Raising Chickens

Are you raising Chickens? Here's how to keep them happy and healthy!

Chickens are indeed a wonderful family pet but they are much more besides. By raising chickens you will benefit from scrumptious freshly laid eggs, help with pest control, natural fertilizer and if you wish, a very tasty and healthy meal. But ow can you be sure that your chickens are happy with their lot? Let's take a look at the ways you can make their life as comfortable as possible with little effort and without breaking the bank!

Feeding your chicken the right food is important. For all round nutrition layer feed or pellets are a good source, these are available from your local feed store and are normally quite inexpensive. Some people who are raising chickens prefer to feed them with food from their own kitchen but for beginners a commercial feed is easiest and simplest as it ensures your chickens are getting the best range of vitamins and minerals. Chickens do love clean water for drinking so make sure to give them fresh water every day.

It is equally important that your chickens have a coop that is adequate in size, layout and position. Coops should allow 2-3 square feet of space per chicken. So it's a good idea to buy or build a coop bigger than you need in case you later decide to raise more chickens. There should be a 2 inch thick perch positioned around 10 inches off the floor. Allow for about 10 inches perch space per chicken. Its important to remember when raising chickens that they must feel safe. They are prone to stressing easily and that can result in poor health and even death. If the coop is located off the ground then you are giving your birds much better protection from predators especially those who might burrow underground to get to your chickens. Remember each night to ensure that they are safe inside their coop and if necessary the coop door is closed.

The coop must be warm, dry and cleaned frequently. The material that it is made from must withstand the elements. Depending on where you live you will have to think about ventilation and heat. When raising chickens in warmer countries you may have larger doors and slider windows. For colder countries, smaller windows and doors and insulation might be necessary. It is not advisable to have a felt roof as it can be breeding ground for mites. Build or choose a coop that allows you easy access to clean the coop regularly.

Chickens love to scratch about. Create a chicken run that your chickens can freely move about in and scratch away until their hearts content! They will eat however eat your grass so don't place them in your prize winning lawn but on the flip side they will eat all your weeds, insects and bugs! Each chicken should ideally have 3-4 square foot of space to run about in.

If you are considering raising chickens and would like to build the ultimate coop to keep your chickens happy and safe and also find loads of chicken raising tips and tricks then please visit http://www.chickendiyguides.com.

Back to Basics With Raising Chickens

There is a movement across the nation, more and more people are starting to raise chickens. Whether it be the state of the economy or people just wanting to get back to the basics--people are looking for ways to be a little more self-sufficient and having eggs supplied by your own poultry is one of many ways.

Along with the interest in raising chickens you need to be aware of some of the poultry equipment required to maintain your new flock. Some people just jump right in without a thought--kind of like I did in the beginning--my husband brought home six chickens and we scrambled around looking for temporary housing until we could build better and something to dispense their feed and water. If you have a choice, first determine what is needed to start raising chickens and then get your chickens.

What comes first--the chicken or the chicken supplies?
At a local farm supply store I noticed a lady had purchased a new baby chicken and along with the chick she had a chick feeder, a chick waterer, and who knows what at home that was waiting for her new little chicken. She probably is not aware within a few weeks the baby chickens will about double in size and will not be able to eat out of the chick feeder without opening the top and the waterer will not hold enough to give them an adequate water supply. These are some of the things that you learn from experience in raising chickens.

If I was considering raising a few chickens in my backyard for the first time, here are the preferred chicken supplies I would have on hand:

Chicken House--when raising chickens the chicken needs a place to call home. Whether it be a chicken tractor, a chicken coop, or a livestock barn, give the chickens a place to get out of the rain, lay an egg, and roost at night. Baby chickens require an area with a heat source for a short time so the housing requirements will be different.

Poultry Equipment--this includes the chicken waterer, poultry feeder, and nesting boxes. The type of poultry equipment you purchase depends on the age of the chicken. The feeder and waterer requirements for baby chickens is different than adult poultry. You will need the regular feeders at some point. Unless you buy a pre-fab chicken house most do not come with nesting boxes so you will need to supply the area where you want to gather the eggs.

Used Poultry Equipment--there are many sources to purchase used poultry equipment and the first place I usually look is Craigslist and from there I search for any local livestock or small animal auctions. And don't forget your local trading posts papers. We have one that comes from our local electric company and sometimes they have some items at good prices.

Chicken Feed--when you bring home your new chickens one of the first things they want to do is eat. Again what type you buy is determined by the age of the chicken. There are a variety of chicken feeds out there so do your homework to choose the one that is right for you.

Storage Containers for Poultry Supplies--what do I mean by this? Somewhere to keep your food and grain so other animals do not have access to it. The likelihood of attracting critters of some sort is very high with all the scratching a chicken does in its food that helps to spread it around. I use metal trash containers and they do the trick. I keep my food supplies in one and my chicken equipment in the other.

I have been raising chickens for over five years now so I have my preferred methods of feeding and watering along with my preferred poultry equipment, some homemade and some store bought. If you are just starting out and not sure where to turn, visit your local feed store. Check out their prices and then compare them to the online stores. Most of the time you will find if you buy local you will save on the shipping costs. And there is the chance that if they do not have what you are looking for they will order it for you. With the interest in raising chickens you need to have the correct poultry equipment to maintain your new flock.

About Author Carole DeJarnatt :

Carole DeJarnatt lives in Florida and raises a variety of hens, baby chickens, and a few roosters. She shares her learning experiences and helps to educate others on how to get started and the many benefits of raising backyard chickens. Visit her blog http://www.FowlVisions.com.

Article Source: http://www.BharatBhasha.com

Precautions When Raising Chickens During Summer and Winter

Chickens seem so fragile. They seem without any survival characteristics. But that is not true 100%. They have some characteristics that allow them to pull it through and survive in harsh weather conditions. Of course, those traits depend on the chicken species.

