▷ Raising Chickens for Deliciously Fresh Eggs

People nowadays tend to want to become more self-sufficient as well as healthier. Raising chickens seems to be one way to assist people in obtaining both. Before you begin, there are a few items you should be aware of in order to determine whether or not you are capable of handling it.

It is important to plan ahead. You can’t just go out and buy a few live chickens to take home. You must plan a living space for them. You must protect them from predators and feed them on a daily basis.

Before you carry your chickens around, make sure you have all of your supplies. If you’re going to keep chickens in your backyard, you’ll need the following items to get started:

Table of Contents

1 Coop for chickens
2 Equipment
3 Keeping Chickens: Some Practical Advice
4 Begin raising chickens in your own backyard

Coop for chickens

You need to provide a safe haven for the chickens. They need a place to lay eggs, hide from the elements, and roost at night. If you have baby chicks, you’ll need to move them to a different location for a while because they’ll need a heat source.

The most difficult aspect of keeping chickens is keeping predators at bay. Dogs have a reputation for breaking into chicken coops. Possums and raccoons can also dig under the chicken wire to reach the chickens. Weasels and chicken hawks will try to attack them as well.

Hardware cloth may be used instead of chicken wire. Animals have a tougher time getting through, despite the higher cost. Bury the hardware cloth at least one foot around the entire circumference of the coop to prevent rodents from burrowing under it.

Many predators would be deterred by constructing a solid floor in the coop. If you have outdoor cats, make sure the chicken coop is at least a foot off the ground so the cats can get under it and chase away any rodents. You may also use an electric wire on the bottom of the coop, near to the ground.

Equipment

The required equipment:

Waterer
Feeding device
Boxes for nesting
Feed for chickens
Containers for storing feed

You should compare prices at your local feed store. The type of food you get is determined by the age of the chicken. For baby chicks, you’ll need a different feed. To get the most delicious eggs, it’s crucial to try to get organic food.

Going out each morning to collect the eggs is one of the most enjoyable aspects of keeping chickens. You won’t know what you’re missing until you’ve had a fresh egg. New egg yolks have a far more intense taste.

Keeping Chickens: Some Practical Advice

A chicken normally only lays one egg per day. So a dozen chickens per week will produce a dozen eggs.

Did you know that in order for chickens to grind their food, they must use small pebbles or crushed stones? Since they don’t have teeth, you’ll need to put some grit in their pen. They’ll gather it and feed it to their gizzards, which will break down the food.

Simply examine the skin behind a chicken’s ears to determine what color eggs it would lay. Brown eggs are laid by hens with brown ears, while white eggs are laid by hens with white ears.

You can get a movable coop if you just have a small area to raise chickens in. Each chicken would need at least 1 1/2 square feet. A minimum of seven and a half square feet is required for five chickens.

Chickens are a social species that thrive in communities. Don’t settle for anything less than three.

Since chickens like looking for bugs in the grass, you can drive the coop around your yard to avoid a barren patch where they can peck.

Chickens may be around younger children for the most part, but you must still ensure that they have plenty to feed. They will become violent and attempt to peck at a child if this is not done.

Every month, a single chicken will consume approximately five pounds of feed, as well as grass and bugs. Table scraps are appropriate, but processed foods and unhealthy snacks should be avoided. You should supplement their diet with fish to help with omega 3s. To get thicker egg shells, add extra calcium with an oyster shell substitute.

At 44 degrees Fahrenheit, eggs can be stored for up to 90 days. Since eggs have a natural coating, they don’t need to be cleaned.

If an egg has some blood spots after being cracked, it should be discarded.

Attach a dowel or branch inside the coop since chickens prefer to sleep high on a roost.

Feathers fall out twice a year in chickens. This is referred to as molting. They also don’t lay eggs during this period.

Begin raising chickens in your own backyard

Every day, chickens need care. Since they are filthy birds, you will need to clean the coop on a regular basis. If you think the taste of fresh eggs is worth it, consider raising chickens. It will take some effort on your part, but it could be well worth it in the end.

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