It’s time to take care of those chicks! Chickens can add a good environment to the yard and help you get rid of nasty bugs. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to take care of chickens, but it does take some hard work. Let me go over 8 Tips on Caring for Chickens …
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If you were a chicken what environment would you like to be in? Well, you eat bugs and like to graze, so it means you want to be in a grassy field. You can pick a grassy area and save money on chicken feed. They eat bugs around the yard, which makes it easier to allow them to have an organic lifestyle.
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Chickens need three main source of feed. That means proteins, veggies and grains. The grains are made up of corn and other seeds, which gives them their nutrients and vitamins. You can get them grain foods from any feed store or tractor supply. Always pick the higher grade for your chickens, because its lower grade can contain bad ingredients. You also can give them lawn clippings for veggies. Try to place the clippings in the corner of the cage.
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Clean water is the key to healthy chickens. Who wants to drink water that has been there for way to long? Water that has been there for over a day or so, will have bacteria that could cause sickness to the chickens. You should make a water system. You can make a easy water system that renews the water every day.
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The right enclosure will keep the stress level down and make healthy chickens grow. Chickens need a place to lie down and lay eggs. If you have hens and want to lay eggs, you need the nest to be off the ground and a way to get to it. You also need to make sure they have a way to get outside to walk in the sun and graze. Also have the right amount of hay in the enclosure for them to lay on it.
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There are many different species of chickens that it’s important to choose the right species you want in your yard. If you want a show chicken, you should go for silky chicken or a Red island red. If you want good laying hens, you want the leghorn or even the Black Austrop.
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Try to clean their cage out to break down the bacteria that could cause problems for you and the chickens. You will have healthy chickens if you keep clean water, food pans and clean area.
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You should always look for signs of sickness, because sickness can make other chickens sick and cause a major problem. You could have a wide spread death and they all could die. You can see when chickens get sick and they act slow moving. Also, check if they have all their feathers and no bold spots. They could have skin problems.
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Spend time with your chickens. Feed them the same time every week and avoid auto feeders. A healthy chicken will be happy to be around its owner. Yes, even chickens can be a good pet. Also, this will route out some chickens that have dominants over the pen. A mean chicken could be a pain when grabbing eggs for the morning breakfast.
It’s not hard to care for a batch of chickens, if you’re willing to go out of your way for them. Chickens can be profitable or a good way to get healthy eggs for your morning breakfast every morning. To care for them, you need the all these tips to make successful chickens grow and be happy. Do you have chickens or want to have chickens anytime soon?
Top Photo Credit: Domain Barnyard