Some chicken can withstand the harsh conditions of winter and other may like to do sunbaths. It depends on the type of chicken and on the weather he is accustomed with. So don’t waste your money and your precious time with a type of chicken that likes a different weather than the one you have. It may be very hard to raise chicken under difficult conditions.

The winter time

In this cold weather, many people try to heat the chickens. They think that they will do them good. But don’t try that if you want alive and healthy chickens.
They can catch a cold or even freeze. You may leave them healthy and safe and in the morning you can find them dead. For your information, keep in mind that chicken can adapt to difficult weather conditions. Their body has a changing metabolism that helps them survive during cold temperatures.

If the place where you live has a cold weather with harsh temperatures, you may want to take some precautions before bringing the chicken in. In this way, you will be ready for them and you will not put their lives in any danger.

Some of these actions are:

1. Sometimes, the low temperatures cause the comb or the wattle to have frostbites. If you want to prevent this from happening, you can rub a petroleum jelly or another kind of moisturizer on that place from time to time.
2. Make sure the water supply is not frozen. Depriving the chicken of water can seriously damage their health. If the water is frozen, the chickens will not get near eat and they can die without water. Also, make sure the water reserve has no impurities. The chicken can get diseases from those impurities. If there is a danger or freezing, get a heater and warm up the water. Make sure the water stays warm at all times. If you don’t posses a water heater, get the water inside your house and bring it to the chicken in the morning.

Summer time

If you have a house located in a place where there is summer all the time, the chicken can suffer form being exposed to heat all day long. They could be dehydrated and that is not good. The one thing and very important thing you need to do during summer is to make sure they have water all the time. Make sure the water is fresh and pure. Refill the supply whenever it is possible. Also, don’t let the chickens run around without providing them some shade. Also, you can provide some ventilation in their pen.

Another important thing is that when heat waves occur, the hens can lay excessive eggs. This is not a good sign. It means the hen is very stressed because of the heat. If the heat stops or the temperatures goes back to normal, the laying process will resume to normal.

Also, during extreme weather conditions it is good to observe the chickens for any abnormal behavior. Notice the way they walk, what they eat, how often they eat etc.

If you see one of them isolated in a corner or acting a bit strange, it means they have caught a disease. Get the chicken and put it in quarantine to prevent the disease from spreading.

The isolated animal also needs water, food and treatment. After he has recuperated, the sick chicken can return to the others.
Some symptoms of chicken sickness include: depression, sneezing, teary eyes, loss of appetite, mites, abnormal stools and the tendency to become isolated.
If you notice any of these signs, talk to the vet and get treatment for the chicken.

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Click here now and find the best chicken coop plans available for download online.
Learn how to build a chicken tractor and save money!

Considerations for Building Chicken Coop

Before talking about building chicken coop, you can download my free brief report on raising chickens. Go to end of this press release for the link

http://howtobuild.bestchickencoops.net
(If this link is not clickable, then copy above link and paste in your browser

There are some main factors that you should take into consideration before deciding what type of coop to build. The following guidelines will lead you down the right path to choosing wisely and being fully satisfied with your new chicken coop once it’s built.

Size

Possibly one of the most important factors that will need to be looked at is the size of chicken coop you want to build. There’

s small, medium, and large plans for the chicken coops, each which accommodates a certain number of chickens.

The biggest mistake you can make is trying to cram too many chickens into your coop. Because each chicken requires so much area to feel comfortable and lay eggs properly, you’ll really want to make sure you’re choosing your size wisely.

It’s always better to error on the size of being too big than being too small, plus then you can always add more birds to the chicken coop if you want later on.

Portable Versus Fixed

The next question you should ask yourself is whether you want your chicken coop to be portable or if you preferred one that’s fixed instead. Portable chicken coops give you the advantage of being able to move it around to wherever you are, so if you’re someone who likes to keep the chickens as pets, this makes for a very attractive option.

Also, having a mobile chicken coop allows for easier maintenance since you can simply move the chicken coop to wherever you need to clean it.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for something with a little more structural integrity than you’ll likely be better off choosing a fixed chicken house since these will be built sturdier so that they are able to withstand wear and tear.

Protection

Factor in protection from predators as you make your decision what type of chicken coop to make as well. Ideally you should have a very solid fencing system to keep all varieties of predators out. This will have to be built to match the size of the coop you’re building as well.

Appearance

Finally, think about the overall appearance of what you want your chicken coop to look like. There are a number of different ways you can build the chicken coop which will impact the overall design of the chicken coop. This will also likely influence the cost of the building process, so it’s something to think about and work within your budget.

There are definitely cheaper methods to build your chicken coop so understanding the different things that will influence the cost is the first step to making a smart decision.

So, be sure you’re factoring these points in as you decide which type of chicken coop you wish to build. Getting the information up front before you start to build will help save you hundreds of dollars over the long run.

http://howtobuild.bestchickencoops.net

Raising Chickens To Improve Your Health

It seems like a bold statement to make, "Raising Your Own Chickens Will Improve Your Health", doesn't it?

But there are so many amazing advantages to raising chickens other than the regular supply of eggs they will provide you with.

Chickens make for amazing pets. They are gentle and amusing, and if you have children you can feel safe knowing that they will not harm them in any way.

Okay so how is it that chickens are going to help improve your health?

Most chickens have great personalities and you can watch them for hours playing around in your backyard. You will laugh and laughing is good. It will help to relieve the build up of stress that you endure on a daily basis. But this is not the way that they are going to improve your health, although it does help.

One of the major reasons is the eggs that these hens produce.

Some chicken breeds will give you an average of 4-6 eggs each week per chicken.

