Out Around the Barn

Baby chicks are just so adorable when they are a couple hours old and it seems, as if, they would be the easiest little creature to take care of and most of the time they are.  You see them at the local farm store for sale and you pick one up and hold it your hand and think something that tiny wouldn’t eat very much so you decide you want a few to have around and you take them home.  

You purchase a waterer, a feeder and some Chick Grower/Starter feed to get them all set up.  You are so pleased and happy, then you get home and then what?  Where do I put them?  Do I need a large cage/coop or a small one?  How do I keep them warm?  How do I keep them safe and the cats, dogs and other 4 legged critters away from them? 

Now, you are in a panic, wondering if it was a mistake and what were you thinking, can I take them back and HELP SOMBODY! comes to mind. 

Let me, first, ease your mind a little and say that chickens are probably the easiest animal to raise, in my opinion.  I have had chickens for three years and all has been pretty good.  A weasel and coyotes once in a while but otherwise okay. 

Next, let me confuse you some more.  I learn something new everyday when it comes to my animals, whether it be my chickens, calves, goats, cows, horses, dogs and cats.  There is always something that I don’t know and need to learn.  When I was a newby at raising chickens, it seemed to be a no brainer.  Just feed and water them, gather the eggs and butcher them when they are ready.  I did not realize that there were chickens for just laying eggs and there were chickens for just their meat and that there were chickens that did both, served as layers and meat chickens.  I, also, didn’t realize there were so many different breeds of chickens.  It just amazed me.  Here I thought it would be simple.

There is much more to raising chickens than one would think.  So I decided I would list a few basics, that I have learned, for you.  They are as follows:

1. Keep their waterers clean and filled with fresh water daily.  This is a must.  For Meat birds, access to fresh water is a necessity.  If they do not get plenty, they will not eat well and not gain the necessary weight as they should.
2. Keep feed to them at all times and keep free of feces.  I found that hanging feeders help prevent this problem.
3. Keep their coop cleaned and fresh bedding put down at least 2x a year.
4. Watch their droppings for change of color, normal being gray with white tip.  Any other color or texture, such as diarrhea, could mean an illness or disease.
5. Watch them when you feed.  Take a moment to just look at them for changes.  A normal, healthy chicken will have it’s head high and be active with a good appetite.  One that is lethargic or nonactive may be ill and need medicine or, at least, separated from the others.
6. Watch for  cannibalism, may need to remove the culprit from the others.
7. Give them plenty of room to roam and, at least, 6 to 8 hours of sunlight/daylight daily.
8. If chickens are confined, such as meat chickens, they only need enough room to get to waterers and feeders and room to rest.
9. Just like for other animals, there are horse vitamins and cattle supplements, chickens may need supplements also.  Giving them some extra protein, such as Oyster shells, will nourish them and also strengthen the shell of their eggs.
10. Watch the outside temperature.  When it is high in the summer, place a fan in the coop to keep a breeze flowing.  If it gets up to or over 105°F your chickens can die, they cannot handle that kind of heat.  When it is cold in the winter, the temperature in the coop needs to be at or above 35°F in order for them to stay warm.  Did you know a roosters comb can freeze off?
11. Watch for diseases and worms.  The disease Coccidiosis, caused by parasites, can be treated by vaccines.  Round worms and tape worms can also be treated.  If suspected, take a fecal sample to the vet, collect it and put it in a plastic bag, to be tested.  The vet can then tell you the treatment needed.
12. Chickens can get Cancer.  There are two that are more common than others; Merek’s which affects chicks under 4 months of age, to which there is a vaccination available and Lymphoid Leucosis, which affects those older than 4 months of age, and no vaccine is available, death is likely.
13. Make sure your coop is critter free and safe for your flock.  Train your chickens to come in at night, at feeding time is a good way to train, and shut them in for the evening.  Then let them out to roam and play of a morning.  This will keep them pretty safe from the varmints that like to sneak around at night.

These are just a few of the things I have learned raising chickens.  I did not plan on being a “chicken farmer” so to speak but, now that I am, I enjoy my flock. 

One other thing I have learned, is that chickens are great for your compost pile and your garden.  All that scratching and eating bugs sure helps around the farm.

So, as I mentioned, chickens are pretty easy to raise and most of the time there are no serious problems, just keep to the basics and you’ll do just fine.