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Chickens in Your Backyard
Chickens in Your Backyard You Can Do It!
The hardest step for some one who knows very little about keeping chickens is getting started. Once you assemble the living space for your chickens, and find a source of food and water, you are ready to go. Basic Tips for Success: * Don't surprise your neighbors!
* Spend time with your chickens. Observe and learn. * Find a neighbor or friend to take over chicken chores when on vacation.
* Keep it clean!
* Give away extra eggs to neighbors, family, and friends.
Where to Buy
Mt. Healthy Hatchery- www.mthealthy.com/ * Will mail or you can pick up locally
* Prices run from $2.60-$3.00/chicken if ordering less than 25 with a 6 chick minimum.
* Email: info@mthealthy.com
Toll Free: 800-451-5603
Local Ph: 513-521-6900
Fax #: 513-521-6902 McMurrary Hatchery- www.mcmurrayhatchery.com * Carry many rare breeds.
* Carry a full line of accessories.
Basic Requirements for your Chickens: * Shelter-chicken coop (must not be accessible by predators), and outdoor space. Must be able to keep clean.
* Food- starter feed for chicks, layer feed
* Water- clean water
* Air- fresh air is important, especially in certain types of enclosures
Shelter
Initial Set-up for chicks:
Heat lamp (incandescent bulb), bedding (can use newspaper as long as it doesn't get slippery, pine bedding), food and water dishes, and food and water. A cardboard enclosure can work well. Coop: It is important to make many considerations when building your coop.
Each chicken needs: * Approximately 2 sq. ft. of space inside, and 10 sq. ft. outside.
* 8-10 inches of perch (roost) space per chicken.
* 1 nest box per 4-5 chickens Questions to ask: * Do you want a permanent or movable structure?
o The benefits of a movable system.
+ You can control the damage to lawn areas.
+ You can allow your chickens fresh pasture on a more regular basis, even if you are letting them free range during the day.
+ You can even incorporate your chickens into your garden rotation!
* Do you want a structure that you can enter?
* Can you orientate the entrances to the south, which will allow for more warmth in the colder months?
* Will you ever increase the number of chickens you want to keep? How many might you want to accommodate in this space in the future?
Food * See the attached sheet for information on where to obtain food for your chickens. This is the best route to go when just starting out. You can look into mixing your own feed later.
* You will also need to think about supplementing your laying hens with calcium (think ground oyster shells) and grit (stones) in colder months if you are not letting your chickens out as frequently and they cannot access any greens or soil.
* You can also feed your chickens many different kinds of kitchen scraps, including any greens, veggies, and fruits. I found that my chickens loved melon of any kind. Chickens will also eat any over-grown garden veggies, weeds, etc.
Water * Consider how far you will have to walk your water, where hoses are located, what size buckets and waterers you will be using.
* There are many ways to make a home made waterer. I have even used a cut up old orange juice container with a rock inside to prevent it from tipping over.
* You can consider a rain barrel or other water catchment system. This is best figured out before you place your chicken shelter.
Money Saving Tips * Ask friends to save a few egg containers (not too many).
* Collect bags of leaves in the fall to use as bedding.
* Ask friends and neighbors about possible coops, fencing, or feeders.
* Share the cost of your chicken purchases with friends.
Website Resources * BackyardChickens.com - great pictures of different homemade coops with instructions and beginner's tips.
* City of Cincinnati's website at http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/police/pages/-6004-/ to access the municipal code. Keyword = fowl.
* Information on small scale poultry housing from the Virginia Tech- Virginia Cooperative Extension |
Mt. Healthy Hatchery
| Backyard Chickens
| Small Scale Poultry Housing
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Here in the Philippines practically half the population keeps chickens. I went through about a dozen, which eventually either got stolen by drug addicts or ravaged by underfed neightborhood dogs. Anyway, I just wanted to point out that many people use incandescent lamps to keep the chicks warm, but ideally you want an incubator. It just doesn't look right, having an incandescent light bulb on all night with the little chicks clustering around it for warmth. Not to mention your carbon footprint. I used my jumbo size voltage regulator, which gives off a lot of heat. The chicks would sit on it very happily. When they got big enough I wiped off the droppings and put it back in the house. It worked great and after I stopped using incandescents I never lost a chick. It is very depressing to go out in the morning and find one of your chicks dead.
 |  | nick Jul 18, 2008 04:36 | |
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This intel was contributed by mercin
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May, 2012
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