These eggs will not have any harmful additives pumped into them, and you know this because you know what the chickens are eating.

Many people across the country have become organic food junkies and there are good reasons for this. Food these days have become tainted with things that can harm our bodies.

I'm not going to get into the things that they do just to the chickens alone, and the harmful things that go into their bodies and ultimately into ours. Organic foods are all natural from the beginning of their growing stages and such will be the case when you keep chickens at home.

While the sole purpose of raising chickens in your backyard is most likely not to get eggs from them, it can be a great benefit to you and your family. It's important that you understand that this will require a small amount of additional work and care.

You will need to put them on a better food diet. The foods that you put into your chickens body will need to be closely monitored. If you are raising them for pets then I'm sure this is not going to be anything that you wouldn't want to do normally.

You can find great diets for these chickens to improve their health so that they can produce good eggs that will help to keep your bodies clear of harmful additives.

Take a look at a good diet for your backyard chickens, one that is going to be something that they enjoy and balanced nutritionally. A fresh supply of leafy greens, bugs, worms and plenty of water. This is a diet fit for healthy egg producing chickens. You can easily find bugs and worms in most pet supply stores. You might even want to start your own worm farm as well.

There is no doubt that raising chickens as a pet will offer you great rewards in so many different aspects. There are many different types of chicken breeds that you have to choose from.

Some chickens will not produce as many eggs as others do, so when you are looking to buy a chicken it's a good idea to make a decision on whether or not you will use the eggs that they produce so you can choose the right breed.

You can easily learn a great deal of information about all of the different breeds and the advantages and disadvantages to each breed by doing some research on the internet.

It's always a good idea to have a better understanding of what to expect before jumping head first into the exciting and healthy hobby of keeping chickens.

BlueWaterArticles.com: - Raising Chickens To Improve Your Health

About the Author

Duncan Carver is the author of the free Chicken Keeping Secrets newsletter that teaches you how to keep happy, healthy, egg laying chickens in your own backyard chicken coop or hen house. If you are interested in raising chickens at home subscribe free at... http://www.chickenkeepingsecrets.com

Hobby Chicken Keeping For The Family

There are many reasons for beginning a new hobby. Maybe you're looking for a way to fill up free time due to retirement or you have some other reason for an increase of more available free time. And there are so many different hobbies to choose from.

Some people take up building racecars, knitting, collecting baseball cards and others raise chickens. Yes chicken raising is an actual hobby, and it's becoming increasingly more popular with everyday families.

It's actually pretty amazing how easy it can be to raise chickens in your own backyard, and there are many people raising chickens that live in a city setting offering them minimal space for the coop and free ranging.

Chickens are amazing animals that will offer you so many things you probably would never have imagined they could. Please don't get me wrong; there are things you will need to provide for your chickens. You can't just buy chickens and throw them in your yard.

They will need proper shelter, which is called a chicken coop or sometimes a hen house.

A coop is going to give your chickens the much-needed protection from Mother Nature, such as weather and predators such as raccoons. Protecting your chickens is one of the most important things that you must plan thoroughly.

This will include a secure chicken coop, and proper placement of the coop.

There are many do's and don'ts that you will need to know also. You don't want to wake up one morning only to find that a raccoon found its way into the coop and not a single one made it out of the grips of this nasty creature.

It's sad, and this is not something that's uncommon.

The cost of a chicken coop can range from affordable to expensive, so how much you'e willing to spend will be determined by your budget. Another consideration in the coop will be how many chickens that you plan on raising.

You will want the chickens to have enough room.

A good way to keep the cost down for the coop is to build one on your own. It's much easier then you think when you follow along with a step-by-step guide.
You can find many different designs in books, as well as chicken coop plans available to purchase and download right online.

One nice advantage of keeping chickens is the fact that the cost of feeding your chickens is not going to be like feeding your dog or cat.

Chickens will eat nearly anything including grass, leaves, berries, insects, and even field mice.

The things that they eat are also another major benefit to raising them because they are the ultimate home pest control.

Of course there are things that you are going to want to learn about proper feeding requirements for your chickens, and if you are looking to get organic eggs from your chickens then it's even more important for you to put proper nutrients into their diets.

After all you'll be putting those same nutrients into yours when you start making use of their eggs.

A good hobby will help you to maintain your stress level because of the enjoyment that it has to offer to you and it's really easy to wash away your stress when you sit watching your chickens clucking and plucking around the yard.

Raising chickens is a simple hobby that has so much to offer. So if this sounds like something you're interested in, be sure to learn all about chicken keeping before you take the plunge for maximum enjoyment.

BlueWaterArticles.com: - Hobby Chicken Keeping For The Family

About the Author

Duncan Carver is the author of the free Chicken Keeping Secrets newsletter that teaches you how to keep happy, healthy, egg laying chickens in your own backyard chicken coop or hen house. If you are interested in keeping chickens at home subscribe free at... http://www.chickenkeepingsecrets.com

Chicken Feed Ideas and Suggestions

Quality chicken feed makes for healthy chickens. If you've chosen to raise chickens, it's imperative that you choose the best possible feed in order to ensure you're making the most of your investment.

Raising chickens is a big commitment, they require constant care and proper nutrition. For these reasons, it might help to take some of the guess work out of chicken feed. Let's look at some of the things you should know before you buy.

Many feed manufacturers offer a line of inexpensive chicken feed that is nothing more than wheat byproduct. These 'cheap' feeds offer very little nutrient content and are not the best choice for raising healthy chickens. Avoid these bargain feeds at all costs, you may spend a bit more, but the return on this investment will be staggering.

The best way to save money on chicken feed is to avoid waste. Many of the chicken feeders on the market are incredibly shallow.

