Raising Chickens -Steps

Raising Chickens -Steps


There are lots of advantagesto raising chickens; they are able tomake great pets,they providepure bug control, they provide you a lot of eggs every week(and potentially meat), and they provide endless hours of remedy and joy in observing these cluck and peck around.

For many, raising chickens is their first step to becoming extra self sufficient. Chickens require relatively minimal treatment, however you will discover a few things you might need to consider before putting ones own purchase:

Would you have the space: A coop is required to allow at least two square feet per chicken as well as they are going to also need a safe work enabling at least three square feet per chicken (the larger the more effective-particularly if they won't have a possibility to zero-cost range securely). Their coop doesn't have to be anything palatial, however some care requires that need be taken to make sure that this is dry, free of drafts and safe from potential predators.

Do you have the time: Chickens need moderately small treatment, however they do need for being locked into their coop safely at night, as well as let out again in the morning. They like wise need fresh water as well as feed every day, and the coop should be cleaned out regularly.

Raising Chickens Poultry Farming Story

Raising Chickens Poultry Farming Story

Did you know the poultry is the nations third largest agricultural crop? A 3 billion dollar business? Yes chickens are raised in every county of the united states mostly for egg production. Breeders have achived great results in boosting the egg output of the average hen. Today's hen average is about 154 eggs per year and some birds produce 300 annually but with this emphasis on egg production poultry meat has been more or less of bi product of industry. Relatively few poultry men took steps to develop better meat type chickens. During world war 2 the industry refugains with the shortage of red meat. Drawers were pressed to supply the demand for tough quality chickens suitable for roasting out in our frying pan. Well that make me hungry. At the end of the war poultry leaders were convinced that the industry would have difficulty in maintaining its war time gains. As one solution, the A and P food stores the nations largest poutry retailers offered the sponsors a contest for the development of superior meat type chickens. A national committe all over the program the chicken of tommorrow. A braod brested bird with bigger drum sticks humper size and layers of white meat like. The committee made plans for a series of state and regional chicken of tommorrow contest. To end with the national contest in June 1948. A and P offered $10000 dollars in cash prizes, $5000 dollars for national champion. State committe were organized by H.O shradder of the U.S department of agriculture and farmers and breeders all over the United States were invited to participate in state contest. Two score cards each with the value of 100 points were adopted by the committee. One score card was designed for dress chickens in which major emphasis  was displaced on confirmation including factors affecting edible meal meal. The other score card was for live chicken with special emphasis on the economy of production. Hundreds of poultry raisers competed in 31 state contest held in 1946 and still more took part in 1947 contest held in 39 states. Following the state contest in 1947 5 regional chicken of tomorrow contest were conducted. 25 regional winners and  others who ranked high in state contest qualified for the national contest. After considering offers from several state chicken of tommorrow committees the national committess selected delaware agricultural experiments station in George Town delaware for the raising size. Late in February 1948 40 finalist and 4 alternates each sets 720 hatching eggs to bradly's hatchery in eastern meriline 40 miles from george town. Unlike state and regional contests all entries in the finals were hatched and raised under identical conditions and common supervision. The Fragile cargo was shift in 25 different states by every no means of transportation. Some west coast breeders ship by air, others by air and some others brought  their eggs eastern by private car. The press agencies made special arrangements to handle the contest eggs and company agents gave each contestants specific routine instruction of the 31680 eggs only 61 were cracked in transport. On February 28 the eggs were trade and readied for 21 days of incubation. They were given the regular commercial hatchery treatment including humigation and strict sanitation. The trace were labled with the number replacing the breeders name. In this way the hatchery operators those who later bruted and raised the chicks the dressers and even the judges identified the various entries without knowing the names of the flock owners. Once inside the incubators the tray is automatically turned every 3 or 4 hours the usual precautions  to prevent the embryo from at hearing to the shell.
The temperature was presthatically controlled and checked constantly through out the incubation period  by plant personnal.
18 days later the eggs were removed from incubators and transfered to larger hatching trays. These were placed in hatchers for the finlal 3 days of incubation.
What goes on inside an egg during incubation well after a week the eyes shows up clearly in the embryo the first external organ to develop. Just station is much further advanced at 10 days the chicks out flying is more pronounced and other organs begin to form.  At 14 days you can see the shape of the egg the  contents of the egg provides nourishment during incubation period.
After 18 days the chicken is almost ready to emerge from it's shell. On the 21st day it's sharp beak poaks through to day light to seek it's freedom. It's not an easy task. The strugeling chick must rest from time to time to strengthen from exhausting efforts.
Finally with the parch of the shell held together on the shreds of the lining the chick makes one more super effort and breaks into a new world.
The chicks in the chicken of tommorrow contest hatched on march 21st of the 12 different breeds and croses new hampshers and white plimus rocks pre dominated each of the two breed were represented by a dozen flaw. A minimum hatch of  400 strong healthy chicks was required from each entry. Poultry leaders traced the hatching result. A new hampsher flock ended by the shanon commercial hatchery town virginia let all other entries with the hatch of over 87%. White rock flocks  average 74% and one flack of dark cornish hatched over 73%. Crossed breed flocks had 72%. Pretty chicks, yes sir. A like us 2 piece in a park. Wind banding looks like a anormous task but government poultry specialist by H.L Shredder and colledge poultry scientist George clapped the metal tags in the 16000 birds in the record time. Each chick received a band with the sign of flock number and each bird carried the same number for identification purposes through out the entire contest. The chicks were placed in boxes for shipment to the experiment station in George town.
 Their to begin a 12 week growing period under the supervision of officials of delaware agricultural experiment stations.
At George Town the flocks were signed special pens and were housed in 2 parallel buildings. 4 boxes a hundred birds in each went into each of the 40 hens measuring 15 by 20 feet. Peenut shells were used for liter and in each hen a cold burning bruters store provided the necessary warm.

