As you know from the neighbroohod dogs, to the owls and other hungry birds, together with snakes, foxes, raccoons and coyotes, there are plenty of animals that poultry is the main target, especially during the winter days. In order to protect your chickens there are just two steps to be made: to ensure their living environment is fully guarded or to train your chickens to take care by themselves when danger is coming.

Although not sufficient, the first step is to provide protected zone around the coop by building metal fence, planting some of the bushes and even cover the yard with thin hawk net. Good advice is to raise the chicken house of the ground to a decent height so you can make rats and other rodents hard to reach them. For the enemies that are coming into the box through the ground it won’t heart to dig a trench and put the cloth inside, so you can close one of the potential entrance. For the once that still pass the fence, it is good to have few metal meshes in order to stop them before getting to the victim. Don’t forget to leave the outdoor light on everytime you are saying good night to your chickens flock, even trained chicken-friendly dog that will wake you up if the danger is close.

Once you have secured the chickens yard, it is turn to train your chicken to watch themselves, as you are not able to take care of them 24 hours. This is not easy off course, but there are few things you can teach them that will help to escape the danger. First is to teach them to enter the house every night with the first twilight.  The other thing is to train them to react on a dog barking so they can hide on time. With this you will also get extra time to react, in case the predators surprise you unprepared.

Did you know that chickens are one of the most sensitive animals, especially in their first few weeks of their life?  That is why we have to pay special  attention not just how clean the food dishes and waterers are, but also how often we change the floor beneath our chickens flock. It is recommended to change the material that covers the floor two to four times per week, depending from the age of your chickens and the living conditions. Some extra measures are also recommended, such as regularly disinfection, disinsection and deration at least once a year.

Take this very seriously because the hygiene is one of the main reasons and causes of diaseses within chickens. This is the second huge problem with raising chickens, as the sickness of one chicken newer come alone. Chickens are living together in one place, so spreading of the illness such as respiratory infections, bacterial infections and different problems with parasites cannot be quicker and the isolation of infected in most cases too late. However, proper observation, regularly consultations and visits of the veterinarian can help to notice the signs of disease on time and start with therapy, in order to avoid bigger disasters.

Third mayor problem with raising your chickens is constant danger from predators. Although this is not problem just with poultry we can say it is especially pronounced with chickens if we have in mind number of chickens’ deaths caused by predators. Although there are few solutions to this problem, it is usually more problematic that chickens owners usuallyunderestimate the danger that comes from raccoons, snakes, foxes, coyotes, rats, cats, skunks, even owls. First steps in protecting your chickens is building the safe house for your flock and taking care to provide the basic protection from the predators. It includes raising your chicken’s house off the ground for at least one meter, closing the oustide yard with metal fence in the area where chickens usually spend the most of the time, training them to enter the house before dark or even better get them their own guard dog that will protect them or give you the sign when the danger is near. Off course, this won’t exclude the danger of predators in all, but it will reduce it to minimum.

More advices about this issue you can read in one of our next articles. So, keep staying with us!

In order to cut the expenses you can use mixed food from the one bought in store combined with wheat.  If you are raising layer hens, one chicken need around 50 grams of commercial food per day.  In case you are making your own mix, you don’t need more then half of this amount, as grain is ful with proteins. Grain contains 25% of proteins, and we have already mentioned, chickens don’t need more than 17% of proteins per day.

In order to cut the amount of commercial food you can combine it with other food you have at home or your garden. It can be different sorts of fruit and vegetables, fresh or sour milk, homemade stale bread or pasture waste. In case you have bigger flock we recommend you to make the agreement with local restaurants and bakeries, so they give you their wastes, as this can be very useful suppliement.

Even if you pay something to them it is still less then you will leave for buying the chicken’s food in local store.

Experts recommend that you buy some extra grid in case you are not using just commercial rations. This so called ‘’granite chips’’ is very good for chicken’s stomach and digestive system. Don’t forget that the laying hens need to enter more calcium then other breeds. In that purpose you can recycle chicken’s egg shells or oyster shell, but also can be used calcium grit and lime sand.

After you put on paper the number of chickens you have in this moment and all the money you spend for food just on a weekly basis, very soon you will see that these small tips and advices can help you spare money and still keep the quality of the eggs without harming to your chicken’s health. Very convenient, isn’t it?

Although all of the nutritional requirements can be satisfied by the commercial mixed feed from local store, it is always more healthy to combine fresh and pure ingrediance when feeding your chickens. Balanced diet within the chickens should contain 16-17% of proteins, up to 80% of carbohydrates, around 3% of Calcium and of course plenty of vitamins and minerals.