These shallow pans mean that much of the feed pours over the edge, thus creating unnecessary waste. You can remedy this problem by filling your chicken feeders no more than one third of the way full.

The best way to ensure that your chickens receive the highest quality feed is by educating yourself on the nutrition required to raise healthy chickens.

Consider doing some online research, or check out several poultry raising books from the library. You'll find when it comes to raising chickens, and anything else, that knowledge is power.

Most people have questions when it comes to raising free range chickens. If you're raising free range chickens, it is possible for these little critters to find their own feet. However, most often this requires a wide range of space.

If you're raising chickens in your backyard, you likely don't have enough space for your free range chickens to fend for themselves. For this reason, it's a good idea to supplement your free range chickens diet with a little nutritional chicken feed.

Remember, the more chickens, you have to more competition for food. It's imperative that you ensure that you provide enough feed for each of your chickens to maintain a level of nutrition sufficient for growing healthy and strong.

When it comes to feeding your chickens, gone are the days of allowing your poultry to eat whatever they happen to find. People today demand to know what went into their food before they eat.

This rings true for both eggs and meat. If you plan to sell your chickens, it's imperative that you keep track of the nutrition provided, and any outside sources of food they may be in contact with.

If your goal is simply to raise chickens to sell eggs, you will find the demand for information on nutritional content a little bit less.

However, don't stress yourself over this factor, because in many cases chickens eat things we don't see (i.e. small seeds or tiny bugs). It's virtually impossible to keep track of everything of which your chickens partake.

The best approach when it comes to serving your chickens quality is to not stress or overcomplicate the process. As long as your main goal is to ensure that your chickens are receiving the best quality nutrition, you'll be fine.

If you're in doubt consider consulting a professional at your local feed store. He or she will be able to provide you with educated information as to raising high quality chickens. Your feed store professional will also be able to recommend the best brands for your needs.

If you're in doubt, you can always make your own chicken feed. While this process is more labor-intensive than feeding your chickens a store-bought feed, some people truly enjoy the hobby.

If you plan to take this route, your best bet is to first educate yourself on the nutritional requirements of a chicken. You will be required to educate yourself as to the formulation of high quality chicken feed.

Your next step will be to purchase the ingredients required to make a quality chicken feed. Most small-scale chicken farmers abandon making their own feed in order to embrace the convenience of commercial brands. This is perfectly acceptable, as most commercial brands are just as nutritious as a homemade feed.

So, if your goal is to raise healthy chickens and maximize the return on your investment you should spend a fair amount of time, ensuring that your chicken feed is of the utmost nutritional quality. Avoid bargain-basement feeds, and consult a professional when you're in doubt.

BlueWaterArticles.com: - Chicken Feed Ideas and Suggestions

About the Author

Duncan Carver is the author of the free Chicken Keeping Secrets newsletter that teaches you how to keep happy, healthy, egg laying chickens in your own backyard chicken coop or hen house. If you are interested in keeping chickens at home subscribe free at... http://www.chickenkeepingsecrets.com

Things to Think about when Building a Chicken House

When you are searching for the best chicken coop plans, there are a lot of things you should consider for you to come up with the right decision. There are different kinds of chicken coop plans. The choices are too vast that you may get confused on which one you should choose.

Investing on a chicken coop plan is not a simple matter because it will highly influence the output of your business. You should grab a plan that will satisfy your needs.
Here are some of the things you should think about when getting a
chicken coop plan

The Total Size of the Flock

This is the most important issue because your entire chicken coop plan will depend on how many chickens you plan to keep. Be sure that the every chicken will have enough room. For example, a small chicken coop will be too crowded if you will be housing more than five chickens. This may cause a decline on the birds’ health and overall egg production.

Get a medium or a large chicken coop to accommodate your chickens. By doing so, you can maximize their ability to lay eggs.

The Ventilation of the Chicken Coop

The second thing you need to pay attention to is the ventilation of your chicken coop plans. If you reside in a humid environment, the chicken coops should have proper ventilation. This will help prevent your chicken coops from getting excessively hot for the chickens. Warm environments can cause chicken coops to smell bad so it is important to situate proper ventilation so that air can flow through.

When proper ventilation is installed, the air flow will reduce the foul smell. It will now be easier for you to be around. Cleaning the chicken coop will now be an easier task. A chicken coop plan with a good ventilation system will make the chickens comfortable.

The Light Source of the Chicken Coop

The third thing you need to have is good lighting for the chickens. Sunlight is practical and ideal to use in a chicken coop plan. Take advantage of sunlight when you make a chicken coop design. Light and a certain amount of heat can keep the chicken coops cozy.
If your area does not offer much sunlight or your chicken houses are impenetrable to light, you can always use alternative lighting. Non-natural lighting will work much like the sunlight but will add up to your electric costs. Lighting will also help you check on your chickens as far as visibility is concerned.

The Feeding Set-Up of the Chicken Coop

The fourth and final thing you should consider is the feeding set-up. Perhaps the most important factor in maintaining the health of your chicken is by making sure that they are eating a proper diet. If the feeding setup is not place correctly your chickens may have a difficult time eating. Setting it high or low may cause your chickens to be uncomfortable leading them to lose body weight and making them vulnerable to diseases.

Your chickens can also acquire injuries and muscle strains due to misplaced feeders. With these complications the rate of production and survivability of your chickens will go down. When you are buying a chicken coop plan, select the one that offers comfort to the chickens.

Your chicken’s egg production will depend on how well you treat them. When nurtured properly they will have better outputs. Make sure that they receive everything they need from a good shelter, food up to the smallest of details. Consider this as an investment which will pay off eventually in the future.

