Keeping chicken can be simple and manageable regardless of location. It is advisable that you first carry out some research about different chicken breeds. This is dependent of the location and the main purpose for keeping the chicken. Once you have decided on the breed, a bit of preparation has to be done before the chickens are brought home.
Establishing the number of chickens you want is the first move, and this will determine a lot of the subsequent activities that you will carry out. Beginning with a small number of chickens is advisable for those who are starting so that it is easier and faster for them to get the knack of rearing chicken. Most people prefer having more hens than roosters due to the noisy nature of a rooster. You should however know that it is not a must that one keeps a rooster for the hens to produce eggs, unless you need the hens to produce fertile eggs of course.
A good chicken house goes a long way into maintaining your chickens' health, comfort and productivity. Good chicken house designs can be found on the internet and used to make a chicken house. The house should be made out of good material so that you do not have to keep on repairing the house often. Other factors to consider are that the chicken house should be spacious enough for the chicken to move around since chicken in crowded areas lay fewer eggs than those in spacious areas, it should be well lit and ventilated and the floor should have wire mesh that is about a foot below the ground to protect the chicken from predators such as snakes and raccoons while allowing them access to worms for food. Other considerations are that the chicken coop should be covered in grass or sawdust to provide a sort of dirt pen for the chicken, it should have a water dispenser and a feeding vessel for the chicken and it should have nesting boxes where hens can lay their eggs and rest.
If you are planning to have a large number of chickens, it is advisable to buy chicken feed before you bring the chicken home. A very small poultry size can be sustained by your food leftovers. Raw potatoes and avocado could however be harmful to your chicken.
Since you already made a choice of the breed of chicken you are to keep, the only task remaining is purchasing the chicken. You could buy day old chicks or chicken above 12 weeks from a farm or a hatchery. On bringing them home, keep them in the chicken house for a while so that they are familiar with their premises.
It is important to keep the chicken house clean. It should be cleaned every 1 to 2 weeks so that the chickens are comfortable. Ensure that you monitor the chickens to ensure that their health and eating habits are satisfactory. Make sure that there is always someone to watch the chicken in the event that you are not available. Having the chicken healthy and well fed will give you the remarkable spoils of keeping chicken.
Keeping chicken is a fulfilling and enjoyable pass-time, if you would like to learn more get your FREE mini-course by visiting http://www.chickenkeepinganswers.com
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