Author Archives: Farhan sheikh

About Farhan sheikh

My name is Farhan Ahsan,I am web enthusiast, writer and blogger. I always strive to be passionate about my work. I started my work at the beginning of 2007 by engaging myself with detail reading and exchanging information with others. Since then things and times have changed, but one thing remains the same and that is my passion for helping and educating people, building a successful blog and delivering quality content to the readers. The particular interests that brought me in the world of blogging are gardening, wildlife, nature, farming and livestock.

15 uses for Egg Shell-Don’t throw away Egg Shells after having your Breakfast

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It is a common perception among us that we think of egg shells nothing but the waste. This perception is completely wrong. A person should know how these shells could be utilized efficiently so as to make the most out of these shells. There are numerous benefits of egg shell. So, don’t throw away those egg shells after taking your breakfast. Below are some of the uses of egg shells.

Help To clear out your drains

You don’t need to use costly, strong and poisonous chemicals to clear out your drains now. Egg shells are great for this work. They work without damaging your hands, sinks, pipes and drains. The procedure is just crushing the shells and then put them in your sink basket. When the water will run, each time egg shells will move along with water into pipes and reach your drains. Egg shells perform as a secure cleanser to remove grease and any other accumulated dirt.

Egg Shells for the Garden

Egg shells are not only useful to clear out your drain but there are important uses of egg shells for the garden as well. Use some of the crushed egg shell and then put them to the bottom of the holes of plants, particularly for the plants of tomatoes, eggplant and peppers. These plants are liable to flourish and also if there is any decay in the plants, it also stops as calcium deficiency is the reason of this decaying and rotting that is being fulfilled by the egg shells.

Deter the pests

Using crushed egg shells can help in removing garden pests for example snails and cutworms etc. These pests are really troublesome because they attack at the roots of the seedlings. So the best thing to do is to put egg shell in soil, especially near the roots of the plant which will help in providing prevention from such pests.

 Feeding the birds

As egg shells are a very good source of calcium and proteins, it is also advisable to feed egg shells to chickens, especially to female birds that are ready to lay eggs or have finished laying eggs. Since they need additional calcium so it will work a lot.

Deter the animals

Scatter crushed egg shells all over your gardens to keep the animals like cats from damaging it. These shells akin to the broken glass and will irritate animals’ smooth paws.

Removes Tea Stains

Place the ground egg shell into thermos or the tea pot that is stained with the tea. Leave it for whole night, then next day rinse it with water. The stains will immediately be removed. It does this job very well and leaves no bad odors like cleaning agents and bleaching etc.

 Fertilizer

Since egg shells are filled with calcium and many other mineral deposits, therefore they work greatly as fertilizer for the gardens. And can help in growing of plants more quickly.

 Smoother Coffee

When crushed egg shells are added to the coffee, it helps in reducing the level of acidity in it and makes coffee more enjoyable.

 For Artistic work

Egg shells can be used for artistic purposes as well. From egg shells you can design beautiful carvings. Similarly you can draw the paintings on egg shells for decorations.

 For Skin treatment

Dried and crushed raw egg shells help to restore a young-look and shine of your skin, mix the egg shell powder with egg white and rub it onto your face. Wash it when it dries.

 For starting seedlings

They are excellent to start seedlings. It not only works as the great pot but the calcium carbonate in the shell gives the growing plant additional minerals and nutrition. Crack the shell at the bottom to remove it when the seedlings are big enough for planting in the garden.

Egg shells as Seed Pots

You don’t need to buy some special pots to begin your seeds at home. All you have to do is just fill up half of the egg shell with fertilized soil, and add seed in it. Egg cartons would work best for this purpose.

 Egg shells as Household Abrasive

Egg shells can also act like a stain cleaning agent. All you have to do is use some crushed egg shells and add some soapy water to it and clean your vases or thermoses. These egg shells also acts as nontoxic abrasive and can be helpful in cleaning pots and pans.

Membrane Home Remedies

The extremely thin membrane that is present inside the egg shell can also be used for healing of any cuts and treatment of ingrown toenails. This is a best home remedy element found in egg shells.

Egg shells – fuel for future

Researchers at Ohio State University have discovered that beside all these uses, egg shells can also be used as hydrogen fuel that will be easily affordable and will help in overcoming the shortage of fuel and its increasing prices.