Author Resource:- I’ve discovered a quick and easy way for anyone to build a chicken coop. By following this program you’ll discover exactly what you need to do to get your chicken coop built in the fastest easiest way possible. You’ll have the best coop on the block and the happiest, healthiest chickens. You can find this plan at http://chickencoopplan.org

Article From New Ezine Articles

Important Things To Know About Baby Chicks

Chickens can make for some pretty amazing pets that have great personalities and will offer endless amusement and shockingly funny entertainment.

However there are some things that you must know about chickens before you actually own them. This goes for any type of pet that you plan on raising.

Understanding these things will help you to keep your chicken friends healthy and happy. One great thing about having chickens for pets is that they require very minimal attention, unlike a pet dog that can be very demanding.

The little attention that your pet chicken does need however is extremely important, such as keeping the coops clean, daily playtime, feeding and water. Chickens have many hidden dangers, and many of them can be prevented as long as you offer them a clean coop, proper food and daily water. Let's take a look at how to raise chickens when they are just baby chicks.

Chicks are absolutely adorable and generally during Easter time you will find that they are sold in many stores. These little baby chicks are nearly irresistible. Their fluffy fuzzy yellow fur is so soft and cuddly and definitely increases the desire to own one. But there are some things that you must understand to offer them the proper care.

These little baby chickens will need to be kept in a warm area. The sufficient temperature will need to be between 90 and 100 degrees, and this should decrease 5 degrees each week.

You need to house the chick in a box that they cannot hop out of and put a 100-watt bulb at one end of the box. You will not need to heat the entire box but they need an area to warm themselves.

Chicks require time to play with you and also need to have time outside to play. When your chick goes outside you will need to be sure that they are in a secure area because they do like to explore and can find their way into a bit of trouble.

It's not easy to catch them and if they have a large area to run it will be much harder to catch them. So the smaller the place the easier it will be.

It's absolutely amazing to watch these little baby chicks grow up into adult chickens. You'll find that as babies they begin the pecking order. This is how they determine who the boss is. It's funny to watch as they flap their little wings and circle around one another.

Chickens are not only great pets that will offer you endless amounts of fun, but they will benefit your organic garden as well. You can use their manure in your compost pile and it will definitely improve the growth of your garden naturally.

I would suggest if you make the decision to purchase a chick this Easter holiday that you buy more than one of them. Chickens are social animals and enjoy playing with other people and also more chickens. Playing with other chickens will help to keep the chickens occupied and offer them warmth during the colder months.

You can find books right near the chicks in the store when you purchase them. It's a good idea to pick one up, or you can learn more about raising them by researching it on the internet. These baby animals need to be taken care of properly in order to make it a full grown healthy adult chicken.

BlueWaterArticles.com: - Important Things To Know About Baby Chicks

About the Author

Duncan Carver is the author of the free Chicken Keeping Secrets newsletter that teaches you how to keep happy, healthy, egg laying chickens in your own backyard chicken coop or hen house. If you are interested in keeping chickens at home subscribe free at... http://www.chickenkeepingsecrets.com

Important Things To Know About Baby Chicks

BlueWaterArticles.com: - Important Things To Know About Baby Chicks

About the Author

Duncan Carver is the author of the free Chicken Keeping Secrets newsletter that teaches you how to keep happy, healthy, egg laying chickens in your own backyard chicken coop or hen house. If you are interested in keeping chickens at home subscribe free at... http://www.chickenkeepingsecrets.com

Different Breeds of Chickens You Can Keep at Home

There are many different types and breeds of chickens (over 60 in fact). And you would certainly want to research the breed of dog you plan on buying before you actually go out and buy it, right?

You wouldn't want a dog breed that generally doesn't like children if you have children, or a breed that's aggressive towards other dogs or animals if you already have a dog. This is just as important when you are buying chickens.

Please don't miss understand what I am trying to say, generally chickens are great pets and are very sociable animals, but there are certain breeds that have specific purposes such as producing more eggs, or offer you more meat and many have different behavioral tendencies.

This isn't to say that they won't make for a great pet in your backyard.

As you learn more about the various chicken breeds you will find that some will produce more eggs, lay certain color eggs, some will be more suitable for your backyard and have very specific personalities. What will need to be determined is which breed will best suit your lifestyle.

Choosing the right breed of chicken will depend on what you want to get out of raising chickens. So you will need to ask yourself some questions when trying to determine which chicken breed will suit your needs or lifestyle the best.

Let's take a look at some of the different chicken breeds.

The Brahma Chicken is originally from India, and is a great bird for meat. This breed is also a great pet because they can handle confinement and also have a great playful personality. Some people keep Brahmas for their eggs too.

The Australorp Chicken are one of the best breeds for pets. They are sweet, peaceful, shy, calm and very friendly. These amazing birds are from Australia and grow to be between 7lbs and 8lbs, producing large brown eggs.

The New Hampshire Red Hen is a new breed that is known as a meat producer. But there are people who have them as pets also. Their personality varies depending on the individual chicken, so this breed is not going to be the best breed to select if you have small children.

These are just a few of the many different breeds that are available for you to raise for whatever purpose you want them for. The best way to uncover which chicken breed will best suit your needs is first by determining what you expect out of your chicken raising experience.

Do you want to use them for producing eggs, meat (both) or just keep for a pet?

You can use one of the breed finding tools that are available to you for free online. It will give you a list of the breeds that will best suit what you are looking for by simply answering a series of questions.

It's also important that once you find the breed that you think you want, that you do a little bit of research in order to learn more about them. You will want to learn if there are any special requirements or certain diseases that might affect that specific breed over others.

Take your time doing your research and it will most certainly pay off in the end. There are some beautiful birds out there that will make for a great pet.

