Chicken Coop – You can purchase a pre-built coop, a chicken coop kit, or build one yourself from chicken coop plans. Either way, be sure it is big enough for the number of chickens you will have in the end.

Food – Although you can provide snacks to your chickens you should mainly feed them commercial chicken feed. This will contain all the minerals, carbohydrates, vitamins, fat, and proteins that your baby chicks and chickens will need. When the chickens begin laying eggs you can also provide a layer feed. Various types of feedstock are usually available at both pet and farm stores and most will have a choice between organic and conventional feed.

If you are considering raising chickens you may wish to check out this related topic chicken houses and runs.

Scratch – Scratch is like a treat for chickens. This is made of oats, wheat, rye and corn. Toss a handful of it on the ground for the chickens to peck and they will just love it. But such treats or snacks should not replace their meal nor should not be given as a daily part of diet. In order to stay fit, they need to eat enough of properly formulated feed.

Waterer and Feeder – It is better to purchase new waterers and feeders for the chickens. Choose a waterer which automatically refills itself. This make it easier for you since you will not have to check for water levels daily. Make sure that the waterer is such that, the chickens can neither poop inside nor tip it over. Choose the feeder which is for the size of breed of chickens you have and again it must be tip and poop proof.

Bedding – Bedding is the chicken’s carpet placed inside the chicken coop. Bedding is necessary for making the surface soft so that the chickens can walk on it. It also works as an absorbent by soaking up the droppings and the odor. Make sure to add some bedding to the nest too in order to protect the breaking of eggs when they fall on the nest floor. The bedding must be about 1″ thick and the material which is most recommended for bedding is the pine shaving.

Grit – Chickens do not have any teeth and hence need some small pebbles known as grit for grinding the food. They pick up the grit and then store it in their digestive system to grind the food, grains or any other things they eat. You can either mix the grit directly in the food or provide the grit in a separate dish.

Dust Bath – Chickens often take a dust bath to prevent mites, lice and other parasites making a home inside feathers or the legs. If your chickens are left outside for enough time, they may not need a dust bath. But when your chickens spend most of the time indoors, you must arrange for a dust bath. Just fill a box of around 10 – 12 inches high with the road dust, loose mud and sand to about 6 inches of depth and let the chickens in.

GreenBeluga.com provides information on sustainable living. Raising chickens is just one of the many topics that we cover on a regular basisc. If you would like some information on chicken coop ideas pay us a visit.

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Organic Eggs – If you have ever seen or bought organic and/or cage-free eggs you know that get expensive. When I was buying store brand organic cage-free eggs I was paying over 3 times the price as the regular eggs on the shelf. Raising chickens organically is quite easy and cost effective. All you will need is to supply your chickens with organic feed and let them graze on grass.

If you are not too concerned about organic foods than let me just add one quick thought. Chickens who are fed an organic diet, allowed to roam freely, and graze on grass have been shown to lay eggs with higher levels of Vitamin E and Omega-3 while reducing the amount of cholesterol content. Chickens, as with most animals, evolved on a balance diet of variety not uniform grain.

If you are considering raising chickens you may wish to check out this related topic how to make a chicken coop.

The Personalities of Chickens – If you enjoy the company of pets and other animals you will have certainly noticed that their personalities can vary as much as humans. Chickens are just as unique. Each of your chickens will have a personality all to themselves. You will be tempted to spend hours petting and spoiling them. Not to mention showing them off to your friends and neighbors. Chickens are also pleasing to look at. Each chicken will have a plumage of varying colors and patterns.

Environmentally Responsible – Chickens can help you create an environmentally friendly backyard. As chicken love to roam around and graze they will gladly eat garden pests and help trim the lawn. Preventing the need for pest control chemicals and a decreased need for lawn care. On top of that chickens will turn all that they into organic fertilizer and even spread it around the yard. Chickens, along with worms, are some of the best producers of black gold. This eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers. All that is needed from you is a little care and free afternoons to sit on the deck and enjoy watching them.

Side Note: Chickens are not picking eaters and will eat just about anything a human will. Much of this is fine as long as they are getting all the nutrients they need. You should try to avoid strong flavored foods such as garlic and onions as the flavor can show up in the eggs and meat. Also unhealthy foods such as processed foods are just as bad for your chickens as it is for you and may degrade the quality of the meat and eggs.