The day old chicks soon saw the mysteries of feeding crops and water jugs. The first 2 weeks each hen had 4 chick feeders 3 feet long and one gallon water jugs. Later these were replaced by five large peeters with adjustible supports and the jugs removed in favor of automatic fountains. Had to put waters, warm, ample food and water that's what the chicks strive on and these chicks were at best care in sanitation.
On warm days the chicks need plenty of ventilation. Professor carl superiintendent of the experimental station
inspected the contest hens and kept daily records of vital statistics.
At 6 weeks the flocks showed rapid growth coackrows sprouted coams and featherings at well at glance. The feed was a special mash formula prepared by the American Feed Manufacturers association. It confirmed to usual commercial standards containing a minimum of 20% protien, 3and a half % fat and a maximum of 7% fiber. No old grain or pallets were used. Feed was kept before the birds at all times. It was waved and records kept on each flocks consumption this ranges from a high of 4479 pounds in one hen to a low 3775 pounds.
There was no laps in the attention given to the birds and at the close of the growing period of 12 weeks and 2 days the chicks were ready for shipment to the processing plan.
Mortality for the entire period was under 7%. Remarkable considering epidemic of poultry diseases that struck through the 40 flocks. New castle coack city owses an infectious bronchitus took the greatest toll. Professor seger estimated the new castle alone set the birds back 2 weeks. Shenon commercial hatchery who is new hampsheres had the best hatchery record also had the least mortality losing only 1 and 1 half % of the flock. The coops were waited George town and this live weight figured used to calculate for pounds of feed per pound of gain. 2 flocks averaged 3.17 pounds of feed for pound of gain.

To be Continued...

Raising Chickens With The Help Of Incubator

Raising Chickens With The Help Of Incubator

Farmer brown puts the eggs into a incubator. Inside the incubator the eggs are kept warm. A week goes by everyday the eggs are turned. The farmer now takes an egg to see weather a chick is beginning to form in it. Inside the weak old egg at the top we see a black speck which is the little chick's eye and now nearly three weeks after this egg was put into this incubator the tiny chick is almost ready to come out.
The chick begins pecking a hole through the shell with it's sharp beak. Now the shell is well broken and the baby chick rests. The shell is almost ready to break apart. Another rest before breaking through. See the beak that chick uses in pecking the way out. Nearly out at last but still very weak. It's hard work getting all the way out. Some of these other chicks are been out of their shells for a while and they ran about in the incubator drawn. This chick took all day to peck it's way out of the shell. A day more in the warming incubator for the chicks to dry out and farmer brown is ready to take them across to the bruter house.

Raising Chickens - What Chicken Likes to Eat

Raising Chickens - What Chicken Likes to Eat

This picture was taken from http://www.copyright-free-pictures.org.uk/animals/farm-animals/05-chicken.htm

How to take care of chickens? For feeding laying hens the best thing to feed them is to all purpose 60% lay mash. This  theory is 60% lay pellets. These are pellets that's not the mash. I prefer to lay pellets  cause i feel there is a less waste with the pellets as there is with the mash. It doesn't blow away in the wind and the hens can scratch through this and go over all the place and it is still maintain the ability to be eaten. 16% protein is the level that you need to maintain a good healthy skin coat and also the eggs ductivity of your hands. It's just an good  all around feed. You can also buy 20% lay pellets the protein percentage is upto 20% in some grams and you could use that to make it with house holds leftovers, long clippings even. You can feed chickens of variety of different foods and you can add 20% lay pellets in which will bring your overall diet for your hens it says about 60% which will maintain integrity and the house of your hens they will maintain their egg laying abilities for you. So there is lots of chicken do with the feed to maintain your levels of protein that hens maintain a good health. One thing that you also want to add into it is would be oyster shelf for extra calcium. Oyster shelf extra calcium helps to maintain the strength of the eggs shells in the hand also brockley trimmings brockley leaves just about any type of garden we have to use it is also high in calcium and that could be added in. Also when you bring in your eggs in the house and you using your eggs you can save your eggs shell. I suggest that you bake them a little bit first. Two reasons one that gets rid of fresh eggs smell and that way hens won't be temped to eat their own eggs once they start laying eggs thus you don't want them to start cannibalising their eggs. So if you are feeding them shells back to the hens which is ok. You do need to cook them a little bit first to change the sand so that it no longer smell like fresh eggs. This will help to give your hands back the calcium that you have used to lay eggs prior to that and also give you something to do with all the egg shells that you are using out. 