Facts about battery hens or chickens

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Farming, the process of adopting various methods for creating food for the survival, has been an important part of human cultivation since the existence of mankind. Farming is a much broader term that is used for various different kinds of farming methods collectively. Farming is not restricted to the growing of crops only, but even the raising of cows, goat and domestic birds like chicken, ducks; turkey’s etc also comes under this head. Here our focus will be on hens or chickens that are raised in battery cages. What are the reasons for adopting this method? How effective this method has been in recent years and what negative outcomes have been observed while raising hens through battery cages.

What are battery hens?

The very first thing which gains our attention is the word “battery hens”. What is meant by this word and what it refers to? You will hear the term battery hens in farming more often or this is also pronounced as factory farming as well. This is a confinement system that is primarily used for those hens which are capable of laying eggs. This is called battery cage because you will find a system of cage that are similar in structure and are connected with each other but separated by dividers. This method is adopted so that a large quantity of hens could be accommodated in a very limited space so as to reduce the cost and to gain the same level of output, that is, production of eggs. This method of poultry farming has been in the limelight since the discovery of such that being practice for the egg laying hens. Animal welfare associations have always showed their complete disapproval of this system being practiced as, according to them, this intensive poultry farming method is not only un-ethical but could also result in some serious health problems for both, hens and humans.

What happens in battery cages?

The reason animal welfare has raised their voices against these un-ethical poultry cages are due to the sufferings bared by chickens living in those cages. A standard size of any battery cage is approximately 61 cm wide and 51 cm deep. Normally, each cage is occupied with six hens at a time resulting in so much less space for every hen that they barely can move easily. A hen normally requires 2000 cm2 to freely open her wings and also a space of 600 cm2 to lie down with ease. But in these chicken battery cages, the total space available to each hen is around 483 cm2 and 432 cm2 respectively. From this we can easily imagine what are hens going troughs in those cages. Being completely jam packed with other hens that they cannot even sit properly without being in contact with other hens has led to many chicken health problems as well. Another terrible practice that is being conducted for the caged hens is the slicing of their beaks. This process is performed without any proper medication and without giving any pain relief to hens before or after this process. This is done so that any chicken that might have aggressive behavior due to the intensive poultry farming method could not harm other hens with its beak.

How these farming methods beneficial to humans

As the population was rising, so was the daily need for various food items that also included eggs. In order to cater this problem, farmers came up with this method of battery hen farming in 1940. Through this method, it was experienced that a large quantity of production of eggs could be made available to the population and less costs were incurred that encouraged the farmers to ignore other problems that were being faced by chickens in cages.

What risks are involved?

The most important risk that is being ignored in this entire situation is the health of the hen that is kept for laying eggs. With such less space for every hen, there is a greater chance that if one chicken gets sick, than others can catch that disease more quickly. One more thing that is observed in these battery cages is that people working there do not keep proper cleanness. Because of this, the excretory material of all those chicken can cause some serious accumulation of bacteria that could also affect on the health of eggs that are being laid by those hens. These eggs when reaches to the population can ultimately result in serious health problems that could lead to any disease in humans or even can become the cause of death.

These are some of the facts of battery hen farming that are essential for every individual to be known about and also necessary actions should be taken by poultry welfare in this regards. As this could help in safeguarding the poultry health and also the health of your family and also could lead to the shutdown of such cruel system and replace it with such a method that could be safe for both, humans and animals.

8 Revolutionary chicken coop designs

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Do you have a passion for poultry farming? Enjoy the benefits of the best chicken coop designs.

Explore your poultry keeping options through the new and creative designs available at your disposal. Keeping poultry does not have to be stressful once you have mastered the art of backyard chicken coop designs. Chicken coops come in handy in poultry farming because they provide a conducive habitat for your chicken to lay eggs, rest and feed. They can also be the difference between a safe haven for your poultry and a death trap that is prone to predators that will destroy your investment and make you go at a loss. Building a chicken coop is not rocket science; one can easily construct a home made chicken coop that will serve its purpose effectively without incurring high costs.

Great chicken coop designs need to display creativity and have to be practical as well.