Low-Maintenance – If you feel dogs and cats are worth the effort to have around then chickens should be no problem. If properly setup chickens will be very low-maintenance. All they really need is for someone to keep the food topped off each day and the water fresh. When the chickens are old enough to begin laying eggs than their eggs will need to be collected each day. Finally, their coop will need to be cleaned every few days and the bedding should be change every few weeks. This schedule will depend on the weather and the ratio of chickens to space in the coop.

GreenBeluga.com provides information on green living. Raising chickens is just one of the many topics that we cover on a regular basisc. If you would like some information on a chicken pen pay us a visit.

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Provide the Chicks with Grit – Chickens do not have any teeth to chew their food so they need grit to help in grinding the food during digestion. The baby chicks must eat tiny pebbles which is stored in the gizzard where the grinding of food takes place. It is necessary to provide them with sand or canary gravel which is readily available at the local pet stores. These can be either mixed with food or can be provided in a separate dish.

Netting to Avoid Flying Out – Baby chicks, just a week old can fly up over a 12″ wall. Therefore, if the box you’ve kept for the baby chicks is just about 12″, you must have some netting on top. Else, if you do not wish to have netting, keep the walls at least 24″ tall. This will make it difficult for the chicks to fly out and reduces the chances of escape.

If you would like to raise chickens you may wish to check out this related topic chicken houses and runs.

Health Note – Pasting Up – A common issue with baby chicks is what is referred to as pasting up. This is where droppings cake up and block their vent opening which prevents them from passing any further droppings. The dried droppings need to be removed immediately or the chick will get backed up and possibly die.

To remove it use a warm wet paper towel or soak the chicks bottom in warm water. Remove the blockage with a toothpick or plastic spatula. Be sure to dry the chick off before placing it back into the box. If this occurs once there is a better chance it will happen again. Don’t be too concerned as the chick will most likely out grow it.

Getting Out – Once the chicks reach 2 to 3 weeks of age you should consider giving them some time outside. That is if weather permits. It should be sunny out with an air temperature of at least 65 to 70 degrees.

When they are placed outside make sure they are secure and have access to food, water, and shade. Never leave the chicks unattended as they are easy prey for predators and can fly pretty well by now. They will definitely enjoy there time outside in grass but if they are unhappy you will know it by their incessant chirping.

Moving Out – Around 5 weeks of age your baby chicks should be chickens and ready to move out to the main chicken coop.

GreenBeluga.com provides information on sustainable living. Raising chickens is just one of the many topics that we cover on a regular basisc. If you would like some information on chicken coop ideas pay us a visit.

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You can also place used pine shavings from the bottom of the enclosure into a compost pile. They will decay nicely and provide fertile compost for your garden or yard.

Water and Food – The baby chicks will want food and water almost immediately after being placed in their new home. Be sure they find the food and water. It is recommended that you use a real baby chick water and food dish. If you use a regular bowl for the water the chicks will tempted to bath and play in it. This will cause it to dirty quicker and cause you to have to change it more frequently. If you use a regular bowl for the food you will find that a lot of the food gets tossed out into the bedding and wasted. Whatever you use just be sure to keep both clean and topped off.

If you are considering raising chickens than you may wish to check out this related topic chicken pen.

Baby Chick Feed Supply – Perhaps the most common questions about feeding baby chicks is how much to feed them. The good news it is a simple “all they want”. All you need to do is keep a full supply of food 24/7 and the chicks will do just fine choosing when to and when not to eat.

Feed Selection – Deciding on what chicken feed to buy is pretty cut and dry. Feed suppliers provide special baby chick feed complete with everything they need. If your baby chicks have been vaccinated against Coccidiosis, then you probably have to give them un-medicated feed. If they are unvaccinated or if they only have a vaccination for Marek’s Disease then medicated feed will help keep them healthy during the first few months.

Depending on the formulation of the feed you use, baby chicks can typically be on starter feed for around 4 weeks. After that use a combination of starter feed and grower feed for about the next 16 weeks. Be sure to read the manufacturer’s recommendations on the feed package for the best advice and to be on the safe side.

Baby Chick Snacks – You can use bugs, worms, food scraps, and small amounts of dairy and vegetables as feed for your baby chicks. This is only a treat and should be treated as such by only making it a small part of their diet. Your chicks will need all the nutrients they can get and their starter feed supplies that. If they fill up on treats they won’t eat enough feed.

