A chicken coop or chicken house will provide a place to shelter from the rain and the wind, somewhere to lay their eggs and somewhere secure to sleep. It doesn�t have to be huge but there are many on the market now that are very efficient and quite attractive for your garden area. It is also possible to obtain plans and ideas from the internet to build your own if so inclined. Taking dust baths during the day is a favoured pastime of most chickens so they should have access to a dirt area however don�t worry too much because they are experts at turning a grassy area into a dirt patch! You can let your hens roam around on their own but they are then at the risk of predators like foxes ,hawks etc. So a decent run, dug well into the ground to prevent predators digging under, is a sound idea. It is also possible these days to obtain electric fencing which can be a good deterrent to the nasty hunters out there.
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Ever wondered where the term �pecking order� came from? Chickens will peck at each other for almost any reason but normally they are trying to keep the others away from their �find,� be it a juicy worm or piece of veg. These little spats don�t normally amount to much but the more space they have the happier they will be. They can become aggressive when kept in crowded conditions for too long. When working out how much space for your hens, a good guideline is a minimum of 3 square feet per hen for indoor space and another 4 square feet for outdoor space. Bear in mind that in adverse weather conditions your hens will want to stay indoors which will lead to more crowded conditions than normal so quite a good idea is to hang up goodies on strings to give them something to peck at and take their mind off each other.

Items you will need to have inside your hen house would be a dispenser for your chicken feed and a water container. Both these items need to be cleaned and filled regularly. The hens will also need clean and comfy nesting boxes-they will reward you with regular contributions of fresh eggs-and a place to roost,,preferably off the ground.

The next step would be to get your hens. Hatcheries sell them but these days the internet provides a very quick and efficient option. There are also ex-battery hens which always need rescuing. Also bear in mind that before about 12 weeks it is difficult to tell the difference between the hens and a rooster, so many people prefer buying pullets which are not yet laying but are bigger than chicks Poultry shows and agricultural fairs are also other options to find your chickens.

Once you have your chickens keep them inside for a few days so they get used to and know this is their new home! They will require fresh clean water to drink and �laying hen� pellets to eat. As treats they will have a go at your leftovers,esp. things like cabbages and other veges as well as weeds from your garden. Keep your hen house clean and your chickens well fed and watered and you should have some happy hens around!
]]> http://www.chickensinthegarden.com/how-to-raise-a-chicken/keeping-chickens-points-to-consider/feed/ 0 http://www.chickensinthegarden.com/how-to-raise-a-chicken/keeping-chickens-healthy-through-the-winter-months/ http://www.chickensinthegarden.com/how-to-raise-a-chicken/keeping-chickens-healthy-through-the-winter-months/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 01:27:42 +0000 admin http://www.chickensinthegarden.com/?p=476 Chickens need care all year around and if treated properly will lay beautifully for you but there are things you must do, especially in the winter months in order to keep your chickens comfortable and healthy. More bedding is a good idea in the winter months in order to keep your chickens warm in the cold winter months. Some people line their coops with cardboard to add extra insulation but make sure when doing this that you don’t compromise any ventilation in your chicken coops.
Hens will usually lay one egg a day and hens will usually start laying at 20-22 weeks of age, after 2 years egg laying starts to decline a little and in the winter months egg laying diminishes considerably. Other factors can affect your hens laying such as a change of location and sometimes harsh weather such as rain. There are ways to help egg laying in the winter months and because laying is effected by the reduction of light, some people install light into the pens in order to stimulate the egg laying process. We don’t however and prefer to let nature take its course and allow the hens egg laying to decline naturally. The hens will begin to lay again in early spring and will lay right through the summer months. Other things that are vital in the winter months are making sure your chickens have a fresh supply of unfrozen water. Water will freeze naturally in the winter months and unless you manually break the water, your chickens will become thirsty very quickly. It may also be a good idea if you have several chickens and cockerels to separate them for a while over the winter months, this gives the cockerels chance to recharge their batteries and gives the hens chance to have a rest from the constant attention of the cockerels
If you live in areas where the temperatures fall really low you may find that your chickens feet and toes will suffer and in extreme circumstances chickens can lose them. Chickens combs can also suffer with parts of them actually falling off in extreme frost and cold. Roosters may become sterile from stress and hens will suffer too and will almost certainly stop laying. You must also remember that illnesses are more prevalent in the winter months and extra care and vigilance is needed in order to separate any ill chickens from the rest of the flock. If an ill chicken has an illness it is quite probable that they will pass on any infections to other birds. Having said all of that chickens suffer more in heat than they do in cold weather and as long as their needs are met, they will get through the winter months with no problems.

