Are you thinking of raising chickens? Great idea! You’ll grow to love your pets, and you’ll also get so many eggs. So how do you go about this? Where do you start, and what you should know? Read our chicken tips if you’ll be keeping chickens for the first time.
Get chicks or hens
The idea of starting your first breed by hatching eggs is very exciting, there are lots of incubating products available which will help you along the way.
If you are not ready to hatch your own chicks then you can buy your hens instead, and proceed from there onwards. Once you know what’s involved, and become an expert at keeping chickens, you can think about hatching eggs at a later stage.
Keep an eye out so that you know when chicks will be available at local stores in your region. You can also order them from online stores. If you want to go with hens, ensure that you buy healthy ones.
Select dual purpose breeds
Chicken breeds can be classified into two main types: laying breed and meat breeds. If you can’t figure out which one you want, select a breed that can lay a substantial number of eggs, and also produces enough meat. Breeds like Dorking chicken, Cornish chicken and Rosecomb are popular.
Keep the coop simple
Make sure your coop has all the essentials, but it doesn’t have to be anything that is too fancy. Whichever coop you choose, it should let you reach your chickens easily. Generally, your coop should have some protection from the predators, a roosting spots, nesting boxes and ample space to move about. You can easily fulfil all basic coop requirements if you make certain changes to an existing barn or shed.
Let your chickens lead a natural life
Yes, you want lots of eggs or meat, but keep things as natural as possible for your chickens. Free range whenever possible; don’t wash the coop with chemicals and don’t compel them to lay eggs by leaving lights on throughout. Give you chicken crushed shells of eggs and kitchen scraps to increase their calcium and nutrients intake.
Establish a fixed routine
If you already have several other animals, it might be easy for you to ignore your chickens. However, you are better off when you establish a routine, and then stick to it. Make sure you fill the feeders and waterers daily. Also freshen the bedding, and collect eggs earlier in the day.
Ensure cleanliness
Chickens and hens prefer clean living places. Replace the bedding, and clean nesting boxes and the coop daily; all this only takes minutes. If you prefer doing this once a week, you’ll have dirtier eggs and a lot of cleaning to do, thus, you will have to invest more time.
Buy a heater
If you live in colder regions, you should get a heater for your drinker. Other normal buckets and containers can freeze.
