The idea of having access to fresh organic eggs and raising your own flock of chickens is a reality that you can make possible with your own backyard chickens. Start off with some helpful recommendations from other chicken owners for some professional advice to get you started off with a successful flock. The following provides you with some tips to help you start raising chickens in your backyard.
Provide a Coop
When you are planning a backyard chicken flock, the first thing you may consider is the chicken coop and where they will live. Your chickens are going to need a coop where they can be safe from predators, get out of the weather, and have access to a nesting area where they will lay their eggs.
You can find a lot of options for a chicken coop, depending on your backyard space, how many chickens you plan to raise, and your budget. Chicken coops are available to purchase pre-built or in a kit that you can build yourself, or you can construct your own from a basic design from an online website. An outdoor shed also provides a good option for a chicken coop, where you can make some adjustments for it to work as a coop.
The coop should have good ventilation to prevent the build-up of moisture in the coop, which can turn into a health risk from mold and frost danger to your chickens in the winter. Make sure there are windows for sunlight and a door that you can latch at night to keep them safe. Install roosting poles off the ground where your chickens can roost at night. Then, they will need nesting boxes inside the coop that are filled with straw or pine shavings for a soft area to lay eggs.
Set Up Food and Water Access
Your chickens will also need food and water access to stay healthy. Their food can be made of layer pellet feed to help supplement them during their reproductive lifespan, but can also include scratch feed made of several types of grains. Just be sure that your chicken feed is secure in an enclosed container so that mice and other pests can't get into it. Then, a feeder that is set up slightly off the ground will help prevent pest problems.
In addition to food, your chickens will need to have clean water access on a regular basis. From the heat of summer to the cold of winter, they can get dehydrated and die quickly without access to water. Make sure you replace the water as it becomes dirty. In the winter, if the temperatures fall below freezing, you will need to get a heated waterer to prevent the water from freezing.
Learn more about easy chicken raising online.
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