Maintenance Tips You Need to Care For Your Chickens and Keep Them Happy and Healthy

While chickens are easy to care for, a few maintenance tips will help keep your flock contented and strong.

You should approach caring for your flock the same way you approach organic gardening. Take a few extra maintenance measures to make certain your brood remains strong on the inside out.

Home Sweet Home Should Be Home Safe Home

Your birds will need shade during the hot summer days or they could go into early molt. Hens that go into molt will not lay eggs, so be sure to provide your birds with protection.

While their dwelling space should be well ventilated, there also should be some protection from wind. Your birds will appreciate a break from the north wind in winter.

Your hens will need nests to encourage them to lay indoors. A good rule of thumb is one nest for every two birds.

Also, keep their waterers and feeders clean. The coop should be easy to clean as well. So while your birds might not need high ceilings, make them high enough so that you can get inside easily.

You will need to protect your flock from predators, especially dogs, who tend to love killing birds. A good solution is a portable electric fence surrounding your coop.

Also, make certain the door to the coop can be latched shut to keep out unwanted guests.

Make certain your birds have adequate space. Provide three square feet per bird. Provide these simple maintenance precautions and you're on your way to a healthy flock.

Feed 'Em Right

Of course, if you want your birds to get the best nutrition possible, keep them on grass in a chicken tractor. That way they'll get a daily diet of fresh greens and insects.

However, the greens usually won't be enough for a healthy maintenance, so you'll need to give your flock rations as well. To make sure they get their complete nutritional needs met, buy commercial rations for them.

You can find rations at any farm supply store. The type of ration you buy will depend on the age of your flock and whether you are raising layers or broilers (meat).

Most farm supply stores will sell chick ration (for the first ten weeks of your flock's life); broiler ration (both grower and finisher); pullet ration, both grower and developer for your female birds; lay ration for your laying hens and scratch grains, a bit like candy to your flock.

Free-choice feeding - where you leave rations out all the time - is a simple way to make sure your flock is getting enough to eat. A large tube feeder is easier to use; you only have to fill it once a day.

Keep Things Clean

It's not healthy for anyone to live in their own manure, and your birds are no exception. So remove that manure on a regular basis, and add it to your compost pile. They'll appreciate the maintenance. Also scrub their waterers once a week and clean their feeders.

Avoid Visitors of the Feathered Kind

Also, keep other poultry lovers away from your flock. They could spread diseases with their shoes.

Don't mix birds of different ages or species as they could spread disease as well. And finally, keep wild birds away from your flock. They can bring in parasites, along with the dreaded avian flu.

Just Stay Calm Everyone!

It won't take much to stress out your birds. But stress is not good for anyone, and especially not for your flock.

To keep things calm, talk gently or sing to your hens and roosters whenever you get near, and always handle your birds gently.

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