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The Complete Guide For How To Look After Chickens

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Michael

This is a review of the Chicken Keeping Secrets website, which is a complete guide, including membership, for how to look after chickens.

“While most people have good intentions, they also have a tendency to rush into chicken keeping. They think that keeping chickens in their own backyards or on a small rural plot is like, well, chicken feed”.

That is what the website says and it is not until you really focus on the reality of looking after chickens that it can then appear like something that is just too much hassle and effort. And that is what this Chicken Keeping Secrets website offers to overcome. 

You instantly receive the guide “Keeping Happy, Healthy, Egg Laying Chickens In Your Own Backyard” which is the complete guide to keeping chickens in your own backyard.

Plus… continual free access to the ”Chicken Keeping Secrets” membership website with a library of proven chicken keeping information & advice. Whether it is chicken housing information, health related issues, chicken feeding & nutrition problems, everything is claimed to be covered…whether you are a complete beginner or want further information on a regular basis.

And…the regular “Chicken Keeping Secrets” newsletter plus access to more than 73 individual back issues of hard hitting professional chicken keeping advice – 700+ pages when printed. These contain practical detailed advice to all the “how to look after chickens” questions that readers have submitted. These are all available on a customer only blog.

For customers, there is also a bonus package entitled the “Masters Of Chicken Keeping Collection” which is a package of downloadable references of yesteryear, written by the “masters of the day” when just about everyone kept a few chickens in their own backyards. This has been produced from public domain material in a format that is readily accessible and readable. As with other such material, often a great source of real in depth knowledge and help.

For more information of how Chicken Keeping Secrets can provide you with in depth information and keep you regularly informed about your chickens welfare go now and click on how to look after chickens

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Feeding And Looking After Chickens

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Michael

Feeding is of course a very important factor for how to look after chickens and it can be as simple or as complex as you wish to make it. You can either stick to using preparatory foods such ready made pellets which will take care of all of a chicken’s needs or you could use good quality high protein grains.

The two grains to use are barley which will take care of most of your chickens needs whether they are for egg laying purposes or meat plus also maize which will provide a richer colour and taste to the meat. A mixture of the two will most likely be the best option for a healthy bird laying good quality eggs and producing tender, rich flavourful meat.  

Pellets can be very attractive to vermin and you may find that the supply dwindles quicker than anticipated, as a fair proportion may not actually be eaten by the chickens. Chickens also tend to throw pellets about so by using grains the amount of wastage is reduced. 

It is very important that chickens have grit in their diet in order to help mash up their food during digestion as this helps them to get the most nutrition out of their grain or pellets. Grit can be added to their feed but don’t forget that they will be eating it naturally from pecking at the ground. Grit will also aid in the production of strong eggs due to the calcium content so if the shells become weak, just add some more grit to their diet. 

It is also an idea to add small nutritional additions to their feed such as sunflower seeds as chickens love them and that they are a source of omega6. Offering kitchen scraps is normally okay but be reasonable as to what is used though do try and add a little occasional greenery to their diet.  

It is also important to ensure the chickens have a ready supply of drinking water to maintain good health, weight and egg production. Water can be made available from a specially designed chicken water dispenser.

For more information about feeding and how to look after chickens go to Chicken Keeping Secrets at how to look after chickens

 

 

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How To House And Look After Chickens

Posted on September 18, 2011 by Michael

When discovering how to look after chickens you need to be aware of what requires to be provided to ensure their welfare and one of the most improtant factors is where they are housed. Chickens can and do fair well on their own but in the artificial enviroment of a backyard their welfare needs change.

Chickens kept in a domestic enviroment require a secure purpose built structure, a hen house or coop, to first protect them and also to provide somewhere for them to roost preferably as high as possible, at least a foot off the ground.

 

A house containing both roosting perches (where they sleep standing up) and nesting boxes (where they lay eggs and lay in) is required but it has to be secure against predators. The “chicken run” space outside requires to be fully enclosed with wire mesh to keep the chickens in and the predators out. At night, the chickens require to be locked into the coop. With regard to outside temperatures, chickens can tolerate both high and low extremes without detrimental effects to their health. 

Straw is the prefered bedding solution and whilst containing a little dust, the amount is much less than is in hay and presents a much lower risk to a bird’s respiratory system.  Straw has been traditionally used both inside and outside the coop, especially when it can get muddy during the winter months. 

A cautionary word about hay… in addition to the potential dust problem, chickens can and do eat it despite having strands that are too long for them to swallow. This can then lead to a condition known as being “crop bound” where the chicken is then unable to eat due to the large strands not being digested thus clogging up the crop. 

What about bathing?… chickens don’t bathe in water, they use grit or fine sand. Try using silver sand if possible though it must be kept dry as they clean themselves by rolling around the sand where it then trickles down to clean feathers, skin, and carry away parasites.

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The Basics Of How To Look After Chickens

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Michael

It is not difficult to learn how to look after chickens and it can quickly become a passion as you get proficient and enjoy providing their welfare for them to live a healthy and happy life.

It is recommended to choose an established breed that has proven to be a good dual purpose breed which will provide you with a reasonable amount of good quality eggs plus also tasty meat. 

Popular breeds are divided between light breeds which are often more nervous and flighty than heavy breeds but will generally consume less food for the eggs they produce, with The Leghorn being the most famous. Heavy breeds are quieter, eat more, and lay less but will in most cases become broody and attempt to incubate their own eggs. They include Light Sussex, Rhode Island Red, and Plymouth Rock. 

Chickens are available to buy with age range from yet to be hatched to mature birds. Young chickens can be challenging to look after so for beginners, it is probably better to start with birds of 4-5 months old when they are just starting to lay eggs. Look out for bright eyes and healthy glossy feathers when choosing.

Chickens should be kept outdoors in a coop or shed. Coops are available from home improvement stores or online or you could build your own chicken coop. Ensure that:

  • at least 250 centimetres squared floor area for each bird
  • a perch for them to stand on while they sleep
  • provide exercise space or ‘run’
  • have a nesting box filled with wood shavings for the hens to lay eggs

It should be cleaned out at least once per week with fresh bedding laid and a wire mesh cage should be erected for the entire perimeter of the pen to keep out predators such as rats, buzzards and foxes. 

The diet is usually either pellets or mash and most chickens will accept either. Always keep a ready supply of poultry grit down as well.  All chickens need grit in order to help mash up their food during digestion. Water should always be made available for drinking.

Chicken health requires to be monitored and infections include salmonella and campylobacter and a vetinary inspection is recommended on a periodic basis. Chickens can be easily lost as they don’t readily show any sign of some of the more deadly diseases and complaints that they suffer from.  

 

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The How To Look After Chickens Website

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Michael

Welcome to how to look after chickens.

This website features information on how to look after chickens and I will be posting more useful information about this worthwhile hobby that will help you understand and be able to utilise best practice to raise and look after chickens to make them as healthy and happy as possible.

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