CREATIVE WAYS TO LOWER YOUR POULTRY FEED BILL

Poultry farming have become very popular for both homesteaders and urban farmers. They provide eggs, meat, and others. However, feeding poultry feeds is most important in poultry farming, organic poultry crumbles can sell for as much as $25 per 50 lb bag. And at 1/3 to 1/4 lb per chicken per day, the costs can add up quickly! So to help lower your chicken feed bill, I have collections of most creative ways you can use to reduce your poultry feed budget.

These are how you can Lower the feed bill of your poultry Feed Bill

1. THIN THE HERD

This topic is probably the most difficult topic first. For a lot of us, our poultry birds are our pets. However, hens will slow down their egg production as they get older – making it not economical to continue to feed them. If each hen eats 1/4 lb of feed a day, a young hen will take that 1/4 lb and turn it into an egg a day. An older hen will still continue to eat that 1/4 lb a day, but only give you an egg every few days. So when should you cut them off? Like most things, it depends. Most heritage chickens breeds will lay less eggs a year, but will lay consistently for 3-4 years. Hybrid breeds will likely produce a TON of eggs, but only for the first 2 years. I just picked up some Isa Browns (a hybrid breed) that can produce 300 eggs a year, but probably only for the first year or two of their egg-laying life. Culling the older members of your flock ensures that the feed you are using results in the best production possible.

2. IDENTIFY YOUR PERFECT FLOCK SIZE

If you have been around chickens at all, you have heard of “chicken math”. Basically, more chickens = more happiness. However, as Justin Rhodes from Abundant Permaculture says chickens (and especially those adorable baby chicks) are pigs with wings. If your family only goes through 10 eggs a week, you only need 3 or 4 hens of egg-laying age. If you want to sell eggs or baby chicks as a source of side income, you may need more. I keep extra hens to give away eggs to a local food bank, but I understand that the money I spend on feed gets transformed into a donation, and I’m comfortable with that. If you only have the number of hens you need, you’re feeding the minimum amount to support your family’s needs.
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3. MEASURE OUT YOUR CHICKEN FEED

Chickens will eat as much as you let them. In fact, backyard chickens will often become overweight which can lead to Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome. In a nutshell, Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome is where the liver becomes too fatty and bleeds, leading to death. Generally this only happens when flocks are given too much fatty foods like table scraps. However, it’s a good example of how chickens will eat to excess. Each hen should eat no more than 1/4-1/3 lb of feed per day. To find the sweet spot for your flock, cut down to measuring out 1/4 lb per hen per day for a week to see if it affects egg production. If it does, up it to 1/3 lb per hen per day and see what happens.

4. FERMENT YOUR CHICKEN FEED

Whether you’re using store-bought feed or a homemade mix, fermentation can actually create new vitamins for your flock – specifically B vitamins and Vitamin K2. In addition to creating new vitamins, soaked grains will plump up in size and make your hens feel fuller for longer. Fermenting your feed is super simple. I have a large metal trashcan next to the coop that I put feed in and then simply add water. Make sure your feed is covered by a few inches of water to ensure your feed ferments instead of molds. Simply continue to add more feed and more water and scoop out what you need for the day with a slotted spoon.

5. SPROUT SEEDS AND LEGUMEs

In addition to your store-bought feed, you can add a portion of sprouted seeds and legumes. Sprouting seeds increases protein digestibility by up to 30% and unlocks additional vitamin, mineral and enzymes. Wheat and barley are the two most common grains for chickens, but you can sprout oats, sunflower seeds, alfalfa, lentils, clover, mung beans, soybeans, etc. Having nutritionally dense foods means you can feed less of it. To sprout your seeds, soak them for 24 hours and the pour out the water. Rinse your seeds every 24 hours until they have sprouted, generally in 1-4 days.

6. FORAGE FOR YOUR CHICKENS

Whether your chickens are kept in a run 24-7, or you free range them, you can always go out and forage weeds for your chickens. If you’re already weeding garden beds, or walkways, or simply want to give the kids something to do, forage dandelion, burdock, lamb’s quarter, stinging nettle, clover, etc. to give to your girls. If you don’t have a ton of weeds (luck you!), you can always forage wild nuts and seeds like acorns, or berries like blackberries.

