Tag Archives: raising backyard chickens

13 tips to protect your chickens from hot weather

Each of the united state regions is now broiling – wonder why the heat wave seems to have adored this place. Humans have ample amount of ways to counter this igneous heat but what about the animals around? I am being specific about our backyards fellows and other feathered creatures because they are absolutely innocent and rely on us for shelter when the temperature is torturing. One of the researches says that birds like turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks, chickens and pea fowls cannot stand against the temperature of 90 degrees – they can even die cause of sun stroke/ heat stroke if exposed to soaring temperature than this.

Don’t worry, there are ample ways through which you can protect your little fellows and keep your flocks happier even if the shiny sun is in the mood to annoy them. This excerpt now highlights simple, affordable and quick ways through which you can keep chicken cool during the hot season. Raising backyard chicken is interesting but caring chicken is responsibility.

Identify the heat stress symptoms:

You must be wondering how to identify symptoms regarding heat stress in poultry? Well, their behavior would depict lots of things;

Hyperventilation or panting: this refers to quick and short breaths by birds
Laziness – they lie down on the ground with fully stretched wings
Eating disorder – appetite shrinks
They stop responding to stimuli

How to keep chicken cool in summer?

Here are the most inquired tips:

1: Choose the bird breed sensibly:

Indeed, you would never want to have a sick or lazy flock in the backyard – a healthy and active flock is something that each rasier would look up to. If that’s your goal, always select the bird breed wisely. What do I mean by this? See, there are a few heat tolerant breeds; similarly, you would come across cold tolerant breeds, and a few which cannot bear any extreme temperature. If you would build your flocks based on factors like beauty, rareness or egg laying ability only, you may face trouble. Before filling your coop clearly make a note of their habitats and abilities.

2: Chicken coop design should be considered:

Always inquire vendor about the coop designs; for example, the slanted roof has a greater tendency to absorb heat as well as the humidity. Similarly, all sides closed coop would also lead to suffocation; you must have a coop which allows fresh air to pass easily while providing enough shade inside the coop for birds.

3: Make sure enough shade is provided:

During summers specially, you must have shades and shelter at different places so that chickens and other birds can seek shelter there. What you can do is grow more shrubs, trees and porches – if you don’t have enough space, you can use man-made options for making shady areas.

4: Make water available:

You must place cold water for birds in their residency – try to change the water after 2 hours during peak summers. If that’s not possible for you, at the base of water containers place ice in plastic bags – this would help water retain coolness.

5: Use small ice air conditioners:

What you can do is, freeze water in small some containers and place them in the resting place of the birds. They would get an idea that while they are near the containers they feel relaxed and cold. It’s a good way to keep them away from heat strokes.

6: Provide dust bathing place:

By doing so you would reduce the chances of getting parasite as well as heat. When the temperature is ferocious, chickens make small holes in the dirt and would sit where they find cooler regions.

7: Use of electrolyte:

All you have to do is buy a powdered electrolyte from the store and mix it in the cold water as per the instruction on the packet.

8: Pay attention to nest Box area:

Smaller chicken coops face this type of a problem widely – as the day passes temperature inside the coop soars. You have to make sure that there is proper ventilation and air circulation where nest boxes are placed. You can use a fan or place freezers (ice air conditioners). In fact you must have nest boxes outside somewhere in shady regions for summers.

9: Change in diet:

Stop giving your chickens scratch and corn – they provide the body with extra heat and require longer time for digestion. Replace them items with fresh fruits and juicy vegetables.

10: Use Frozen foods:

Take out fresh and juicy fruits and vegetables and chop them into smaller pieces. Go to your flocks and let them enjoy this meal twice a day. This would help them retain energy and coolness. You can try;

Watermelon
Cucumber
Oranges
Berries
Apples
Pineapple

11: Water your coop:

If you have plants at the top, that means you have a green roof chicken coop, you must keep on watering it. Also, you can create a cold water pool inside the coop.

12: Decrease the litter in the coop:

You must decrease the deep coop bedding – by doing so you would be able to keep the coop cool and clean. This would increase the air circulation and decrease suffocation.

13: Give birds freedom:

Your goal is to lower the chickens stress so try giving them a place to play and walk around. This would help keep away their stress.

10 Tips for keeping chickens warm in the cold weather

2 Replies

With the start of the winter season, it is vital for the people who manage a backyard Chicken coop or are in the poultry business to take necessary steps to ensure the health and hygiene of their Chickens. So it’s important for them to understand the precautionary measures needed for raising Chickens in winter. As the winter season kicks off, the Chickens have to face difficulties like cold water and their bodies also tend to get cold which cuts down on their egg production to low or zero level. So how to keep Chicken healthy and happy in the winter season is what this exposition deals with. The Chickens which are free ranged surely outweigh those which are controlled reared during winter season. The basic theme behind this exposition is to how to develop suitable Chicken coops for winter, and this can be done by bringing some changes in your existing coops so that the Chickens remain warm. Following are some tips which can be used for the purpose:

1.       Chicken roosting

Chickens have a natural way of keeping warm and they achieve it by keeping their feathers fluffed at the night time. This natural methodology is called Roosting and Chickens do it in a group by roosting together and sharing the heat of their bodies. To facilitate their method, the caretaker of the coops should increase the space for roosting by 8 inches for every chicken. Increase the level of comfort in the coops, and it’s also good if one adds more Roosts to the coops.