BlueWaterArticles.com: - Different Breeds of Chickens You Can Keep at Home

About the Author

Duncan Carver is the author of the free Chicken Keeping Secrets newsletter that teaches you how to keep happy, healthy, egg laying chickens in your own backyard chicken coop or hen house. If you are interested in keeping chickens at home subscribe free at... http://www.chickenkeepingsecrets.com

What Everybody Ought to Know About Portable Chicken Coop Plans

There is nothing better than waking up each morning knowing that you have a fresh bunch of eggs to harvest. This is the importance of a good chicken coop plan. It improves the health and fitness of the chickens so that they can produce bigger quantities of eggs.
But what if you do not have much land area? How can you implement a chicken coop plan with such a limit?

We all know that good chicken coop plans require a certain space and most are usually built fixed on location. This is not applicable to people who have small land areas, some settle for inappropriate chicken coop plans, because of this they are not able to maximize the egg-laying potential of their chickens.
If you are looking for a solution to this problem, you may want to consider implementing a portable chicken coop plan.

Portable chicken coop plans are ideal for those who would like to raise a small chicken flock and those who do not have large spaces. It is highly recommended for those who are just starting up with minimal budget. Here are some reasons why a portable chicken coop plans work

Portable Chicken Coop Plans are more convenient

Portable chicken coop plans offer more convenience because they can be easily erected and disassembled with ease. It is light and does not require to be fastened so you can easily move it one place to another. Unlike when having permanent coops, you can easily transfer the entire construction when you find a more suitable location. This is very convenient especially if you need to frequently relocate your chicken coop.

Having portable chicken coops also reduces your work because it can be easily removed when performing maintenance. Portable chicken coops are flexible and will suit any yard.

Portable chicken coops can provide better protection
Because it is portable and lightweight, it can be easily moved from place to place depending on what the situation calls for. You can prevent nighttime predators from attacking your chickens by moving the coops to a safer location. There are a lot of losses reported due to snake and coyote attacks. Portable chicken coop plans can also protect your fowl from extreme bad weather conditions and certain calamities like storms, flood, etc. When these threats appear you can transfer your chicken coops to an area with better protection such as sheds or garage.

Protecting your fowl from danger and sickness is important if you want them to produce better outputs.
Portable chicken coops allow easy cleaning

Unlike the conventional chicken coops, portable chicken coops are very much easier to maintain and clean. Standard coops are fixed; this makes them harder to clean and may cause you to miss some spots. With portable chicken coops, if you need to clean an area, you can simply move it into a different location so that you can clean without much obstruction. Cleaning the coop itself is a breeze because it is compact and lightweight.

Deciding on what chicken coop plan to take depends on your needs. Portable chicken coops are advantageous on many ways, but they also have their limitations. Portable chicken coops can only give room to a very limited number of fowl. If you would like to enlarge your coop you will need to buy a bigger one. But then portable chicken coops are really worth the dollar especially if you are still starting up with a small number of chickens. It is a lot cheaper than the premium sized ones.

In choosing the perfect chicken coop plan, you have to consider what suits your needs best.

Author Resource:- Discover How to Build A Chicken Coop In Your Own Backyard Faster And Easier Than You Ever Thought Possible... You can find the plan at http://chickencoopplan.org

Article From New Ezine Articles

The Most Amazing Mobile Chicken Coops

If you live in an area where a permanent chicken coop is not suitable, you can innovate by creating a mobile chicken coop. A mobile chicken coup plan is really a good way to create chicken houses that are versatile. With this, you can move your chicken coops wherever you want, whenever you want!

This feature of this chicken coop plan is very useful especially in situations when outside threats are posed upon your chickens. An example of this are bad weather conditions like excessive raining which eventually leads to flooding. If you have implemented a mobile chicken coop plan, you can easily transport the structure to a safer place.

If you have decided to follow a mobile chicken coop plan, there are additional factors you need to consider. Unlike the regular chicken coop, the mobile chicken houses are more likely to be moved from place to place so it has to be durable and lightweight at the same time. If not properly built, the chicken coop may crumble resulting to larger expenses due to repairs.

Prevent this and build sturdy and light mobile chicken coops by keeping these ideas in mind:

Make sure to use the right materials

Materials should be a primary concern, since it is a mobile chicken coop there is a “transportation factor”. This means that materials that are heavy and unreliable are impractical to be used.

You should use materials that are lightweight yet durable. Avoid the mistake of buying cheap lightweight materials that do possess enough strength to support the structure/chickens. If the quality of materials is compromised, the whole thing may fall apart in a short amount of time. This will cause you more troubles and money in rebuilding the chicken coop.

Research on what are the best materials for a mobile chicken coop. Make sure that your chicken coop plan utilizes materials that will not cause harm to your chickens. Investing in high grade materials is strongly recommended, they may be a bit more expensive but it will surely pay out in the future. Make sure that you have the proper tools to deal with the materials.

Attach or create a Closure Latch for the doors

Most mobile chicken coop plans require a closure latch. This is to secure the door while in transport. You don’t want the door swinging open while you are moving the chicken coop, this can lead to problems, accidents and the risk of it being damaged.
Search for a good chicken coop plan that includes detailed instructions about attaching a latch. With this you can be sure that it will be secure enough to withstand abuses. If you already bought one and it doesn’t have this set of instructions you can buy a new one or better yet, you can improvise with the design.

The Size of the Building

The third thing you should be concerned about is the size of the chicken coop itself. If you build an oversized chicken coop you will have a larger risk of it falling apart during transport. In addition to that, building a chicken coop that is excessively large will require more resources. Instead of making a big one, you can resort into making several medium sized ones.

The chicken coop plan should have a specific description on how much area the building will occupy. You should be also able to determine on how long it will take for the whole project to complete.