Some of the best chicken coop designs include:

EGLU Chicken Coop

Eglu Go coops which are designed by omlet are advanced and highly innovative. It has brilliant features that are guaranteed to make poultry farming successful with reduced risks. Such features include:

It is made of Durable plastic material which does not rust when rained on or harbor pests such as red mites
It is Predator proof hence guaranteeing your poultry a safe haven form wild animals
Egg cartons that enable you to easily collect eggs.
Water and feed containers
Attached run if you choose sized for2-3 standard or 3-4 bantam chickens
A secure wire run that grants effective restriction to prevent the chicken from straying as well as grant them adequate freedom
A spacious area that makes it easy to clean
Fair pricing that will ensure that you save on overheads cost while purchasing and maintaining the coop
A refund guarantee should you purchase coop that does not meet your expectations.
Open accessibility that enables you to purchase the coop from wherever you are.

Chicktopia designed

This chicken coop is designed by studio h and is made of one hundred reclaimed sticks from a tobacco barn and has incorporated a modern architectural design that involves two skewed boxes that are able to aid in the construction of a cozy home for your poultry.

Cocorico design

Designed by Maxime Evard, this egg-shaped housing compartment by yankodesign is connected to a covered mesh area that provides a secure home for your poultry to play around and scratch freely without the fear of predators attacking them.

Breed and retreat coop

This coop was designed by Frederki Rioje at dezeen who made sure that he came up with a modernized design that enables you to construct an elevated with private rooms and a large glassed-in-egg area that allows you to monitor your chicken while they lay their eggs.

Chicken circus coop

This coop was designed by sturel H. they have managed to design a coop that makes it easy to feed your chicken and collect your eggs. The coop has two doors that grant you easy access to the coop while the front run provides adequate protection for your poultry.

The modular coop

Designed by Mitchell Snyder this coop is beautiful and highly modernized. It provides a comfortable home that is protected from any harm. The design is simple and straightforward making it easy to construct.

The metro coop

This coop was designed by Glenn Nardeli, it goes for four thousand dollars and provides a functional home for your chicken as well as an all weather home that can last through winter. It has a decorative wire that is more durable compared to any normal wire that makes it beautiful and its dimensions can be adjusted to fit in as many chicken as you would want.

Bake's Binster coop

This coop was designed by John Bake and goes for seven hundred and ninety five dollars. It is made of cedar and has a compost bin attached to it. This brilliant design helps you collect manure in the compost bin and helps you provide a clean home for your chicken.

Wild Turkeys Facts and Hunting

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Hunting Wild Turkeys is a game that has always attracted a number of hunters from all corners of the world. Have you ever imagined going on a turkey hunt in order to find that there are no turkeys left? It would indeed be shocking to see something like this happen. In the 1930’s there did came a time where the wild turkeys had been pushed to the verge of extinction. But thanks to the collaborative efforts of a number of wild lives restoration programs that now the turkeys are present in abundance. Hunting Turkeys is like no other game, but you need to well aware about the policies and regulations in some areas before you plan to go for it. Below you are going to find some sound levels of information about turkeys.

Facts about Wild Turkeys

The wild turkeys are considered to be native to the regions of North America. They have been classified into 5 sub species including Rio Grande, Gould’s, Merriam’s, Osceola and the Eastern. All of these species are distributed across different regions of the continent. The most common among them is the Eastern which now ranges in more than half regions of the United States. On the other hand, the Osceola (Florida) ranges in the regions of the Florida Peninsula with Rio Grande that is concentrated in the Texas and Oklahoma regions.

In terms of the physiological makeup, an adult turkey has around 5000 to 6000 feathers that cover its whole body in the forms of patterns which are known as feather tracts. In addition to providing a warmth and dryness to their skin, these feathers are also useful in terms of numerous other survival functions. Moreover, its head and various other regions of the neck are featherless, but on taking a closer look you are going to find a number of bumps on its skin. The metallic glittering which is exhibited by the feather is known as iridescence, which can be seen in a number of colors like copper, red, bronze and green.

Distinguishing between the Males and Females

The two prime characteristics that can help level out the males from the females include spurs and beards. Both of them happen to have pretty strong legs that are covered with scales all over. Furthermore, both of them also have a small sized button spur at the back of their legs. Very soon after the birth, the spur on the body of the turkey gobbler starts to grow curvy and pointed. It can grow for about 2 inches in an agile manner. The gobblers also have a beard which grows out from the areas of the chest and appear to be like modified feathers.