And where these nutritional elements could be found?

The biggest percentage of proteins could be found in earthworms, but also in a few more plants such as Alfalfa (Lucerne), duckweed, comfrey and even wheat. Carbohydrates can be provided from all types of grains:  wheat, rice, oats and other vegetable seeds. They are very important as they give the energy to your chicken. All mention feed, especially herbs and vegetables from your garden are full with minerals and vitamins that are obligatory for your chicken’s health and development.

At the end, the need for calcium can be satisfied in two different ways. The first one is by consuming green leafy vegetables and herbs such as cabbage or chamomile, dandelion etc. or sunflower and sesame seeds. The other way, which is usually recommended when raising laying hens, is to recycle egg shells, by drying and crushing them.

However, rule number one when serving the meals to your chickens is to take care that all of the food is fresh and clean. Without it, all of the mentioned in this article won’t have much of the effect.

Did you know that by manipulating with color of the light, light intensity and length or photoperiod we can influence to the adrenal function and immunosuppression in poultry?

Peter Lewis from University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and Trevor Morris president of the World Poultry Science Association together have examined these trends and in their book ‘Poultry Lighting – The Theory and Practice’gave some of the explanations for this phenomena.

Although the response of the poultry of the light stimulatory varies within different species and breed of a flock, the light that has been given to the flock in one day or 24 hours will most probably reflect to sexual maturity. That is why it is important to know the right amount of lightning your chickens need to receive during the rearing period of pullets.

The illuminance is  the second light characteristic  that influences the speed of development to sexual maturity and beside the lightening intensity they singles out the color of the light as poultry response already  to the radiation below 400nm. It means they actually have four cone in the retina of the eye which able them to see in in ultraviolet light which differs them from humans that have just three.

As we can see long photo-periods that mean continues illuminance, are as important as a proper nutrition and watering of your chicken’s flock.  With modernization and new energy light resources we are able to control day lengths and with it whole development of our chickens. However we need to know different light sources as well as different light characteristics provoke different response in every breed and spice.  So be careful and try to stay updated before try any experiment with it.

Despite regularly summer care tips we have already given in one of our previous articles you should take into consideration, the proper summer diet can make easier your chickens flock to survive this long tropic summer. The same as we are , chickens also should consume light and fresh food too, avoiding so much corp an other cereals. While consuming corns of scratch they use more energy to digest them, which increases the body heat.

Instead of these type of feed we can offer our chickens fresh melon or watermelon, because it will keep chickens not just cool but also hydrated, than cold cucumber, whole head of cabbage or cocked and boiled broccoli and cauliflower.  Even a raw or cocked carrot would be fine too.

All of the mentioned is good addition for their pellets and crumble feed, however if you are willing to cook to your flock you can completly replace these type of feed during summer time.  Among other things that are recommended for your chickens flock during summer time are included all sort of berries especially strawberries, pomegranates especially their seeds, bananas, even grapes, pears and apples, and from vegetables tomato, lettice, spinach and other greens.

You can serve them all sort of cooked fish and other sea food. They adore cooked, but not so salty pasta and believe it or not the yogurt is good choice too as very good for the chickens digestive systems.

Off course don’t forget clean and fresh water where you can even add poultry electrolytes which will alleviate heat stress. In that case we advise to change the water at least once in 24 hours as it can change the quality and cause bigger harm than good.

But did you know that from the chickens that are consumed just in KFC, around the equator the Earth can be circled 11 times, that they dream the same way as we do and have such a good memory so they can distinguish more than 100 faces among their own spices. This makes them one of the smartest animals, as well as the most numerous within the bird spices, as there is more than 25 billion chickens in the world. The place with the highest number of chickens is China, with their 3 billion chickens, which is at least 7 times more than in USA.

As we are in a domain of numbers, let us mention it is calculated that one chicken lays around 265 table eggs each year, however this number can be even bigger as the number of eggs laid by one chicken for one day can go to up to 7. The largest one ever laid is big 12.25 inches and around 12 ounces.

Did you know that you can influence the size of the eggs, buy adjusting the light in the room you are keeping your chicken’s flock, so they have the impression that day lasts 28, instead of 24 hours.

I assume you didn’t know the record in the time chickens can spend in the air while flying is unbelievable 15 seconds, and they can be really fast when needed, as they can travel up to 9 miles per hour.