2.       Light control

Pineal glands of Chickens have a strong influence on their laying ability and these glands are controlled by daylight. Sixteen hours of light are needed for facilitation of maximum egg production, and such light is short in winter as compared to summer due to short days and infrequent sun exposure. So for keeping Chicken in winter at a suitable level of egg production, caretakers need to add 1 or 2 bulbs of incandescent light and the bulbs should have a power of 60 watts. A timer can also be used to prevent the effort of switching the lights on and off.

3.       Warm water

Water in the Chicken coops tends to get very cold in the winter nights and they drink such water in a lesser quantity which cuts down on their desired level of intake. This can be prevented by adding heater bases under the galvanized metal containers in which the water is placed. Such heaters are easily available in the market.

4.       Provision for insulation

Insulation materials should be used on the inner surfaces of the coop to facilitate conservation of heat.

5.       Proper Ventilation

The coolers which are normally used in the coops to prevent it from overheating during summer, should be utilized in winters as well because they are necessary to remove out the stale or dry air which blows in winter. This also ventilates the coop and provides it with fresh air which is important for healthy growth of Chickens.

6.       Depth of litters

Another easy provision which one can make to keep Chickens in the winter warm is the utilization of deep Litters. Slow composting of the litter and manure emits back heat into the coops and keeps them warm. Use about 4 inches Litter in the coops at the start or the summer season. Then add enough quantity to make sure that the coops remain dry and clean throughout the summer. By the start of winter, the depth of the litter will reach about ten inches deeper and this will facilitate the release of proper heat in the coop. when the Chickens scratch on the litter, it turns and aerates it. This can be done by spreading out some grains on the surface of the litter in the coop for inviting Chickens to eat. Pitch fork can also be used for turning them.

7.       Provision of corn

Providing Chickens with some cracked corns to eat in the evening will ensure that their digestion process continues in the night because this process keeps them warm and happy.

8.       A space to move around

A little exercise or walk here and there is good for the health of the Chickens and it makes them happy. If you have a congested coop, you can always built a greenhouse style shelter or a cold frame other than their coop. Give them some time out of the coop under the aforementioned shelter where they can move around and get knotty with their feathers. This allows them to obtain some fresh air which is good for growth.

9.       Provision for protection from frostbite

Many breeds which feature wattles and large combs are normally vulnerable to frostbite in severe winter climates. This can be prevented by smearing the wattles and combs of such breeds with petroleum jelly.

10.   Provision for snow

Backyard Chickens in winter or the other Chickens do not like to walk on the snow when the temperature is in the range of 20 degree Fahrenheit. The best thing to do here is to scatter or spread Straw or Hay on the surface for making it more acceptable for them. However, the case is different when the temperature is around low 30’s as they don’t seem much hesitant or reluctant to walk on snow at such temperatures.

So Chickens and winter season or Chickens in the winter requires you to be extra cautious and proactive.

10 Best Egg Laying Chickens To Keep In Your Backyard

4 Replies

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.

Fundamentals of Pastured Poultry System

Raising Chickens for Dummies

2 Replies

Raising chickens for dummies is quite an easy process, but only if you make use of some expert advice and specialized measures for the betterment of the animals in the farmhouse environment. There are some useful techniques and tips which might come in handy in bringing up chickens in the best manner possible. More or less, the tips I would be sharing you are like the ones that are used in the commercial poultry farms. First things first, so before you go on for buying chickens to be kept in your home or near to your home, you should first make sure whether or not there are certain laws that prevent you from keeping chickens in the home based settings. The good news here is that almost all of the cities in the US are allowed to keep chickens at any place they want. Furthermore, you should know about the chicken feeds and the way they should be given to the animals. One reason for this can be the growing pressure from the side of the public who want to earn some money from the chickens they keep. Below are the steps you need to follow before you buy some chickens for your home or any other setting.

Familiarizing yourself

It is meant here that you must have all forms of information about the chickens you would be keeping. Most of the farmers and poultry house owners do have sound levels of knowledge about the chickens , they keep. At the time of raising the chickens, you should also be able to tell that whether or not the chicken is healthy. In short, in order to know about the exact needs of the chickens, you should keep track about they eat, drink and sleep. The same applies to having an understanding about the chicken’s behaviors, so that you may know in advance about their complex behavioral patterns.

Knowledge about the different type of Chicken Breeds

As you start to explore the complex world of the type of chicken breeds, you are more likely to find a number of terms which are used for them like hybrids, pure breeds, mixed breed and mutations. In simple, pure breeds are those who are bred to chickens that are similar and have been in the process for generations and generations. Most of the breeds we know these days are in fact hybrid breeds i.e. they are resulted from the crossing of two pure breeds. They come in handy for end use or in other words, they can be used best for a single purpose only. Moreover, both the pure and hybrids can be further categorized as strains. Mutations are the breeds that appear to be different from the breeds they were produced. In other words, they behave in a manner which is quite different from the original breeds. Lastly, mixed breeds in simple are those whose blood lines or ancestry are not known, as they have originated from various breeds. In all, taking care for chickens and all their breeds is crucial.