7. COVER CROPS

Similar to foraging, if you’re already growing a cover crop, grow something that can feed your flock after it’s done covering your garden. Winter wheat would be a great cover crop to collect the seeds from and sprout, or simply cut down and throw it in the coop with them. Between our hop rows, we’ve laid down a crop of clover to add additional nitrogen to the soil. Once the clover is tall enough, we run the chickens over it in a chicken tractor. Anything they miss, I then harvest the clover flowers, dehydrate them and make medicinal remedies with it! I love anything on the homestead that can serve three or four different jobs!

8. FEEDING YOUR CHICKENS COMPOST

If you have cook a lot from scratch or gardening, you’re going to have srything from cut grass, to veggie trimmings,leaves, weeds, manure, etc. Chickens are garbage disposals with wings. Make sure you chickens can access your compost area and let them eat what they will, you can also bring it to them.

9. GROW MEAL WORMS FOR YOUR CHICKENS

Bugs are a concentrated source of protein. Meal worms are the larvae form of a beetle and growing them is super easy. A female adult Darkling beetle can lay 500 eggs in only a few months. All you need is dark container like an aquarium or Tupperware container. You’ll need about 2-3 inches of feed for the meal worms to live in – usually wheat bran. If you can’t get your hands on wheat bran, then rolled oats, chicken mash, or cereal crumbs will work as well. You can buy your worms either online or at a local pet store, but make sure you know what they’ve been fed and ensure they have not been given a growth hormone.

10. ROTATIONAL GRAZING

This is possibly my favorite one. We don’t have other livestock, yet, but plan on doing rotational grazing next year. If you have other livestock on grass, you can keep your cows, horses, llamas, pigs, etc. on a specific piece of land until they eat it down. When you move them to the next plot of pasture, run your chickens (in a chicken tractor), over the spent land. Not only will they be able to eat and spread the manure, but they’ll eat the bugs that the manure attracts, and any grasses or grass seeds, leftover. We’re planning on running our pigs in our hop yard next year. We have fairly compacted, clay-y soil that does not drain water well at all. The pigs will turn over the soil, and add organic material (their poop), which will help the soil drain better. We’ll run the chickens after the pigs to spread the manure, eat the bugs the manure attracts, and add their own nitrogen-rich manure to the now exposed soil.

THESE ARE WORST MISTAKES POULTRY FARMERS CAN MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

  When it comes to keeping  chicken and terrible mistakes we can make as poultry farmer,  some of these mistakes can be deadly. There are a lot of mistakes we make when keeping mistakes , like running out of feed . I've made several of these mistakes over the years . Which cost me great lost. A lot of these chicken mistakes are simple to prevent so hopefully exposing my mistakes will prevent your flock from having the same issues! The worst mistakes chicken keepers make 1) Unprotected Chicken coop When you have a chicken house or cage which is not well covered and this allows predator access to your chicken. Can a predator come down from above to get into the run? Are the ventilation holes big enough for anything to fit in? Are there spaces anywhere that a predator can fit through? Are there gaps below or above the door? Are the door latches easy enough for an animal to work? Can a predator dig underneath to get into the coop or run? Can the run wire be pried loose easily? Many urban chicken keepers don't worry about predator proofing much because they never see predators in their neighborhoods or they think the types of wild animals in the suburbs aren't truly predators. It's important to note that raccoons can open door latches, snakes will kill chickens even though they're too big for them to eat, squirrels will eat eggs and even chicks if they get hungry enough and stray dogs will chase chickens down tossing them about like toys until the chicken dies or escapes.

2) Not locking the chickens up before dark: Many predators are active around dusk. The waning light gives them a bit of protection from sight while there's still enough light to see what they're doing. It's an especially vulnerable time for the chickens to be outside. Many predators can see just fine at night and chickens have notoriously poor eyesight in the dark. This definitely tips the scale in favor of the nocturnal predator! By getting the chickens into the coop and shutting the door before dusk, you can prevent sneak attacks from waiting predators.

3) Not counting your chickens at lock up: I have a kid that was notorious for this! Sometimes chickens don't go into their coop at bedtime. If they are left outside overnight they have 8+ hours of time with any predator that may be in the area. Sometimes a chicken may be in a safe spot and be ok through the night, other times they got distracted and just decided to roost on the first close spot when night fell. Or the kid may have shut the door before the last chicken wandered in for the night and now she's stuck outside sitting on the ground outside the coop all night. The safest place for the chickens to be overnight is in their coop. We are now in the habit of doing a count each night and if all the chickens aren't in the coop, we grab a flashlight and go hunting for them. 4) Water hazards near the chicken coop: In the case of tall buckets they may lean in to drink and fall in upside down without enough space to right themselves. It's best to keep chickens away from all deep containers of water to prevent drowning.