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Constant monitoring and care will be needed from the time the baby chicks hatch until they are around 4 weeks of age. You should check on them throughout the day perhaps as much as 5 times a day.

If you are interested in raising chickens than check out this related topic chicken coop ideas.

Where To Put Them – You should provide approximately two square feet for each baby chick. Using a large storage bin or cardboard box should work out pretty good. Just be sure your box has sides at least 12″ high. Whichever you use, be sure not to leave the lid on as they will need ventilation and light.

The location of your box should provide protection from predators and have ventilation but not so much as to cause a breeze for your chicks. Some good places could be a closed up garage, a spare bedroom, or the basement. You should take precaution to protect any flooring or other surfaces nearby the enclosure.

When you have baby chicks they will be small and pretty easy to handle however; in just a few short weeks you will chickens and need a lot more room. You should be sure you have the room they need because as they grow so will their messes. If you don’t have the coop ready when they are ready you will have a bigger mess than you may want.

Keeping Them Warm – Your baby chickens will want a warm space and should be kept around 95 degrees during the first week after hatching. From that point on lower the temperature 5 degrees each week so during week two 90 degrees, week three 85 degrees and so on. Continue to lower the temperature until they reach the same temperature as their coop.

A good, easy to find, heat source would be a 250-watt heat lamp. Center the bulb over the top of your enclosure and adjust the height to obtain the desired temperature. Another advantage to an infrared bulb over a regular bulb is they are not nearly as bright. The chicks will find the darker environment easier to fall asleep in and can help prevent them from packing at one another.

You can use the actions of the chicks to help gauge the condition of their environment. For instance if they are crowding together under the heat lamp it is a good indication they are cold. You can lower the heat lamp or add another. The opposite would be if they are sticking to the edges it probably means they are avoiding the light and the heat should be lowered. You will know when things are just right, as the happy chicks will be exploring every inch of their area.

GreenBeluga.com provides information on sustainable living. Raising chickens is just one of the many topics that we cover on a regular basisc. If you would like some information on hen house plans pay us a visit.

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#1 Safe and Sound

Predators will gain access in any way they can, so it is important to keep the coop extremely secure. Putting wire mesh around locks, hinges and doors is a great way to keep them from getting in and keeps your chickens safe.

#2 Easy to Clean

To make cleaning easy, you need to design the poultry house with this taken into account. Backyard chicken coop plans will usually help you understand the best ways to do this.

One simple tip a lot of owners use is sloping the floor. This allows everything to be extracted from inside easily and also allows it to dry faster as water and cleaning fluids runs off easily.

#3 Giving Them Enough Space

It is not a nice feeling to feel cramped, so ensuring that they have enough space is important. Backyard chicken coop plans help people understand how big a coop would be and exactly how much room they should allocate for each animal. If this is not followed, then it is likely that the chickens will begin to attack each other.

#4 Planning For The Weather

With any expensive structure, you want to ensure it lasts the test of time and this is certainly no different. That being said it needs to be comfortable for your chickens at the same time. Keeping it insulated, ventilated but also dry is essential. Also, try raising it from the ground so that it does not flood in the rain.

Tip Of The Day: Using backyard chicken coop plans will help ensure that the build goes smoothly.

Building a chicken coop with the help of Chicken Coop Plans will ensure that this DIY project goes to plan! http://www.buildchickencoopz.com

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Sizing

Building a poultry house that is big enough is a lot more important than a lot of people think. If it is too small, then it is likely to cause the chickens to become uncomfortable. They are known to become aggressive and even to attack each other when the space given is not adequate.

One thing to keep in mind is this; each chicken will need around 4 square foot of space each. Of course, giving them more space than they need is always a good thing, so do it if possible.

Where To Locate The Coop

To ensure the safety of the animals inside and of course, protecting the construction itself, the location of the poultry house is probably a lot more important than you think. Here are a few things to consider…

To begin with, the coop should be allocated a flat piece of land. This will ensure that the pressure is spread evenly and that it will not blow over in the wind. Also ensure that it is far away from any trees. If a tree landed on the construction, then it is likely to break it. This is important when learning how to build a chicken coop.

Getting Ready To Build

Getting all the essentials ready before hand is likely to save time in the future. Before starting, try and get everything together. The likes of a saw, hammer, nails, screws and fencing are all important. If you want to learn how to build a chicken coop, then preparation is more important than you think.

