are too tough for their systems.

Tomatoes only in small quantities. May affect their droppings. That's why I don't serve 'em at all.

Bananas. They just don't like them.

So you see, there's not too much you have to worry about when it comes to feeding chickens. Only one of the reasons you'll come to love your new feathered friends!

Keeping Chickens: Understanding Their Vocalizations And Pecking Order

All living things have personality characteristics. It's what makes life so darn interesting. From humans to animals. If you're raising chickens, you'll get to see their individual behaviors. Watching this helps you understand their basic needs. That way, you can make their life more enjoyable.

Vocalization

We often think that it's only roosters that do the crowing. Yes, they do. In the morning and throughout the day! But all breeds vocalize. Some more than others. Naturally, smaller breeds of chickens are quieter than larger hens. Roosters crow in the morning to check on their neighbors. If they don't get an answer, they believe a next-door neighbor didn't survive the night and so they'll have new territory to move into.

If they hear another rooster crow, they'll reply. Things can get quite noisy around these guys. When they are challenged, they'll crow. When they think danger has passed, they'll crow. Any reason is good enough for them to do their thing.

Just before a rooster crows, he'll flap his wings. He wants the world to know he's fit and vigorous. Look at me! When a rooster is courting, he'll call hens to let them know he's found an interesting treat. They know what's really on his mind...but if they accept the food, the rooster will preen and waltz around the hen before attempting to mate. If the hen is agreeable to the advances, she'll go into a squatting position. If not, she'll grab the treat and make a run for it.

Males can become quite aggressive during the breeding season which is spring and summer. Don't let children get close to them. They like to feel they can beat up on humans. If you want to keep an aggressive bird for breeding, it's best to house it away in an enclosure that you don't need to enter too often.

Chickens have a lot of unique sounds. You'll hear a soft growl-like sound when they are broody. After laying an egg, they'll cackle. When calling their youngsters to food, they go "took, took, took". When they sense danger or become afraid, they will screech.

To minimize the sound, you can place the most noisy ones in a dark box at night. Something soundproof works. Return the birds to the run in the morning. Having the chicken coop in an area which has a lot of vegetation will mute the noise. Planting bamboo and conifers is a big help. Wind chimes are distracting as well.

Pecking Order

Yes, it's true. Even the chicken world likes order. It works like a chain. The dominant hen will peck all the hens down the line. In other words, the ones beneath her. The second in line can peck below but not a chicken higher up than herself. They work this out amongst themselves. Once the pecking order is established, all is well in the hen house.

When a new hen is introduced, you'll see the bullies. Adding more than one hen at a time makes things easier on the new kids on the block. It's a good idea to have them all meet through wire mesh at first so they can get to know each other.

Be sure to provide a place where the new arrivals will feel safe and where they can hide from the bullies. Add extra perches and consider removing the dominant bird to a different enclosure until the newcomers are well established.

It sounds cruel but that's the way it is. The established flock resents the new birds. So once the new chickens find out where they are in the pecking order, life will settle down. Make sure there's plenty of space in the run. This will go a long way in providing peace in the introduction process.

Keeping and raising chickens opens up a whole new world of delight.