5) Keeping the chickens area free from small debris: Hardware disease sounds like something that is made up but it's a very real affliction for farm animals. Chickens will eat almost anything including metal pieces like small screws, metal washers, staples, small pieces of wire, metal shavings...ya know, pretty much anything they may possibly find. The first problem is that when these sharp objects make their way through the chicken they can puncture the crop, stomach, intestines etc. The second problem is that they start to rust and breakdown which leeches dangerous metals into the chicken poisoning them. It's not a chicken 'disease' but it is an affliction that can kill them.

6) unkept Rat poisons, pesticides and herbicides used near the coop: If you must use rodent, insect and weed prevention methods it's best to use non chemical methods near chickens. Mice can die from the poison and then be eaten by the chickens. Chemical bait that the insect takes back to the nest can be dropped or spilled by the critter then be eaten by your chickens. Plants treated with an herbicide can also be eaten by chickens. Try to use non chemical methods whenever possible to keep your chickens safe. When dealing with a mouse problem I put down snap traps nightly and pick them up in the morning before letting the chickens out. I also like this Magic Mouse Box trap from my Stoney Acres. I've had good results with dusting diatomaceous earth on ant hills. There are lots of non chemical ways to remove weeds like vinegar, salts, boiling water and just plain pulling them. If you must spray your lawn, keep the chickens confined for several days to allow the chemicals to dissipate before allowing them out.

7) Mixing different sizes of chicken in one coop:
Trying to just toss chickens of various ages and sizes together is a recipe for disaster! When introducing chickens to each other you need to integrate them slowly to keep squabbles to a minimum. Size and temperment should also be considered. Standard size chickens can be housed with bantam size chickens safely, but a standard sized rooster can hurt a bantam hen if he attempts to mate her. Keep this in mind when choosing your flock. Also be very careful of keeping ducks and chickens together. Male ducks (drakes) may attempt to mate a chicken hen and it will eventually kill her.

8) Putting heat lamp in the chicken coop: NEVER trust a heat lamp! If a heat lamp breaks loose from it's clamp and falls to the floor of the coop it can set fire to the bedding burning down the entire coop in minutes. For this reason you should never use a heat lamp to heat a chicken coop! Heating a chicken coop in winter is completely unnecessary and can be dangerous. For a chick brooder I zip tie my heat lamp to its clamp, as those little screw things that hold the clamp onto the light can come loose. I then zip tie the clamp to the wall also. I also place a screen underneath in on top of the brooder in case in somehow falls, it will not land on the shavings.

9) Not checking the chickens for parasites: A severe parasite infestation in chickens can cause anemia, weight loss, poor growth, abnormal droppings, poopy feathers which could lead to flystrike, decreased egg production and even death. Obviously parasite problems don't start off as severe so the idea is to catch and treat infestations when they're still small and manageable.

7 Reasons why your chickens will stop laying eggs

You wonder why your chickens stopped laying eggs? and the good news is, there is something you can do to solve and get your chickens back to laying eggs daily again.

There are many reasons why your chickens will stop laying eggs,
1. illness
2. stress
3 old age
  Some of this is in your control as their keeper, and some of it isn’t.

Let’s dig deeper into the issue to get to the causes of why your chickens stopped laying eggs in the first place.

These are 7 reasons why your chickens will stop laying eggs, and what to do to correct the abnormal situation.

1.Improper Diet

When your hens have stopped laying, diet is the first thing you should examine. Chickens need access to fresh, clean water all day long. A lack of water for even an hour on a hot day can disrupt the laying cycle. In the winter, make sure to keep your hen’s water from freezing.  It’s important to also make sure you’re feeding your flock a high quality layer feed and ensure each hen is getting enough to eat every day. Even the best treats, including chicken scratch, should be fed sparingly as they can really pack on the pounds without offering much nutrition, kind of like your favorite snacks!

2. Extreme Weather
Extremely hot weather and extremely cold weather can cause a decrease in egg production for your hens. To combat this, try to make them as comfortable as possible by insulating the coop in winter. Keep them cool and supplied with plenty of water in summer. 

