If you take a look around your neighborhood, don't be surprised to see a few chicken owners. Normally you would see chickens at a farm, but today chickens have moved to the city!
Here are a few tips I have picked up on as a chicken keeper!
1. They all have different personalities. Yes a chicken has a personality. There is always one chicken who thinks she is better than the others and she is also in charge! Doesn't this make you think of some of your female human buddies! So you need to treat each chicken differently. The "in-charge" chicken in this picture is the one you see the face clearly. She rules the roost as they say! Your tip is keep them happy and they will give lots of egg rewards! Her name is Henrietta.
2. They all have their individual "roost beds" so be sure to keep all poop out. You wouldn't want to sleep in your feces so don't make them. Like I said happy chickens...yes more eggs! I have one white chicken (white queenie) who will inspect each roost after you clean and add new straw bedding, its as if she is saying." you will need to be able to pass my inspection first or we don't lay any eggs"!
3. Don't let them fool you, they are like any female, human or bird, they love treats! Make sure you give them a variety of treats. My chicks are pretty partial to a daily cabbage or two, corn on the cob and their all time favorite...watermelon. It's amazing how quickly one can disappear with 11 chicks.
4. Bathing. Who would have every thought that a chicken baths? Well most of them do and mine love a good old dust bath. This can be in the corner of your run. You can make a dust bath in as little as five minutes, if you don't already have one. If you don't make them one they will make their own. To make one you will need 3 ingredients, sand, diatomaceous earth and wood ash. If you have a fireplace or wood burning stove you can use this wood ash.
You will need a old tire or small kids swimming pool or something you can use to keep it intact. Add 1-2 inches of dirt or top soil from someplace like walmart, Next add the diatomaceous earth over the soil. This will help keep away mites and lice from getting on your chickens. Then add the wood ash. It really all depends how big of a area you are filling as to how much of each product you use. If you want to add a "perfume" per say, this would be a good time to add herbs, such as mint or sage, which will also repel parasites! Well you now have a wonderful dust bath for your chicks! Like I said before, " Happy Chicks make more eggs"!
Be sure to come back to my page tomorrow for new tips and I will introduce you to the new "in-charge lady" she is very personable.
I jumped on this band wagon about 3 years ago and I now have 11 chickens! Yes they get smelly and you will need to keep their living quarters clean, but the rewards are amazing! Here are a few pictures of the first six red queens that came to live with us.
1. They all have different personalities. Yes a chicken has a personality. There is always one chicken who thinks she is better than the others and she is also in charge! Doesn't this make you think of some of your female human buddies! So you need to treat each chicken differently. The "in-charge" chicken in this picture is the one you see the face clearly. She rules the roost as they say! Your tip is keep them happy and they will give lots of egg rewards! Her name is Henrietta.
2. They all have their individual "roost beds" so be sure to keep all poop out. You wouldn't want to sleep in your feces so don't make them. Like I said happy chickens...yes more eggs! I have one white chicken (white queenie) who will inspect each roost after you clean and add new straw bedding, its as if she is saying." you will need to be able to pass my inspection first or we don't lay any eggs"!
3. Don't let them fool you, they are like any female, human or bird, they love treats! Make sure you give them a variety of treats. My chicks are pretty partial to a daily cabbage or two, corn on the cob and their all time favorite...watermelon. It's amazing how quickly one can disappear with 11 chicks.
4. Bathing. Who would have every thought that a chicken baths? Well most of them do and mine love a good old dust bath. This can be in the corner of your run. You can make a dust bath in as little as five minutes, if you don't already have one. If you don't make them one they will make their own. To make one you will need 3 ingredients, sand, diatomaceous earth and wood ash. If you have a fireplace or wood burning stove you can use this wood ash.
You will need a old tire or small kids swimming pool or something you can use to keep it intact. Add 1-2 inches of dirt or top soil from someplace like walmart, Next add the diatomaceous earth over the soil. This will help keep away mites and lice from getting on your chickens. Then add the wood ash. It really all depends how big of a area you are filling as to how much of each product you use. If you want to add a "perfume" per say, this would be a good time to add herbs, such as mint or sage, which will also repel parasites! Well you now have a wonderful dust bath for your chicks! Like I said before, " Happy Chicks make more eggs"!
Be sure to come back to my page tomorrow for new tips and I will introduce you to the new "in-charge lady" she is very personable.