Getting Started

Once all of the above is sorted and in place, all that is left to do is to start building. Of course, it is advisable to follow chicken coop plans and take your time, to ensure that everything is constructed correctly.

Top Tip: Plans can make a build much easier, so when learning how to build a chicken coop, take advantage of them!

Save time and money and use plans to build one or all of the following; How to Build a Chicken Coop. http://www.buildchickencoopz.com

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Here is one thing that needs to be taken into consideration though; you do not need to be a DIY expert to actually build a poultry house. All you need is basic knowledge and plans and that should be enough.

Maintaining A Poultry House

Something that you need to bear in mind when browsing through the chicken coop plans is the fact that maintenance is incredibly important. Whilst almost any coop can be maintained easily, it is good to design it to make it easier.

Here is a quick example; make sure that the floor of the coop slopes slightly downwards and towards the door. When cleaning with fluids, it will ensure that it runs out and dries a lot quicker than it would do otherwise.

Choosing The Perfect Size

When chickens have adequate amounts of space, they will generally be more comfortable and calm. This means that they will be a lot nicer to look after and certainly will not become aggressive towards one another.

Here is something to take into account; each chicken is going to need around 4 square foot of room. This is to ensure that they do not get aggressive towards each other and are comfortable at all times.

Weather and Predators

Weather and predators are the two main things that need to be taken into consideration when using chicken coop plans on a build. They can effectively destroy your coop and the contents of it!

Constructing the poultry house well above ground height using legs would be a great idea to ensure that it does not flood. Also try and include ventilation and drain points if possible.

Mesh wire and tough, durable materials are usually all that are needed to protect the chickens from any predators. Save as much money as possible, but stick to high quality!

My Tip: Learn how to build a chicken coop by using chicken coop plans to aid the build.

Building a chicken coop with the help of Chicken Coop Plans will ensure that this DIY project goes to plan! http://www.buildchickencoopz.com

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If it is simply for recreational purposes, then you stand to have some fun. If you are looking to breed them for meet and eggs, then it is probably financially better to go to the local store. That being said, there is nothing like organic eggs for breakfast every single day!

Using Chicken Coop Plans

This is possibly the most important part of the article. If you are looking to learn how to build a chicken coop quickly, then plans are going to be your lifeline.

So many people waste their money buying a poultry house from a retailer, when plans could help them build the perfect home for their chickens. They explain the ins and outs of construction and also which materials to use, making this process extremely easy for even a DIY beginner.

The location of the coop

Location is crucial; flat ground and away from trees is ideal. The flat ground will ensure the coop does not fall apart thanks to different pressure points, where as keeping it away from trees is essential, as they could fall on the coop and break it.

Planning the floor

Believe it or not, the floor is going to be the most important part of the poultry house for you. Putting the floor at a slant will ensure that it is extremely easy to clean – believe me this is more important than you might think!

Roof Construction

The roof will also need to be slanted, but of course, this is for a totally different reason. You will need to slant the roof so that rain falls off it naturally and does not soak through the wood. If the roof is not slanted, then the coop is likely to fall apart very quickly.

Warning: Using plans is certainly one of the best ways to learn how to build a chicken coop quickly.

Save time and money and use plans to build one or all of the following; How to Build a Chicken Coop. http://www.buildchickencoopz.com

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Looking at a poultry house, you might consider it a task for a DIY expert. You could not be more wrong! There is a lot of money to be saved by building it as a DIY project and almost anyone should be able to get the job done.

#1 Careful planning

Planning is certainly the key to success when it comes to any DIY project. They can be extremely complicated, so ensuring that you understand the costs, the time scale for the build and the things that might go wrong is essential to make sure it all goes smoothly.

#2 Choosing good materials

Choosing materials can be hard because there are so many types; always aim for the highest quality and the longest lasting. Do not discount using a certain type of material just because of price, as a durable chicken coop will offer excellent value for money.

#3 Always use chicken coop plans

Plans make building chicken runs, coops and accessories extremely easy. They have been used by hundreds of other people and aim to make the DIY project a lot easier than it would be otherwise – this is a must for DIY novices.

#4 Adjusting the design or construction

A lot of people want to make their poultry house unique, so will modify the design or construction. If this is the case, make sure it is done before starting the build, rather than after.

Watch out! Taking everything above into consideration will ensure that building chicken runs, coops and other items are constructed correctly!

Save time and money and use plans to build one or all of the following; Chickens run coops. http://www.buildchickencoopz.com

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