Raising Chickens In The City

Raising Chickens In The City

I love having chickens because for me it's actually a calm quite moment everyday.  Everyday i start my morning coming in here hanging out with the chickens i gets really relaxed, centered now think about what i am gonna be doing that day in a really peaceful beautiful space. They are really entertaining they are fun to watch they are always dong ridiculous things their characters their legs clowns.

Right now we are working to really promote educational program being around this seem to be agriculture. One of those being raising chickens and live stock in addition to gardening and raising incurring food in the city.
Here they are feeding these chickens a lot of food crafts and also working with some times coffee and 6 point bury u think those scraps from both are those operations so these chickens are using that main sources food
 and so its reducing lot of waste and its also providing eggs.
There are challenges raising poultry in the city which is actually why we have a program  to teach. People who are interested in keeping chickens either in gardens or in their backyards. How they do it properly to keep happy and healthy hands and how to really integrate their chickens into their gardens in a healthy way.

Raising Chickens: Steps To Raise Chickens

Raising Chickens: Steps To Raise Chickens

Why raise chickens that is the question? Well you can buy eggs from the store but very healthy and they are kept in very small environments and all the time they remove the beaks of the chickens and they give all kinds of hormones so the eggs are healthy and definitely don't want to ever eat them raw and if you  raise your own chickens then you get the advantage of having a pet letting them roam around in your yard and they eat whatever they want in the natural environment that's what they would eat any way so the once that i have i let them roam free during the day in the yard and they eat grass, seeds, worms, bugs the things the chickens are supposed to eat and when they eat those things it makes the eggs really healthy and they are really delicious. Yorks are really orange and the eggs you buy from the store of the yorks are not really orange they are dull yellow color and the once that you raise you know with chickens to hang out what kind you have the eggs comes in different sizes it's a lot of fun to swing out their if you have children in chicken the kids love to feed the chickens they love to lay the eggs you know it's a lot of fun to have your own chickens and plus you get the eggs.

What are some of the best breeds for laying eggs?
Bird rock are really good at laying eggs, roud island red are pretty good at laying eggs. Those chickens are lot larger than some other types of chickens like danny's are a lot smaller they lay smaller eggs. Danny when i say danny i mean dantum chickens they were like miniature chickens they lay really small eggs but the other chicken that i have they lay much larger eggs and they lay on regular basis.

Do chickens have any predators I need to worry about?
The predators for chickens in my area where i raise my chickens are rackooms, snakes they don't actually eat the chickens but they will eat the small if they have peeps and they also eat the eggs and chicken hawks if you don't have them completely enclosed over the top the chicken hawk could fly and get your chickens fox, dogs, cats actually get chickens so when you keep them completely enclosed in some form of cage so if you wanna raise your own chickens it is pretty simple you need to get their food, you need to have a cage so the animals, predators can't get to them and you need to have patients. Once they start laying the eggs will start small called pullets and then they would get larger, larger and the next thing you gonna be getting eggs probably everyday sometimes and then sometimes every other day you are gonna have great delicious eggs and you need to start collecting your eggs all over the place. Your friends are gonna wanna get your eggs your'e gonna be giving them away. Chickens are to be laying like crazy. There are lot of fun to be watched. Go for it. Raise your own chicken. 

Building Your Own Chicken Coop

Building Your Own Chicken Coop

Building a Chicken coop is an outstanding book by the author Bill keen.
This book is for everyone from  first timers keeping backyard chickens as well as those who already have backyard chickens.
It is easy to follow premilary plans for building a chicken coop and great pictures to help make the experience awesome.
I would recommend this to anyone who is considering keeping backyard chickens.
Bill keen building a small backyard chicken coop to keep easy to do for anyone.
A lot of people have never build any like this in their lives but this book makes all the steps easy to understand.
It has a lot of information about pet poultry that would take many long hours of research to find out everything that is offered right here in this book.
Building a chicken coop describes every thing from what kinds of chickens were best in your backyard coop to what kind of eggs would each chicken lay. Not only does he describes each but also includes great graphics to help you understand it even better with an expert like bookeen and poultry farming you can't go wrong. The building a chicken coop book has many money saving tips easy to follow instructions and great information about pet chickens and how to prevent obstacles. Included our list on what to keep up with honor regular basis weekly, monthly and yearly and so much information about pet chickens you couldn't ask for more.