Although in  United States there are at least 4 cities containing the word “chicken” in their name such as  the chicken’s world capital is in Georgia, where in Gainesville you can even earn a fain if you use the fork for these purposes, as here this is forbidden by law.

This is just a few facts about chicken’s which made me respect even more their spice, and which is the most unbelievable fact you have ever heard about them?

Here are some tips how to give shower to your chicken and ensure they are clean, fresh and satisfied.

For the beginning you will need three containers, wide enough and not so deep, fill it with water until the middle. In the first container put just the plain water, in the second one add some soap so the fine foam is made, and the third one is planned for water and vinegar, so your chicken can get extra shine on this long summer days.

Chicken’s water bath contains four steps. First you get chicken wet, then we soap her in a container with a soap, we rinse her with plain water, and then slowly dry them, one by one, with a hair drier or with towel if it is so hot outside.You should be extreme carefully with the first tube, as this can be freaky surprise for them, especially if they have newer this kind of experience before. Whatever you do, keep the chickens hear above the water, as they are the animals that can drown easily, especially if they get panic. No matter of this until the second tube your chicken will get used to water, and in the last one tube they will definitely enjoy it.

The same as this, your chicken will enjoy in their own way of having bath, somewhere in some whole, with a dry warm soil. Dust bath is their own mechanism for cleaning and refreshing, and no matter we may find this kind of bathing a little bit wired or not effective, the most of the chickens enjoy it and don’t need any extra care, as far as it concerned their hygiene.

However, in these warm summer days we recommend to offer them fresh water bath in a way we described because it can just make them happier and more satisfied, and you can even expect more eggs from your chickens, as happy chickens always give more eggs.

You don’t have to think that much, as the chickens are the animals that usually  get  along well, but as with  everything  else before introducing  new  chickens  in your flock,  pay  attention on  a few  important  things..

No matter you are bringing smaller sizes chickens, because of their characteristics the bigger one, won’t hurt the smaller one, but it is always recommended to buy the  breed that is similar by its look and character  in order to escape potential problems.So if you have Rhode Island Reds you can bring more of New Hampshire  Reds, but you should definitely stay away from large crested Polish or submissive Faveolles.

If there is obvious size difference among the chickens that are already there and the ones you are introducing, take care that you set the waterers  and the feeders  on  a proper high, so that the small hens  don’t have problem to reach the installed ones.

If you have enough place and conditions it is always more than useful to separate the new once at least for a months, especially if you are bringing them from someone else. That is how long flock needs  to adapt to a new environment and to build up their  immune system  and also how long it is needed to manifest different kind of diseases that could be  caught.

On the behavior of chickens influence the fact how much space they have in your backyards. This is even more important if you are planning to mix different breeds as they usually stick to their groups and needs to have their own room.  So we advise, to think twice before deciding which breeds you plan to combine, and how many of new chickens your backyard can host.

While making this decision, just have in mind, the more room your chickens have, the happier they will be!

However, there are a few more situations when this can be a case. So, if you are sure that they are perfectly sound, then think take into consideration few more things that can influence to the number of eggs you get from your flock.

First of all, don’t forget that chickens are sensitive to day length, and the day length is in the direct relationship with the amount of laid eggs. That’s why this amount is usually smaller during the last months of summer and during the winter, as in these months day length is evidently shorter.  However, this doesn’t have to be particular problem, as you can always prolong the day light by using the artificial lightening, just take care not to exaggerate with it, and have in mind the length of the longest natural day in the year. This should be the limit.

We have already mentioned how important is for your  flock the proper nutrition and that it is directly influencing to the number of eggs you are getting from your chickens.  As every egg contains certain amount of proteins and energy, they should be consumed first, in order to get laid later. The other important thing is calcium.  It is calculated that every egg contains at least 2 grams of it, which also has to be consumed by the food we are giving to our chickens flock.

Some of the breeds  stop with laying eggs, when there are more eggs in the nest, as they become broody if  they are allowed to accumulate the eggs in the nest. To avoid this situation it is advised to collect eggs regularly and on time.

The last two reasons for depressed egg productions unfortunately we cannot influence and control,  as it is about the natural process that is happening with most of animals especially poultry. The first one is the molting and the other one is the age of the chicken.  In both cases, when they  are changing their feathers, as well as while getting older,  chickens loses its ability to lay eggs actively. However, in the case of molting this is just temporary, usually at the end of the summer, or in the beginning of autumn, but unfortunately in the other case, as the chickens are getting older, this ability is in constant fall.