Visual and Running Abilities

In terms of their visual span, the turkeys are able to see clearly at the day time, but may not be able to do the same at night. Not to forget; their speeds of running which can reach to 25mph and about 55 mph while flying.

Patterns of Mating and Egg Laying

When the mating seasons approach ranging from the months of February and April, the turkeys are still flocked or grouped together in the areas where they were kept in winters. After the mating process has been carried out, the females start looking for the areas where they would be able to lay their eggs. Moreover, the hens are also able to lay around 10 to 12 eggs within a 2 week period. She would also incubate her eggs for a period of 28 days while turning and arranging them in a specific manner until they hatch out.

hunting the turkeys

The question about how to hunt turkeys can be better grappled by using the information elucidated below.

So, where do the wild turkeys live? Well, these birds are believed to be in excess in US and Canada. In addition to honing your tracing skills, you would also need a number of tools to hunt them down. You should begin with locating their food source. In times of the summer and spring seasons, the turkeys are more easily found on the forest edges and in the open meadows, primarily because of the abundance of insects in these areas. After finding the area where their hunting is allowed, you should begin hunting at the onset of evening. Try to use the sounds of their wings and cackling in order to know their current whereabouts. Once you have traced them out, remaining quiet and still is what you should do. At the same time, do not forget to bring some 10×50 binoculars with you.

Rearing of Turkeys at Your Backyard

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Most of the private and home based farmers widely consider raising turkeys for meat. The best and most affordable manner in which the goal can be achieved is by making use of the day old turkeys. But before your consignment of turkeys arrives, you should prefer to set up an area for the brooding process. The same is done at the Locust Grove Farm, which is a top notch professional poultry producer. Moreover, it is also crucial for making arrangements for keeping the birds and other domesticated animals warm at all times. In lines to this, the temperature should be maintained in the range of 90 to 100 degree F. After keeping the birds in this temperature for a week, next you should make use of the lamps for lowering down the floor temperature.

At the same time, you also need to make use of some sufficient number of feeders and water kits for the birds. For example, if you have 25 birds to look after, 1 or 2 kits would be more than enough. For the second week, you would need to increase the roaming area of the birds. As the birds grow at an agile pace, their need for more open areas is notched. Very soon the birds start to climb the water kits and feeders which is a clear indicator that the birds need to roost. These facets hold a great deal of significance in terms of raising baby turkeys or raising turkey poults. The birds should only be confined after this time period if you feel the temperatures outside can get aversive and dangerous for them.

Pre-requisite Field Operations

Making use of a more developed roost assembly and allowing the birds with some more pen area is imperative for the normal growth of the animals. Now here, by growth, I mean the development in physical and psychological dimensions. The turkeys must be allowed to live outside in the range. Range is used to refer to the grazing or the area for pasture. For optimal results always make use of the area that has no sort of trees. The same applies for farm raised turkeys. Medium red clover together with the Kentucky bluegrass should be used for the pasture area. The idea here is to offer the birds with a humane treatment. The area which is allocated to the birds should be large enough for the needs of all the birds that are being domesticated in it. Nearly a dozen turkeys can be allowed to roam in an area which is about 1/8^th of an acre.

Fresh Supplies-Food and Water

For the free range turkeys, the feeders and water kits should be in access to the birds. Moreover, you are also required to ensure some fresh supplies of poultry feeds and water all around the day. For this reason, you can also make use of the automatic water kits which are going to cut down the time required to do the process manually. In case if you have a number of mature organic turkeys, then you should use at least 2 gallons of water for their needs. The feeders and turkey growers used should be able to load 100 pounds of feed. The mature turkeys demand the consumption of some large amounts of feed.

Visiting the Flocks

Rearing of turkeys also demands that you make regular visits to the animals, as they love to be in the company of some people. Moreover, backyard turkeys raising need company of human beings also happen to be well suited and adapted to all environments. At the same time, the strategy also ensures that no sort of violent behaviors are initiated in the mature turkeys.