Be sure that your chickens will have sufficient room in the chicken coop. Studies show that a chicken that is raised in an overcrowded chicken coop is less healthy than the ones raised in a roomy environment.

Author Resource:- Discover how to build a chicken coop in your own backyard using a simple, easy chicken coop plan that’s proven to be faster and easier to build than you ever thought possible. You can find the plan at http://chickencoopplan.org

Article From New Ezine Articles

Raising Chicken Tips: Baby Poultry Brooding Plan for the Floor

A brooding plan for the floor of poultries must be clean and sufficient enough to raise chickens. If not, there would be problems you dare not want to encounter. For planning, preparation is the best way to welcome your backyard mates. First, we plan the necessities, then you worry after everything is intact.

How do you go about planning and building the brooding floor?

Step 1

There are wide selections of products that can be purchased for brooding that will provide a draft free and comfortable environment. For a cardboard ring that is formed around the area suitable for brooding, the popular 13 to 19 inches high ring is commonly used. If you’re planning for a 50-chick capacity, a diameter of 5 ft circle is needed.

Assuming you want to increase the number of chicks, the ring diameter must also be increased that is proportioned with the number of chicks added. This is to reduce the negative outcomes of overcrowding. Aside from the huge cardboard boxes, your child’s plastic pool or an old tank can be an alternative.

Step 2

You have to cover the floor using one to two inches of materials that are absorbent and do not mat that easily. Shavings, ground corncobs, rice hulls, etc. can be your choices. Cedar shavings are not to be used for these are toxic and can lead to chicken poisoning. For the litter, the covering must be of cheesecloth, burlap, towels made of paper, and other materials that are non-slick.

This is appropriate for the first 3 days. With this, there will be easy access for feeding the babies via sprinkles above the material. It will also lessen the possibility for the chicks to have sprattle legs. Lastly, it will prevent litter eating.

Step 3

For a 50-chick capacity, you have to provide adequate heat from lamps. It must be a 250-watt with reflector. Regardless of the baby number, it is required to install at least 2 heat lamps. Picking is the result if the lamp reflects excessive light. That is why red heat lamps are more preferred. Red heat lamps provide sufficient light without going beyond its temperature. Heat lamps are hung at least 18” just above the litter. Inspect the light if they really provide the needed heat.

Step 4

Feeder lids should be made available for feeding. Cut a box down to an inch on its sides. If you are raising game birds and bantams, sides with only three quarters or less is preferred.

Step 5

Wire the brooder system of the floor. A wire floor is required out of materials that are not larger than a half-inch cloth. For raising game birds and bantam, a floor with a size of one-fourth inch is preferred.

Step 6

As specified by the manufacturer, the floor should be of adequate space. This is because the manufacturer recommends the appropriate number of chicks that can be started within the vicinity of the brooder. Check the heat if it is working properly.

Step 7

Provide a 15-watt red night-light. This serves as the brooder’s light during the night for them to see properly.

Step 8

Providing water troughs is wise but can also be a problem for it provides not only sufficient but also excess water access.

After all of these are brought together, make sure that things are working properly and things won’t result to jeopardy. These are just the basics for raising your chickens.

Bird Flu - Answers to 10 Important Questions

Most people know that bird flu is beginning to emerge as a serious health threat to the world.

There are real concerns and in this article we give answers to 10 questions which many individuals are asking about bird flu.

1. What is Bird Flu?

Avian influenza or 'bird flu' is a highly contagious disease of birds, caused by influenza A viruses. In birds, the viruses can present with a range of symptoms from mild illness and low mortality, to a highly contagious disease with a near 100% fatality rate.

The bird flu virus currently affecting poultry and some people in Asia is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the virus.

As the virus can remain viable in contaminated droppings for long periods, it can be spread among birds, and from birds to other animals, through ingestion or inhalation.

All bird species are thought to be susceptible to avian influenza. Migratory birds such as wild ducks and geese can carry the viruses, often without any symptoms of illness, and show the greatest resistance to infection.

Domestic poultry flocks are particularly vulnerable to epidemics of a rapid, severe and fatal form of the disease.

2. Can Bird Flu Infect People?

People are rarely infected with bird flu viruses. Those who have become infected have had close direct contact with infected birds.

The first documented cases of bird flu infecting people occurred in Hong Kong in 1997 and this was also the H5N1 strain of virus. Investigation showed that close contact with live infected poultry was the source of the infection.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is mounting evidence that the H5N1 strain has a unique capacity to jump the species barrier and cause severe disease, with high mortality, in people.

3. Can Bird Flu Travel From Person to Person?

There is no firm evidence that the H5N1 strain which caused the outbreaks in South East Asia has acquired the ability to pass easily from person to person or to sustain transmission.

So far, while some instances of spread from one person directly to another have been reported, these have been isolated one-off occurrences with no further spread to people, and the route of transmission remains unconfirmed.

4. Have There Been Previous Outbreaks of Bird Flu Affecting People?

The first documented cases of bird flu in people appeared in Hong Kong in 1997, when 18 people infected with an H5N1 virus strain were admitted to hospital, six of whom died. The source of infection in most cases was traced to contact with diseased birds on farms, and in live poultry markets.

As of 13 October 2005, 117 reported cases of H5N1 infection in people have occurred in four countries - Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Sixty of these have been fatal.

5. What is the Source of the Current Outbreak of Bird Flu?

The outbreak now concerning health experts began in poultry in South Korea in mid-December 2003, and has affected birds in many countries in Asia, Russia, and most recently Turkey and Rumania. It involves a variant of the same virus subtype as that associated with the 1997 Hong Kong outbreak.

6. What is the Risk of a Human Influenza Pandemic?

A pandemic can be broadly described as a massive epidemic. It occurs on a much greater scale than an epidemic, spreading around the world and affecting many hundreds of thousands of people across many countries.