There are claims that animals don’t like human scent. There aren’t many conclusive studies to confirm this but many say this is the reason why humans are the least preyed upon. To add human scent to the chicken coop, you can place old clothing in various areas of your chicken coop. Human scent won’t prevent all hungry predators so it is strongly advised that you don’t use this idea as your only chicken predator deterrent.

One of the best deterrents is the chicken coop. It should have a sturdy build to keep animals out. Build the structure free from excessive holes and gaps. An elevated chicken coop can prevent some of the smaller animals from entering the chicken coop. Wrapping the roosting posts with wire will prevent chicken predators from biting through the posts.

A wire fence around a well built chicken coop offers great protection from predators. The planks should run at least 10 inches deep into the ground to prevent animals from digging underneath. The fence should be tall enough to prevent chicken predators from jumping over the fence. The height will depend on the types of predators in your area but a 5 foot fence should be tall enough to keep out most animals. If you have foxes in your area, your fence should be built closer to the 5 foot recommendation as they can jump nearly twice their own length.

Protection from chicken predators is crucial if you want to have chicken that can produce eggs for a long time. Your protection methods will depend on the types of predators you have in your area. The best deterrent is to use multiple methods instead of relying on just one. A sturdy coop and a wire fence is a great combination. Add the human scent for good measures and your chickens should be well protected.

Are you Planning to Keep Your own Chickens and to Build a Chicken coop on your own?

The number one Tip I can give you is to keep it as simple as possible. The basic idea is to provide your chickens with a place of protection where they can lay their eggs. So it´s a must to concentrate on these main points.

So, the first thing to do is to figure out how many chickens you´d like to keep. Since you don´t have any prior experience in raising your own chickens, you might like to stick with one or two chickens to begin with.

You can start with only a few chicken and increase the number over time - Just keep this in mind when it comes to build your own chicken coops!

Avoid to keep a single chicken since they are social animals and like company. More than three chickens can be a handful since the noise levels and amount of mess they create goes up. Plus, you´ll need double the space for every chicken once their number crosses two!

The more space you give them, the happier they´ll be.

If you plan on keeping one or two chickens, you might like to consider constructing a chicken hutch rather than a chicken coop. It´ll cost you less and will be simpler to maintain.

But if you plan to increase the number of Chickens you keep, It´s better to use a Chicken Coop, with the ability to add more space to keep more chickens as well!

And you´ll easily find a place for it in your backyard. In terms of chicken coop designs and plans, you´ll find lots of ready to use Coop Plans and Instructions on the Internet!

Other important factors to consider are light, ventilation, protection, and the placement of your homemade chicken coop.

But it’s very possible. In fact, chickens make fine indoor pets for your children. They take up little room, they cost only “chicken feed” to maintain and they provide endless hours of entertainment for your kids and their friends. You can even choose a bantum or small breed, about a quarter to half the size of a standard chicken, to save space.

There are a few simple requirements for keeping pet chickens successfully.

1.) Cleanliness

Obviously, chickens can’t be housebroken. Many fond chicken owners say that any mess the chicken makes is easily cleaned up and they don’t mind. You can keep your home really pristine by putting your indoor chickens into diapers. This is not as bizarre as it seems. Practical, attractive diapers for chickens are available via the Internet. Chicken get used to wearing them quickly. Search for “chicken diapers” and you will find suppliers. You can also keep your chicken confined to certain areas of the house where you don’t mind doing a little wiping up. Children can be given this responsibility.

2.) Protection from other pets.