Raising the Entire Roost

You should make use of a moveable turkey roost. In addition to ensuring the manure deposits do not get accumulated in a single area, the moveable roosts also come in handy for other purposes. For this reason, you will need to use a number of materials for raising the roost including frame supports, side frames, front and back end footers. In terms of the roof you can make use of the fiber glassed panels. The kind of roost you will need depends on the number of turkeys you plan to keep in the shelter.

Poultry Nutrition Guide for Backyard or Free Range Chicken

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Providing the flocks with some effective and proper nutrition is indeed a crucial factor that determines the success of a poultry business. In addition to this, a good management strategy is also useful for getting the most out of it. Moreover, the type of nutrition to be provided depends on the type of flock to be reared and raised. The chicken feed and nutrients which are required for bringing up the free range or the backyard chicken are quite different from the ones that are used for the commercially domesticated animals and birds. The backyard chickens and flocks are also able to acquire their diets from the environment in which they live in. Now here, some of the poultry producers might want to ask about the DIY method of preparing the food. It is recommended that you always go for the ready made diets which are supplied by some reliable poultry diet companies. The reason for which DIY is not quite conducive is all because of the amount of expertise and time that is required for doing the job with the maximum levels of perfection. Depending on the amount and type of birds you have, you would be advised on the type of feed you should make use. All of the nutrition and feeds which are used at the poultry farms consist of various components.

Nutritional Components and Their Role-What do Chicken eat

Almost all of the diets used in the poultry settings contain proteins, carbohydrates, various minerals, vitamins of all forms and fats, all of which play specific roles in the health of the birds and animals. As mentioned earlier, these feeds do vary for the commercial flocks and for those brought in the open environment. These backyard flocks are not brought up in an intensive manner and may also not involve using large amounts of nutrients. But the component which is required for both of them is the protein. Proteins play in a vital role in the process of egg making and in the meat of the animals. The same also applies to the use of calcium by these chickens, so that they might develop stronger bones and for making the shells around the eggs that are laid. These components are also important in facilitating the animals in combating the various diseases and virus attacks that might attack them at times. It is through the use of some vitamins, proteins and other nutrient components that the birds might come to form immunity against these recurring attacks.

Nutritional Requirements for Broiler and Layer-
What to Feed Chickens

All forms of broilers and layers require proteins and other components of poultry nutrition and feeding which they use in carrying various survival and reproduction functions. In addition to the role of protein in egg production and shell formation for laying birds, it also ensures that all the resulting amino acids are supplied to the regions of the animal’s body where they are required. Furthermore broiler requires the use and consumption of proteins in terms of their overall growth and in the process of feathering. It is the reason for which the meats of the broiler which lack in proteins are not considered to be suited for the use by humans. Lack of proteins and amino acids has shown to cause a number of abnormalities in the physiological mechanisms of the birds and chickens.

Tips for Feed Selection and Storage

In selecting the livestock feed, you should ensure whether or not it is suited for the birds that you are keeping at the farm. Try to buy only those amounts of feed which you would easily be able to store at the premises of the farm. Furthermore you should also ensure that all possible arrangements are made, so that the feed might not get old. Now here the temperature at which the feed is kept is also important, as you would be required to keep the storage cool and dry for minimizing the chances of humidity. The high humidity levels (above 12% to 14% in feed) can lead to the formation of molds and for the growth of other microorganisms on the feed.

What not to feed to the Backyard Chicken

How to Make Chicken feed

Just like some of the components can come to impart a good health and growth for the birds, there are also various other components that can generate the opposite reaction. You would need to make sure that the birds are not able to jump into the feeds and do not leave any sort of waste materials on it. The feeders should be cleaned and maintained on a daily basis, so that the animals might not come to consume the intoxicated foods. The fecal materials can also initiate the formation of a number of viruses and pathogens that can really pose some great harm to the health of the feeding chickens and birds. Moreover, if all the birds do not get an access to the feeders, this might also effectuate the health of these birds in a bad manner.

All of these poultry nutrition facts need to be followed in the way they have been indicated.

