Raising Chickens- How To Get To Know The The Basics
Chickens are one of the easiest and cheapest animals to raise. The eggs provided by adult hens are fresh, readily available, and you know where they came from. Chickens are excellent for keeping down the pests in gardens and around the yard, plus they are fantastic fertilizers. Raising chickens can provide children with the knowledge of how to care for an animal, teaching responsibility at any age.
Where to Purchase – You can buy chicks in the spring from farmers’ markets, feed stores, and farm supply places. Feed stores usually require you to fill out a form before the chicks are ordered, so they aren’t left with a large supply of unwanted chicks.
There are some farms where chicks can be purchased and farmers’ markets in the spring. A variety of catalogs are available with photos of various breeds and you can order directly from them as well. Many catalogs are also found online, with the option to purchase kits of chicks with rearing supplies.
Caring for Chicks – For the first 60 days, the chicks will need to be kept warm with the help of a heat lamp. These can be purchased from feed stores, hardware stores, or any place that sells farm supplies. Placing the heat lamp in the corner of the chicks area is plenty.
A heat lamp with a 100 watt bulb needs to be placed in the corner for them to huddle under. These lamps can be purchased from feed stores and hardware stores.
Once they are big enough, they can change over from eating chick starter to nibbling on scratch. They also can be given treats of worms, bread, and vegetable scraps.
When raising chickens, try to play with your chicks when they are small. This will make them more used to human contact and less skittish. Be sure to have all the needed supplies ready before the chicks are ever purchased. You risk the chance of some of them dying if the proper supplies isn’t on hand. In order to make sure your chicks don’t become dehydrated, you need to dip their beak in the water when you first show them the dispenser. If you don’t do this and there isn’t an adult chicken to show them, many dehydrate and die.
Finding answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Raising Chickens will be a snap! Building A Chicken Coop that will keep your chickens safe, be functional and versatile will be fast and easy when you follow some simple steps!