Your dog may want to chase your chickens so you will have to train it to leave the birds alone. Do this by keeping your dog on a leash and reprimanding it sharply each time it shows aggression toward the chickens until you feel you can rely on it to share space peacefully. Cats will generally leave adult chickens alone but can’t be trusted around baby chicks. On the other hand, chickens will bravely peck any pushy pet on it’s sensitive nose and will even gang up if necessary. After a few painful beak jabs, even a large dog or cat will steer clear.

3.) Safe shelter at night.

Never leave your chickens outdoors in the yard after dark. They must either have a safe coop or stay in the house. Otherwise predators such as raccoon, foxes, weasels, skunks, cats, etc. will soon make off with them. A roomy cage inside the house will keep your chickens out of trouble when you are not around. A pet carrier will do fine for a chicken to sleep in at night.

4.) Keep only hens.

Roosters, though very handsome, are noisy, territorial and will keep trying to mate with the hens. Roosters really do get up with the sun and, when they do, they crow at the top of their lungs to declare they own your house. A rooster is not likely to be happy indoors.

5.) Raise your pet chicken from a chick.

Your chick will be socialized from the start and be easily handled. It will follow your children about and sit in their laps. It only takes a few weeks for the chick to become a full sized chicken so the time goes fast.

6.) Your kids can train their pet chickens.

Chickens can be trained to do simple tricks, like come when called or peck at a given target. All it takes is a little patience and lots of food treats. Kids love thinking up new tricks and teaching their chickens to perform. Only kindness and food rewards work, never anger or punishment.

So if you don’t want to take on a dog or a cat, but want a low-cost, easy-to-keep pet that will interact with your children, then pet chickens might just be right for your family.

Because of such a renewed interest in all things poultry, people are no longer satisfied with limited information and the thirst for expert knowledge at the touch of a button has become invaluable as well as essential. After all, the more you know the better equipped you are to deal with all your poultry’s needs quickly and efficiently with the minimum of effort.

Housing your chickens correctly is one of the most important things to get right and with your poultry feeling safe, secure, healthy and happy you can ensure their continued well being at all times and of course enjoy fresh tasting, nutritious free range eggs.

So, what is the best way to meet all your chickens housing requirements? You could down the road of buying a readymade coop, this is an option open to you but, if you have done any research it will be apparent that they do not have much to offer in the way of being flexible.

With this type of accommodation you are looking at a mass produced, one size fits all coop and you really are limited to what you see is what you get. So, why would you pay an over inflated price for something that really is not suitable when there is no need for you to compromise?

By building your chickens accommodation yourself you have the luxury of being able to put as much thought into the planning as necessary and to have this amount of versatility should not be under estimated, this one factor in itself is priceless.

You can ensure that you incorporate adequate amounts of lighting and ventilation, utilising the backyard space you have available to your best advantage, thereby giving yourself the option to extend the accommodation if you wanted to with the minimum of fuss and effort.

The value for money that you get from this particular DIY project will not only be paid back tenfold by your poultry themselves in the money you save in not having to purchase eggs from the store but, also in the longevity of your coop. Having sourced the materials yourself you can guarantee quality throughout and ensure that any long term maintenance costs will be low.

Just from the cost factor alone, it makes perfect sense to a DIY poultry house for your chickens, giving yourself peace of mind knowing that they are living in the best environment possible and also that you have provided durable, safe, secure housing by building a poultry house with your own two hands and what could be more satisfying than that?

When caring for your chickens meeting all their requirements when it comes to their welfare and comfort can sometimes prove problematic. It is not always easy to provide them with the housing that can accommodate their needs, so having a coop that you can move should not be under estimated.

Your chickens, like yourself are susceptible to extremes of heat and cold so, to be able to assist in keeping them cool and out of harsh, hot sunlight or sheltering them from the cold or excess shade or even a bitter north wind, just by changing the location of the poultry house is a valuable asset indeed.

If you are fortunate enough to have a large backyard, you may not have to consider where you finally decide upon positioning your poultry house. It may be that you are lucky and have a prime spot that meets all the necessary requirements of shade and warmth in equal measures.

But, if you have a smaller space and do not have the luxury of being able to keep your coop in one place the fact that you can position your chickens to accommodate the changing weather and seasons and utilise the environment within your backyard is invaluable.