10 Best Egg Laying Chickens To Keep In Your Backyard

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Poultry birds have been domesticated for thousands of years now. These birds have existed since times when the process of selective breeding was first initiated by man. The physical and physiological traits that are used for classifying and categorizing chicken breeds are size, skin color, levels and amounts of feathering, the color of the egg and plumage color. In the 21^st century, the chickens are being breed by making use of several standardized patterns of breeding, due to which a number of breeds of poultry have come into existence. These standards have been brought into practice by various countries including USA, UK, Russia, China, India and many more, just for the production of different breeds of chicken.

You may like to see other types of chicken breeds such as white and black chicken breeds, heritage chicken breeds, rare chicken breeds, and small chicken breeds.

Now here we have the 10 most famous and best egg laying chicken breeds.

Barnevelder

The reason, for which this best egg laying chickens breed has been named in this way, is due to its specific area of origin, which is situated in Holland. The city, after which it has been named, used to be a dominant and the primary center for egg production in the country. This chicken breed is able to lay nearly 200 caramel and brown colored eggs on an annual basis.

Rhode Island Red

This is one of the best egg laying chickens breed that is known to be the most famous farmyard class. It lays around 260 per eggs on a yearly basis, thus taking it to the number 1 spot in terms of the best laying chicken by any pure breed. The origin of this backyard chicken breed is the Rhode Island area in The United States.

Light Sussex

The eggs laid by this egg laying breed are light brown or cream colored being around 260 on annual basis. It is considered to be a well-known show bird and generally friendly in comparison to other common chicken breeds.

Buff Oprington

The egg laying capacity for this chicken is lower in comparison to the other breeds on the list but on the other hand are good mothers,as they often go broody.

Welsummer

The origins for this egg laying breed also traced in Holland, in the village named Welsum. They are able to lay nearly 200 eggs yearly and are in fact, a cross breed of Barnevlder and Rhode Island Breeds.

Black Rock-Hybrid

This one of the best egg laying chickens breed which is more like a hybrid of the Rhode Island and the breed of Plymouth Rock. Their plumage and the high egg laying rate make this breed as one of the most desirable as well as affectionate.

Specklady Hen-Hybrid

In addition to laying nearly 260 eggs per year, this egg laying breed was formed using the French Maran Hen. The eggs laid by them are dark brown in color. But it is imperative to remember here, that this breed consumes more food and nutrients in comparison to others.

Japanese Bantam

Being a Bantum Breed, these chickens are one of the small chicken breeds and also come to lay smaller number of eggs on a yearly basis. Most of the times, they are used as pets.

Polish Bantam

The reason, for which this breed is costly, is all because of its puffball crest. In addition to have a good egg laying capacity, this breed is also tamer than others.

Araucana

The eggs laid by this hen range from pale blue to green colors. It is marked by having no tail and is also a bit difficult to find, but is still included in the most popular chicken breeds.

Green Roof Chicken Coop Plans

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The living green roof is more like a structure having an over parking, which is used primarily for management of environmental problems that may arise from time to time. Raising chickens in the backyard is not something new to humanity. It is one of the top growing trends in the urban as well as rural areas. The reason for this might be the profits linked to the sector. Having a normal or a green chicken coop may not be conducive for you at all times, as the normal chicken coop designs come to undermine a number of environmental effectuations in raising backyard chicken. These environmental effects may cause a great deal of damage to the health of the domesticated animals. Furthermore, there are also high chances that the animals might also be exposed to a number of diseases in making use of the normal or poorly made chicken coops. Not to panic, as there are a number of green roof chicken coop plans and chicken coop ideas that provide the solution to all your problems.

Benefits of Green Roof

Using a green roof is one of the best decisions you are ever going to take for the domestication of the animals. It comes to provide a more breathing space in general and also helps in transforming the entire dull space into something more appealing. Furthermore, it also empowers you to make use of some weather hardy and durable plants of your own choice and also the ones that are advantageous for the health of the animals at all times. They also come to offer thermal insulation for the domesticated animals that are to be kept beneath them. In addition to this, they also come in handy in reducing the effectuations of the urban heat that may have a negative impact over the health of the animals. Every now and then you might have heard that most of the animals kept in the poultry setting die all because of the use of some poor roofs. Here comes the question of how to build a green roof and the top chicken coop designs.