You can also give your chickens some delicious chicken treats to improve their health and well being when the weather gets tough. Hot oatmeal with fruit in the winter or other winter chicken treats will be much appreciated and in the summer chickens just love frozen fruit!

3. Molting
Another reason that your chickens stopped laying eggs could be due to molting. Molting is when chickens shed their old feathers and re-grow bright shiny new ones. This process is taxing on the chicken’s body, and many take a break in egg laying so their body can put its energy into growing new feathers.

Most chickens molt in the fall, but we’ve seen our ladies molt at all different times during the year, some even molt in the winter! Poor girls!

Some chickens molt so lightly you can barely tell it’s happening. For these light molters look for ruffled feathers or bald spots on the head or around the vent. 
If your hens are molting, be sure to give them some extra protein. We love giving our hens Tasty Grubs when they’re going through a molt to help boost their system and grow those feathers back more quickly so they can get back to laying delicious eggs!

4. Change of Season
As summer moves into fall, the decrease in daylight signals the chicken’s body to lay less eggs. Chickens naturally take a break in laying eggs in the winter and hens can slow down to one egg per week or cease laying all together.

We here at Backyard Chicken and turkey bussines firmly believe in giving our beloved hens a much needed laying break in the winter, but every chicken keeper has their own views on this topic. If you don’t want to allow your hens a laying break, you can artificially light the coop in the winter. 

5. Age
We’ve found this to be the worst reason that chickens stop laying eggs, because there’s no fixing it. Just like females of any type, female chicks hatch with only a certain number of ova in them. Once those ova have all transformed into eggs and been laid, that’s it, they’re gone and there won’t be any more. This can happen at any time, but most hens reach this point in their life around two or three years of age.

We have some hens that are 6 years old and still lay eggs on occasion, but have mostly stopped production. They’re just enjoying their retirement at this point!

6. Illness
Hens will stop laying eggs when they are ill. If your hen stops laying unexpectedly, watch her carefully for signs of illness. If you spot any of these signs of illness, be sure to separate her from the rest of the flock and give her some TLC. We like to keep a folding rabbit cage on hand just in case we need to separate chickens for any reason. While chickens are in the sick bay they receive easy to eat foods like yogurt and scrambled eggs and we put electrolytes and vitamins in their water. We’ve had many hens recover from illness and injury this way. 

Common Signs of Sickness in Hens:
Drop in energy level
Refusing to leave the coop
Droopy tail
Glassy, watery, or droopy eyes
Coughing, sneezing, wheezing, gasping
Vent discharge
Diarrhea
This handy printable offers even more signs your chicken is sick.

7. Stress
Chickens can become stressed very easily. Like any animal, stress affects chicken physiology and can lead to a decrease in laying. Try to keep your hens stress-free by avoiding swift changes in their environment, protecting them from predators, and keeping them comfortable year-round.

So, as you can see, there are a lot of reasons hens stop laying eggs. Some of them are in your control, and some aren’t. Eliminating stress, checking for pests, and making sure your birds are happy and healthy are the first steps to take when your nesting boxes suddenly go empty!
   Hope this list will help you identify reasons your chickens stopped laying eggs, and how to get them back on track.

THESE ARE THE NATURAL HERBS FOR YOUR CHICKEN HEALTH

Chicken health is very important to their growth, laying and high reproduction , natural herbs are one of the safest way to promote good health in your chicken.
First, let’s discuss why you want to use herbs for your chickens.
Herbs can benefit your chickens in many ways. Just as various herbs can promote relaxation (lavender) for humans, they can do the same for chickens. Other herbs like mint can help deter mice and insects from the coop. And you can feed some herbs to your chickens to add a beautiful yellow color to their egg yolks or just provide some variation to their diet.

These are Easy herbs to use in your chicken bussines ,There are so many herbs that are beneficial to chickens that it was hard to narrow down the list, but these are some of my favorites. Keep in mind that every flock is different and some chickens will enjoy some herbs more than others.

1. Mint – Mint is my favorite herb to use in the coop. It is a very prolific grower and while it smells nice to us, most rodents and insects don’t like the scent at all. When planting mint for your chickens, plant it in a container. Mint is very invasive and will take over your garden otherwise.

2. Oregano – Oregano is said to have antibacterial properties. Some studies have shown that it can boost a chicken’s immune system.