In fact, having a portable poultry house could make all the difference in deciding whether or not you are going to keep chickens. After all, if you feel that you cannot meet their needs regarding their overall comfort, because of your backyard limitations, having a portable poultry house means that these obstacles are easily overcome and do not present a problem at all.

If you are serious about keeping chickens in your backyard you will know that housing them properly is one of the biggest considerations in taking care of their overall welfare. So it is important to be able to get it right.

You could buy a readymade coop but, why pay an over inflated price for housing that does not necessarily fulfil all of your requirements with regard to the right type of nesting box, ramps and ventilation etc.

The true cost is not reflected in the price when you consider how much it would actually be to buy the same amount of materials yourself. You are paying for the fact that the timber has been pre prepared for you and that really does not give you value for money.

When you source that materials that you need to build your coop from your local DIY store, you will soon realise how affordable your chickens housing will be. You will have the flexibility and versatility to be able to construct a coop that surpasses anything that a readymade one has to offer.

The biggest bonus of all is that you can customise your coop to suit the size of your backyard so that you can make the best use of the space that you have available for your chickens.

So, why compromise on yours or your chickens requirements? Build your own quality poultry housing to ensure a more than satisfactory end result that is durable and low cost, giving you complete peace of mind knowing that your chickens are happy in the quality chicken house that you have constructed with the minimum of fuss.

Why build your own when you can quite easily purchase a readymade one with no work involved on your part? Consider this, if you buy a readymade chicken coop, they generally do not come assembled. It will come in a flat pack formation so, you are going to have to get your tools out and do some building anyway.

Another factor to take into consideration with a readymade coop is the cost. They are very expensive and really do not represent good value for money when you look at the amount of materials that are used to construct them. You are paying for somebody else’s time in having measured and sawn some timber and then basically hammered in a few nails. You have to ask yourself, is this worth the extra expense? I think not.

Flexibility is a key factor in building your own poultry house. Your chickens do have certain requirements that need to be met and with a DIY coop you really can tailor make and customise it to your own and your chicken’s very specific needs, be it the size, shape or the number of chickens that you are considering housing.

When you source your building materials from your DIY store, you have ultimate control over the selections that you make. You will have complete peace of mind knowing that you will be able to provide housing for your chickens that is attractive, affordable and more importantly safe from predators.

The biggest bonus in deciding to build your own coop has to be the cost. It really will surprise you just how over priced readymade chicken houses are when you see the value for money that the cost of your materials actually represents and the quality of the coop that you are able to produce at a fraction of the price of a readymade one.

Why compromise your own and your chickens requirements with a readymade coop when you can build a DIY poultry house that would surpass anything that you could possibly buy, safe in the knowledge that you have a coop that is durable and of low cost and it will be all the more attractive knowing that you built this DIY poultry house yourself.

If you are committed to keeping chickens in your backyard and looking after them correctly, then you know that housing them properly is one of your biggest considerations. You definitely need to get it right, after all a happy chicken will be a good egg layer.

The biggest decision you have to make with regard to housing your brood is whether to buy a readymade coop or build one yourself. Believe it or not the choice you make is far easier when you consider the following.

To buy a readymade coop is very expensive. They do not represent good value for money when you think about the actual amount of materials that have gone into the construction of it and how much the same amount would cost you to buy from a DIY store if you were to purchase the materials yourself.

A readymade coop will rarely come already built, so you will have to get your tools out and assemble it yourself from the flat pack form that they are generally purchased in and of course you then have to hope that it comes complete with no parts missing or damaged in anyway.

If you build your chickens housing yourself you can guarantee that you will be able to address all of you and your chickens specific requirements with ease. You will have no problems in being able to utilise the space available to you in your backyard in the best way possible and know that your poultry will be dry, warm and happy in their housing.

The cost of building a coop yourself really does make sound economic sense. You can purchase your materials for a fraction of the cost of even one of the cheapest readymade coops and you have the flexibility to customise the end result to suit to make your chicken’s housing unique.

So, for quality poultry housing that is not complicated to build and meets all of your high standards in caring for your chickens the best way forward is to build a quality chicken coop that you can be rightly pleased with and know your poultry will be safe and secure in. Building quality poultry housing could not be easier when you are given the correct information. They are practical, easy to assemble and will save you a fortune.