Steps in Building a Green Roof and Materials Needed

First of all build the upper portion with some wood retaining edge so that it may hold the plants and animals in place. You can vary the size and height of the edges depending upon the weather and the materials you make us of. You can also secure the corners by using L Brackets which are designed for the purpose of being used in making green roofs. Secondly, spread out the entire weather proof membrane directly on the inside of the roof. Furthermore, make use of some equal portions of sand, gravel and other materials for adding the recommended depth for being used in drainage and related purposes. Also make use of some mulch with the soil for the plants. It is best here that you make use of the plants that can grow best in this setting. Now here it is crucial to note that the roofs having even the slightest of slant might come to facilitate the collection of water. This collection of water can really cause a big problem for the entire structure.

Cost Estimate

The costs for building such a roof might vary depending upon the cost of the materials, the payment to be made to the lumbers and also on a number of other factors. If you make use of the materials with the highest levels of quality for a cool chicken coop, then the rough estimate might come to be around $ 400 to $ 500. “But here you can also make use of the green wood which would be useful in lowering down the costs. There are also a number of chicken coop plans which can be used all of which depend on the number of birds to be kept, environmental factors and personal finance are shaping up for such a project.”

A Comprehensive Guide of China’s Poultry Industry

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History and the Development of Poultry Industry in China

All the industries in China including the Poultry industry are now on the stage of total economic boom. This tremendous development and boom can be contributed to a number of factors. The development and expansion had started many years back. Based on the analysis and statistics of the china yearbook which is published every year, the total egg production coming from the country has now crossed the 30 Million Metric Tons mark. Now here it can be said with some confidence that China is really in the lead when it comes to poultry exports and imports. Furthermore, the total amounts of meat production in the year 1989 coming from the country was 8 % but till the year 2009 a dramatic shift had been seen, as the percentage had risen to 21 %. So, it is evident that China Poultry is really of a promising nature. For a bit more clarity, the total meat production for the year 2009 was nearly 16MMT. The same amounts of agile growth were also seen in the duck meat and other forms of water fowl. The output of duck and goose meat coming from China accounts for nearly 70 % and 95 % of the total world output. On the other hand, chicken eggs are the ones that are the major contributors to the total amount of egg production in China. The calculated percentage of the chicken egg production is around 87 %. In addition to this, the pigeons, breeders and broiler production have also been on the rise till now, which really elucidates the commitment of the Chinese towards changing the face of the world poultry

Rural and Urban Production

China has taken a very strategic approach towards the development of the Chinese poultry sector, especially in terms of the outputs coming from the rural and urban sectors. In fact, both of the sectors have played a vital role in the past 10 years in taking the country’s poultry production to the top of the world. But here it should also be considered that a major portion of the production of poultry is utilized within the country. Furthermore, the government has also taken a number of steps towards increasing the output coming from the rural sector. In short, the output coming from both rural as well urban areas have been steady all the time. China presently has more than 2 billion layers in stock, among which more than 1 billion of them are in the phases of production. The poultry farms in China also happen to be much more than most of the other leading countries in the domain of poultry.

Poultry Processing and By Products

In terms of poultry processing techniques and the products which are produced it can be said that the success of the sector in China lies in the increased efficiency and technical progress which has been seen over the past decades. Poultry processing and the products produced happen to be quite distinct components of the sector. According to the reports published by FAS Beijing Post the poultry processing by products are going to be on the rise for the year 2013 as well. The same was also said for the year 2012. The number and amounts of by products imported and exported have also been changing from time to time.

Poultry Consumers and their Preferences for Various Foods

Consumption of the poultry meat including goose, duck and chicken are also rising now. In terms of preferences, goose in addition to duck meat is the one that are the most preferred of them all. The reason for preference is the amount of fat and cholesterol which is present in these products. The gains in the consumption can also be linked to fame and popularity of the local specialties including the roasted and Peking ducks, Guangdong Goose and many more. The ready to eat products are also being sold at a more rapid pace at all super markets and shops. Furthermore, the super markets also offer carcass cuts to all people, especially to those who prefer to cook at home but do not want to purchase the entire bird. Now here an important thing to note is that almost all of the turkey and related products are being imported from other countries. The turkey products are most of the times consumed in the larger cities, which are marked by a better economy in comparison to the rural areas. The roast turkey meat is mostly offered in the major hotels and restaurants chains. Another aspect to consider here is the low preference for the chicken meat in the country which is known to be a leader in terms of chicken poultry production in China.

