Want To Raise Some Chickens?

Are you interested in raising your own chickens? If you are, then there are a few things that you need to know in order to raise your chickens well. You should also find a good poultry supplies store that can supply all your needs in order to raise you chicken. 

Pullets or Cockerels?

Now, when you are raising chicken, you want pullets or the baby hens rather than the cockerels or the baby rooster so that they will lay eggs, roosters won’t for obvious reasons. Secondly, if you are in it for the eggs, then you should take into consideration the number of hens you need to raise in order to get a specific number of eggs.  On average, you need 3 hens to get 2 eggs daily, so a dozen eggs requires 18 chickens. Hens also start to lay eggs at around 4-6 months, but they may start to lay eggs starting spring time for a variety of reasons including temperature and even time of year, so just be patient, they will lay their eggs in time.

Protection From Predators

You should also watch out for raccoons, they are one of the most commons chicken predators, attacking mostly at night and killing a few chickens in their wake. Make sure your chicken coop is secure to ensure protection from such predators.

Your Chicken’s Home

Your chicken yard’s side fences should be at least 6 feet tall but there has been some cases that chickens fly off at that level, so you might want to either go taller or secure your overhead with some light weight netting like that of deer nettings, you can easily purchase that at your favorite poultry supplies store or even your regular D-I-Y shops.  You should also consider putting in some pine shavings on your chicken coop floor. 

You should also consider the space that your chicken needs in order to be properly ventilated. An old garden shed can be converted into a chicken coop, a minimum of 4 square feet per chicken maybe enough though it might be a bit restrictive, if you have the space try going for a larger size to allow your birds more room to move freely. Make sure your chicken coop is free from draft and have proper ventilation. You should also ensure that it is secure from predators. You may also need insulation or heating depending on where you are and the weather conditions in your place.

So, are you ready to raise your chickens?