Experts are concerned that the virus could adapt, giving it greater affinity for humans. Or that it could exchange genes with a human flu virus, thereby producing a completely new virus strain capable of spreading easily between people, and causing a pandemic. By necessity, if a new strain were to occur then few people, if any, would have a natural immunity to it.

7. What Can I Do to Protect Myself and my Family?

There is some evidence that recent H5N1 viruses are susceptible to a class of antiviral drugs called neuraminidase inhibitors.

The UK Government is expanding its stockpile of antiviral drugs against the contingency of a flu pandemic, whether due to an H5N1 or another new strain. On 1 March 2005, the Health Secretary announced the procurement of 14.6 million treatment courses of the antiviral, Tamiflu - enough to treat a quarter of the UK population.

Individuals can purchase Tamiflu privately. The manufacturer, Roche, is working hard to supply what is required. World-wide demand, however, has increased dramatically recently and there may be shortages.

8. Is a Vaccine Currently Available for Bird Flu?

The present position is that there is no vaccine for bird flu.

There are, however, several potential vaccines at various stages of testing and production. Whether these will be suitable for use against a new pandemic flu strain depends on how much the pandemic strain may have mutated and changed from the original H5N1 virus strain used to create the vaccine.

9. What is the Advice for Travellers?

Travellers to areas experiencing outbreaks of the disease in poultry are recommended to avoid contact with live animal markets and poultry farms.

Travellers should not attempt to bring any live birds or poultry products back to their own country.

10. How Can I Keep up-to-date With Bird Flu Matters?

The following organisations have sections on avian influenza which provide useful and regularly updated information:

Health Protection Agency
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/avianinfluenza/menu.htm

DEFRA
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/avianinfluenza.htm

World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/index.html

UN Food and Agriculture Organization
http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/subjects/en/health/diseases-cards/special_avian.html

Bird flu has the potential to be the basis of an influenza pandemic. The experts are predicting that there will be a pandemic, although it is not possible to say when it will occur.

The message is to be alert and be aware of the advice being given by your government.

Source: Free Articles

Brian McGregor is author of the ebook 'What You Need to Know About Bird Flu'. This publication outlines the bird flu issue in much more detail, and is available free from: http://www.workwinners.com/bird-flu/d-bird-flu.htm

What is Organic Chicken?

People must have heard about the nasty conditions which broiler chickens - which are bred for their meat - are raised in? These chickens have no more floor space than a sheet of A4 paper. Chickens are over-fed to reach slaughter weight in six weeks, when it would normally take four months.

Modem intensive systems of poultry production have produced cheap meat for the consumer - but at a price. Inside the intensive chicken houses, which are appearing in increasing numbers in the countryside, up to 40,000 birds are crammed, at 2 birds to the square foot, into a single windowless building, with almost continuous low levels of artificial light, they are then given drugs to speed up their rate of growth. Keeping so many animals packed together in such a stressful environment can only contribute to their rates of infection. It seems logical that the Chinese flu infections that we were seeing transmitted to humans comes from this same intensive farming. It isnt necessary to produce food in this way.

Organic farmers do a number of things to ensure that chickens are reared as naturally as possible. For starters, antibiotic growth promoters cannot be used but sick organic birds must be treated with appropriate veterinary medicine, so they can be given antibiotics if theyre very poorly. But they cannot be given drugs on a regular and routine basis, something that almost all non-organic poultry have to endure. Organic poultry is reared on a specially formulated feed containing only cereals, vegetable protein, a small amount of fish meal, and a vitamin/mineral supplement. These chickens are often guaranteed to be fed on feed which is free from genetically modified feedstuffs (GMOs). To be fully organic, chickens must be fed a diet containing grain which has been grown organically, without artificial fertilisers or sprays. Such feed is expensive, and therefore organic chicken is more expensive as well.

Also, on Soil Association registered farms, the number of chickens housed in a single shed is restricted to 1,000. A non-organic intensive chicken farm may have as many as 40,000 in the same shed. Organic birds are kept free-range, having continuous daytime access to clean pasture, except in adverse weather. Non-organic birds are almost always locked up night and day.

In addition, the Soil Association insists on full and clear labeling of processed chicken products. They are able to trace back to the farm all ingredients used in any Soil Association chicken products. Their organic certification standards state that food must undergo as little processing as is practical.
Organic standards are legally binding. All organic businesses must be licensed by law, and are fully inspected at least once a year. So if you want to see for yourself how organic animals are reared, why not visit an organic farm?
Find Organic Farms in the Organic Directory.

Source: Free Articles

Davinos Greeno works for the organic food and ethical clothes directory that lists 100s of Organic and Ethical Companies and we also have Health Articles for you to read or publish.

What is Organic Chicken?

Source: Free Articles

Davinos Greeno works for the organic food and ethical clothes directory that lists 100s of Organic and Ethical Companies and we also have Health Articles for you to read or publish.

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Raising Chickens

Are you raising Chickens? Here's how to keep them happy and healthy!

Back to Basics With Raising Chickens

Precautions When Raising Chickens During Summer and Winter

Considerations for Building Chicken Coop

Raising Chickens To Improve Your Health

Hobby Chicken Keeping For The Family

Chicken Feed Ideas and Suggestions

Things to Think about when Building a Chicken House

Important Things To Know About Baby Chicks

Important Things To Know About Baby Chicks

Different Breeds of Chickens You Can Keep at Home

What Everybody Ought to Know About Portable Chicken Coop Plans

The Most Amazing Mobile Chicken Coops

Raising Chicken Tips: Baby Poultry Brooding Plan for the Floor

Bird Flu - Answers to 10 Important Questions

What is Organic Chicken?

What is Organic Chicken?

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