Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts
Precautions When Raising Chickens During Summer and Winter
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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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 |
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raising organic chickens
This is my chicken flock. The white birds are cornish hen. They are primarily used as "meat birds"
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Raising Chickens: Pros and Cons
Pros
1. Costs incredibly cheap.
When we say cheap, not only does the chicken itself count but also the maintenance of it all. Compared to keeping a dog or a cat for a pet, it is much cheaper to take care of a number of chickens most likely because they are not choosy when it comes to food. You can feed them scraps and table leftovers and they will happily gobble it up. With as little as $2 a day, you can spend on a bunch of layer mash.
2. You can get something from them.
Eggs. Meat. Ornament. Who wouldn’t want it? In terms of eggs, it is seldom that you encounter a chicken that can’t lay eggs. It is a good source of iron, which is good for the brain. You could either sell these eggs or keep them in your fridge. With meat, every part of a chicken can be eaten. Yes, every. In cases of those who don’t want to see their chickens go bye-bye, they raise them as pets and for exhibition purposes.
3. Low maintenance.
Unlike dogs who need everyday grooming and cats who need your undivided attention, chickens need none of those. You don’t have to bring them to your vet every once in a while to take shots and doses of vaccines. All you have to do is feed them and supply clean water every day. Their coops must be cleaned at least once a week or twice every month depending on the number of chickens that you own.
4. Fertilizers for free and an instant pest control agent.
These are the two things that chicken raisers love about owning a chicken. When you allow your chickens to roam around your backyard, it is in their nature to peck on whatever it is that catches their interest and their hunger. Chickens love anything that came from the ground most especially the ones that are moving. They eat insects, bugs, worms and the like. For them, these are special treats. Furthermore, it is in their nature to eradicate their internal wastes anywhere they please. But their poops are considered as natural fertilizers that the ground needs to grow plants and root crops in a healthy state.
Cons
1. They are not the best guard pets to have.
While chickens can coo and make familiar sounds, it is not in their nature to bite or coo on anyone they see who looks suspicious. All they can do is grow, eat, and lay eggs. They are also not the ideal pets you would want to have especially if you need a response like waggling of the tail or a purring sound.
2. Chickens are messy.
Indeed. Plus, their poop smells terrible that it can reach certain areas in your house. If you’re the type of person who doesn’t want to go through enduring hours of cleaning, chickens aren’t really the pets for you.
3. One for all, all for one.
Well, in terms of getting sick this is a con. Because when one catches flu, everyone gets it too. And if one dies because of that flu, it is expected that every single chicken living with that infected chicken who also got that flu is also going to die after a few days.
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