Backyard Poultry Production Few Tips

Choosing Backyard Chicken Breeds

Many chicken breeds are perfectly suited for backyard flocks. Choosing the right breed for your backyard flock solely depends on your needs. Chicken breeds can be divided into two basic categories: poultry birds for meat and poultry birds for eggs. Also, certain chicken breeds can boast milder temperaments, which are typically better suited for families with small children who would interact with the birds.

Chicken Coops

Chicken coops must provide shelter and protection for the birds that will live in them. The coops must be big enough for the chickens to live comfortably by allowing them room to flap their wings, walkabout, and build comfortable chicken nests. Chicken coops must also be hygienic—featuring changeable flooring (like sawdust, wood chips or sand), ventilation and room for humans to clean. Chicken coops must also provide warmth through insulation, heat lamps, or extra poultry bedding and chicken nesting material. If building a new coop, make sure you consider the following: site selection, drainage, noise, odour, ease of access and the number of chickens you intend to keep. A good chicken coop will provide your chicken birds with shade and shelter, freedom from draughts and protection from the rain.

Chicken Feeders And Drinkers

There is a great variety of different chicken feeders and drinkers systems you can install, depending on the design of your coop and the number of birds. Make sure that the system you choose provides sufficient space for the birds to have access to clean food and water at all times. Water must be kept clean and free from manure. If you live in an area prone to frosts, lag any pipes to prevent freezing. The poultry feeders and drinkers should be easily cleaned and replenished, and if possible, positioned to prevent access by wild birds.

Meat chickens and layers require different types of poultry feeds. The type will also vary according to the age of the birds. Chicks will usually be fed on crumbles, which are high in protein and energy. By the time a pullet is ready to lay, it will be consuming from 80 to 100 g of feed per day. A grown hen will drink from 250 to 300 ml of water a day, consuming up to half a liter per day in very hot conditions. This means that your chicken waterer system must be reliable, as, without sufficient water, birds will quickly become dehydrated.

If you are putting the chicken feeders and drinkers in the backyard, make sure it has a leak-proof hat to protect them from weather conditions that may destroy them. The feeder should be raised by a stand or raised with a couple of bricks. Meanwhile, some chicken feeders come with legs or you can simply hang the feeders up. There are some plastic and metal feeders, as normally plastic feeders are used for first-time poultry farmers keeping just a couple of hens or cocks, and the metal poultry Feeders are more durable, as well know quality is the base price, and simple plastic feeders don’t have enough space for even distribution of feed, and as the plastic feeder is lightweight that it is easily knocked over or broken. It is advisable to have a sizable poultry feeder that will carry enough feed daily. Most tower poultry waterers have their center section turned upside down for filling, it is reattached to the base and set upright for the birds to drink from. Just pls note that there are drinkers with locking bases and push-on bases. Most cheap plastic chicken drinkers come with push-on bases that can be difficult to fill, and they get easily blocked leaving the birds thirsty. Then you can use either a plastic drinker or a metal drinker. Metal drinkers are more durable while plastic drinkers are less expensive. The drinker should be placed above ground level and kept away from direct sunshine to prevent algae and keep the water cold. Make sure you would get a suitable drinker and also clean water to be supplied.

Health And Poultry Husbandry

Poultry Birds should be checked regularly to ensure they remain in good health. You must learn how to catch and hold birds securely and safely. A quick feel of the breastbone for muscle will let you know if your birds are losing weight. Check regularly for parasites such as lice or mites and isolate and treat sick birds. External parasites such as these can be easily seen. Learn to recognize common diseases. Monitor the visual appearance of your birds so you can pick up the first signs of disease, feather pecking or any aggressive behavior.

Hygiene

Manure should be removed and clean litter or bedding should be added regularly. Plastic chicken nesting pads are easy to clean. It is the best choice. If your chicken house design allows for it, keep a rake or shovel hanging near the poultry house as this will come in very handy. Old litter and manure are great for composting and adding to gardens as a fertilizer.

Eggs

Eggs should be collected daily as leaving eggs in a nest box can encourage chickens to go broody. Hens may also peck or eat eggs that are left, and once they have acquired this habit it is very hard to change. Artificial light used in the coop will encourage hens to lay for longer in winter. Another trick to increase egg production is to place a golf ball or ceramic egg in the nest box to encourage hens to lay in the nest. Check eggshells for any defects before using home-laid eggs. Eggs with defective shells should not be consumed without first cooking, as bacteria may have penetrated the shell wall. Defects include softshells, hairline cracks, pimples or pinholes. A homemade candling device is easy to construct from a torch and a paper roll and provides a quick way to check shell quality. Remove any external excreta with a stiff brush. An old toothbrush makes an ideal tool.

Eggs should be collected daily as leaving eggs in a chicken nest box can encourage chickens to go broody. Layer Hens may also peck or eat eggs that are left, and once they have acquired this habit it is very hard to change. Artificial light used in the chicken coops will encourage hens to lay for longer in winter. Another trick to increase egg production is to place a golf ball or ceramic egg in the poultry nest box to encourage hens to lay in the chicken nesting box. Check eggshells for any defects before using home-laid eggs. Eggs with defective shells should not be consumed without first cooking, as bacteria may have penetrated the shell wall. Defects include softshells, hairline cracks, pimples or pinholes.

Eggs can be stored for up to 6 weeks if refrigerated. An egg ages 7 times quicker if left on the bench at room temperature. If an egg has no visible date marked on it, you can always check for freshness by floating the egg in water.

Whatever cooking way for the egg you would, it is very satisfying to eat an egg produced from a chicken that you have personally cared for in your poultry backyard.

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