Exports Share and Investment Opportunities

The broiler exports from China had risen more than 9 % taking the total output to 445,000 MMT. It was followed by a similar increase from the year 2011. It can be said that the exports coming from China have been increasing. The sales of poultry products have been increased to a number of countries including Japan, Korea and many others. In Hong Kong, an increase in the sales of fresh and chilled chicken has been seen. The exports in terms of live broilers have fallen, mainly due to the rising environmental concerns. It is evident from this rise in the profits and sales that there is indeed a major room for investment in the country.

Challenges and Problems for the Poultry Sector

Although the sector has shown a major transition towards development and growth, still the sector faces some major challenges and concerns from all dimensions. One of the major challenges to the sector is the occurrence of various diseases. Furthermore, a decrease in the feed for the animals has also been seen. The US has also placed a case against China in terms of their production and export policies. Some of the countries are also of the view that China makes use of some poor farming practices. In addition to this, the country is also being challenged in a number of antidumping cases which is indeed a serious issue. A lot indeed needs to be the done from the side of the poultry companies so that things can be leveled out in best way possible.

Chicken Egg Candling Guide

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Candling chicken eggs is an important part of poultry production, especially when it comes to carrying out observations about the growth of egg overtime. There are a number of phases through which egg passes before getting into a complete shape. The procedure used to observe the development of the embryo that lies inside the egg, is mainly done through the use of a bright source of light. It is this light which helps in getting an idea about how much the being has developed inside. The reason for which the procedure has been named candling is all because initially candles were used to observe the development and growth of the egg. Yes, this was indeed quite long ago. The modern lamps differ from the conventional lamps in a number of different ways. The modern lamps make use of a strong beam of light which is concentrated at one spot. Furthermore, now days LEDS are also being preferred due to the ease they come to provide being efficient, powerful and portable.

Why is candling so important

In addition to pointing out the growth of an egg, candling also helps in gaining about the fertility of the egg and the levels of weight loss that might occur from time to time. During the time of incubation, the eggs do need to lose nearly 13 % of their overall weight which should be monitored at all times. Moreover, it is this procedure that is going to helpful in identifying the dead or expired embryos before the egg comes to explode. It is all done to avoid the spread of germs which the exploding might initiate. The process of observing the incubation of chicken eggs is best done when the mother leaves the nest at regular intervals. So, this is the right time to make use of the chicken egg Candler. In times of extremely dry conditions, then an increase in the air sac size might be seen. In such conditions, the humidity of the chamber should also be increased to compete with the dry conditions. If the air space appears to be smaller, then the opposite mechanisms are applied.

Knowing the Viability of an Embryo

In the presence of a candling lamp, the embryo comes to look like a very dark shadow. The embryos which are healthy would eventually come to respond to the use of light. The time required for the movement might vary, but on when the time lies between 30 to 40 seconds, then it is a possible indication that the embryo is not healthy. Furthermore, looking at the blood vessels which are quite visible is also necessary for monitoring the growth. If, in case the embryo dies, then the blood vessels start to deteriorate quickly and soon come to appear like streaks that lie under the shell. Infertile eggs are quite easy to detect and must be discarded at the very first instant. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, the absence of movement is also helpful in knowing about the deaths, but the viable ones are those that respond to the light. Yes, hatching chicken eggs is not as easy as it might initially appear to be.

The Procedure

It is best if you candle the eggs in the evening time. In addition, you can also do the candling when the lighting conditions happen to be dim. Now here we have the equipment which is used for the procedure:

Pencil
An egg candling device or torch
Cartons of eggs

Procedure

First of all remove the eggs from the areas of the incubator and then place them in the allocated cartons
Dim the lighting conditions or it is better to do this in the evening time
Check out the embryo for each egg in front of the candle or the device you would prefer to use with an efficient amount of light
Remove all the eggs you find infertile and separate them from the healthy ones
Return all the healthy ones to the incubator

Timeline for Candling

The best time to initiate the procedure is 3 days after incubation or on the 4^th day of the incubation. In case of the fertile ones, you would see a dark spot and even some movement, but that might not be the case with those that are infertile.

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