Raising Chickens In Your Backyard
Chickens could be raised just about anywhere, as long as you provide them plenty of shelter from the elements of nature. If you want, and if it complies with local laws, you could raise chickens in your backyard. Backyards are a god place to raise chickens since they can peck on the grass and eat slugs and snails, as well as bugs and insects.
Make sure that the place is well shielded from all of your other household pets, especially dogs and cats, and that there are no rodents and pests around. To begin with, you will need to build a pen with wire net fencing. The mesh should be too small for the baby chicks to get through, so that they don't get stuck and possibly hurt. Make sure there is an ample supply of newspapers to line the bottom of the pen or chicken coop. This will help to collect the chicken droppings. Change the newspaper on a daily basis, in order that the chicks can live in clean and healthy environment.
With the housekeeping done, you'll need to decide upon the chicken feed. Chicks will need starter feeds to start with. Normally, these feeds come prepared with vitamins being nicely combined in the proper proportions for the chicks. There will be no need to add anything else.
As the chickens grow, you may also feed them some table scraps as well as the normal chicken feed.
Keep a very good supply of this chicken feed always on hand. Each time your stocks of chicken feed are running low, buy more supplies. In this way, you will be able to keep up a consistency with the provision of food for your chickens.
Keep in mind to make sure that the chicks have ready access to meals and water at all times. Fresh, clean water is essential for your chickens. Most significantly, you will need sufficient time at hand to do all this. Be certain you have at least 90 minutes to look after the chickens every day. It does not have to be all at once, but throughout the day. But you really need to spend more time with them if they are to grow up to be tame and docile.
You can literally watch your chicks grow into hens in a very short time. Depending on which chicken breed you have chosen, growth is fast and at an amazing speed. Grown up chickens will nonetheless want care and attention so that they can lay their eggs in peace. Give them enough space and you're sure to be rewarded amply with many fresh eggs.