Number of Chickens and Cost

If you are new in the business, then it is always thoughtful to start out small. After having some experience with these birds, you would be able to slowly increase the number of chickens you can keep. Even if you are equipped with sound levels of experience, still you would need to go to the larger numbers in steps. As chickens are social animals like us, it is better to start with a minimum of 2 chickens. In terms of cost, you can start a flock with minimal cash of $ 50, unless you do not want to keep some rare and expensive breeds. Furthermore, for saving some money try to share your order with someone at the time of transport and also try to make use of a hatchery for placing the order. You can use this strategy for raising backyard chickens.

Building a Housing System or Chicken Coop for dummies

At the time of buying a chicken coop or making one on your own, you should consider the following factors in mind for building chicken coops for dummies:

Shelter from the rain and all changes in weather
24/7 protection from the predators
Mechanisms for temperature control
Sufficient space for the movement of the chickens
Fresh air and optimal levels of lighting
Clean surroundings
Choosing the right location and material for the coop
Always go for the materials that are inexpensive and at the same time sufficient for the protection of the animals
Relaxation of the animals
Being mindful and equipped with knowledge about the materials

All these tips would really prove to be helpful in keeping chickens for dummies if you are able to follow them strategically.

6 considerations for building chicken coop nesting boxes

1 Reply

One of the nature’s most prime and useful product can be availed from the use of the nesting boxes. When it comes to the process of raising backyard chicken, numerous dimensions and factors might demand your utmost attention. The eggs that are bought from the stores are quite different from the ones you obtain from the home based settings. The difference between two lies in the coloring mechanisms. The color of the yolk for the eggs grown in the home settings would be more in resemblance to the color of the setting sun at the end of clear cool day, while the yolk color for the eggs produced at the factory settings would be more pale yellowish like a smoggy sun in a hot afternoon.

The reason for which you should prefer to make use of the plans for chicken coop lies in the numerous benefits you would be able to avail later onwards. Almost all of the materials you would need for the coops would be readily available in the ready-made form, so it is evident that there is not much which you would be required to do. In terms of making the most functional chicken nesting boxes, below are the steps and guidelines you would need to consider.

The Number

The prime rule of thumb which can be used here lies in the number of hens you are looking to accommodate in a single nest. Normally, 4 hens won’t mind in terms of sharing a single nesting box among them. The egg laying schedules do vary among the hens, which is the reason for which the chances of the hens fighting each other for the process of egg laying would be the minimal. Moreover, you can also prefer to have two birds in a single nesting box if you have more room.

Chicken Nest Box Size

The bigger the size of the livestock might be, the bigger should be the nesting box for them. If you happen to have a number of species which need to be dealt with, then always prefer to keep the size of the largest female bird in mind at times when you would be purchasing all the required materials. This strategy does come in handy for those who want to obtain some consistent and optimal results from the process of domesticating the birds. In terms of the surrounding areas, only a few inches should be left. In other words, the nesting boxes should be about 12 inches square and at the same time, should be 18 inches deep. If you would give them too much space, then there would be a probability that the birds would prefer to spend an extra amount of time in the nest. There are also a number of other chicken nest box ideas which you might love to consider, so it is always conducive to do your homework in this regard beforehand.

 Dimention or setting of nest box

The roof should be marked for its steeply slanted nature or configuration. Otherwise, there are chances that the birds might make use of the roof for the process of roosting. This might lead to the accumulation of some large amounts of coop which will pose a great risk to the health of the animals. At the same time, all other chicken nest box dimensions should be given priority, as the animals might engage in some irrational behaviors if they are not given sufficient accommodation facilities. On an ideal basis, the nest box will have a point of entrance for the hens and would also come to have an access to the egg laying regions which lie at the rare end of the box. The front would be open and at the same time, the back door would remain closed. It would be opened at the time of the egg collection which should always be done at regular basis. This is indeed the ideal set up which you might want to use, but there are some people who never mind in terms of making use of the front door. All these facets must be pondered for the purpose of building chicken nest boxes.

design by:coopsandcages.com.au/

Place

The chickens do love to lay their eggs in the protected regions and spaces. So it is best that the boxes should be hung a few centimeters above the ground, but not too high from the roosting regions. This form of elevation would make it easier for the eggs to be collected.

Bedding Materials

Dried straw and pine shavings might be used for the bedding materials. But here you would need to ensure that the eggs might not be clanged together. It is always conducive to rinse the eggs at regular intervals. The hen nest boxes should also be dealt with utmost care, so that no area might get damaged due to mishandling.

So, now you know how to get the best return on your investment through the use of the most effective chicken nest box design and plan.

The Poultry Guide

A Free Source Of Information for poultry Keepers,Raisers, Beginners and poultry food lovers