Showing posts with label Water supply. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Water supply. Show all posts
Keeping your Chicken Healthy while Raising Them
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.
a. 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.
b. 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.
c. 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.
d. 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.
e. 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’ll 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’ll 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.
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Raising Chicken Precautions During Winter and Summer
While some can withstand winters, others preferred to sun bathe during summer sunshine. It will all depend on the weather that you are having when you decide to purchase the right kind of chicken so as not to waste money and time raising them and just have them end up in a chicken graveyard.
Winter
During wintertime or in cold weather days, never try heating your chickens just because you fear that they might catch a cold or freeze. You may find your flock dead in the morning. F.Y.I., chickens can adapt to extreme cold conditions because their body can change the metabolism as the cold weather approaches.
If you live in a place where winters are more prominent than summer or is literary winter all the time, you might as well take certain actions for your chickens that will not put any of your chicken’s lives in danger.
a. There is a risk that a chicken’s wattle and comb can be affected by frostbite. To avoid this, you can rub some petroleum jelly or any moisturizer every other day.
b. Look out for frozen water supply. You can’t deprive them of water. They will not drink from a frozen water outlet. Chickens can’t take water with impurities. It must always stay fresh and clean. You can take out a water heater so that the water stays in its liquid form. Or if you don’t have one, better bring the waterer inside the house then return it in the morning.
Summer
If you live in places where summer is the only known season, your chickens are prone to be exposed to excessive heat all the time. With this, they might be in risk to dehydration. The only thing that you have to look out for during summer is that their water supply never runs dry. It must always have clean water. Don’t let your chickens roam around without providing them a sort of shade. If there is no run, you can provide ventilation inside the pen.
During heat waves, hens would lay lesser eggs. If this occurs, it is a typical sign that your chicken is stressed because of the excessive heat. Their egg laying tendencies will go back to normal once the heat recedes.
If things get worse, you have to observe the behavior of your chickens. What are manifesting? If you’ve seen that one catches a cold or is acting a bit odd, isolate the chicken instantly to prevent further spread of the disease. Don’t forget to provide water and feed to the isolated animal.
Then, when things are manageable, consult with your vet. Tell him or her how your chicken/s are reacting. Are they having:
a. mites
b. abnormality in the stool (blood, worms and white droppings)
c. sneezing and teary eyes
d. depressed
e. unable to mingle with the flock
f. loss of appetite
Tell your vet what you actually see so that he or she can give you the appropriate answer to your dilemma. These are only bits of areas that you have to ponder upon regarding raising your chickens in winter or summer atmospheres. It’s better to be safe than very sorry.
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