3. Garlic – Many chicken keepers use garlic in their chicken coop. Up to 4 cloves can be added to a gallon of water for help in preventing viruses and bacteria in your flock. However, garlic is not a substitute for proper treatment if you have a sick chicken kindly get drugs.

4.Lavender – Lavender is supposed to be a stress reliver for humans but studies have suggested it can also reduce stress in chickens. And a calm and happy hen will lay more eggs than a stressed chicken.

5. Aloe vera plant , aloe vera is one of the most important plant in poultry , it contains antibiotics , which can fight  viral infection in your chicken.

WAYs TO USE HERBS IN YOUR CHICKEN COOP

There are several ways to use herbs in your chicken coop. I listed a few above with the individual herbs, but the methods below can be used with almost any herb. HANG THEM IN THE COOP One easy way is to gather a bunch of fresh herbs, tie them together, and hang them from the rafters of your coop. Depending on the herbs you choose, they can repel insects and help the coop smell nice. FRESHEN NEST BOXES Herbs can also be used in the nest boxes to provide a relaxing environment for your hens. While you can use fresh or dried, I prefer to use dried herbs in my nesting boxes because I don’t have to worry about fishing them out in a couple days. Important note: If using fresh herbs in the coop where your chickens can eat them, be sure to remove them within 2 days so they don’t start to mold. Any kind of mold can be toxic to your chickens.

HOW TO FEED HERBS TO YOUR CHICKENS You can actually feed most herbs to your chickens. A few cloves of garlic added to their food can provide an antimicrobial benefit to your chickens.  As a side note: I also feed my chickens plants that I pull from the garden. They love to pick through it and they often find a few bugs to eat.

MAKE AN EASY FLY SPRAY FOR THE COOP

Herbs can also be made into a spray to help repel flies and other pests in the coop. I usually use mint (since I have an abundance) or a combo of mint and lavender. Boil 1 cup of packed fresh mint leaves (or 1 cup total of mint and lavender) in 1 cup of water. Allow to cool. Strain out the herbs. Add 1 cup of witch hazel and the herb scented water in a spray bottle. Shake to mix. Spray liberally along the coop walls to help repel flies and rodents. It will need to be applied every few days for maximum protection. If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can use a few drops of peppermint and lavender essential oils to make the fly spray.  personally wouldn’t buy these herbs fresh to use in my coop. I think they would cost more than it would be worth. However, purchasing dried herbs for the chicken coop can be a cost effective option if you choose not to grow your own. And remember…If you want to grow herbs for your chickens, you don’t actually have to plant a separate herb garden just for them. You can add a few of these herbs to your existing garden or even your flower bed. Knowing when to move chicks to the coop is so important. How to help your chickens through their molt. The essential items you need when building a chicken coop. Mint is a great herb to use in the chicken coop. Hope you enjoy the post ? Thanks for reading.

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD RAISE GUINEA FOWL

Chicken and Turkey are most popular birds when it come to poultry farming, there are other birds that are also profitable and easy to raise. Guinea Fowl is one of those birds,
  Guinea Fowl aren't for everyone, that's just the straight truth. They are loud, annoying, funny looking and bird than you can believe. However they have several redeeming qualities that make farmers and backyard poultry keepers to be a big fans of this silly looking bird. I started raising Guinea fowl some years back, I've decided you may either love guinea fowl or you hate them. I happen to love them and have found a whole bunch of reasons why I think everyone should get a few Guinea fowl.

Why you should raise guinea fowl:

1) For Tick control  Yes, chickens will eat ticks that are in your yard and so will Guinea fowl. Guineas though, will forgo personal safety and enter the brush and woods to hunt out these minute pests which will help keep your kids and pets safer from tick borne illness like Lyme disease.

2) For Security (Watchdog)  Ever hear a flock of Guineas "go off"? It's like someone tripped the alarm system! It's pretty darn loud but it's a good indication that someone drove down the driveway, the neighbors dog is in the yard, a hawk is overhead etc etc.  When you start to hear really loud Guinea fowl sounds, it's time to look out the window because something is up.

3) Predator alert.  Your chickens will learn pretty fast that when the Guineas see a hawk and freak out, it's time to run for cover. Of course it could just be a leaf blowing by that causes the guineas to freak out, but the chickens seem to learn the difference in guinea alerts. They also let you know about things you might not notice are in the yard like snakes or the neighbors cat.

  4) Guineas hate snakes!  They will actually kill small snakes. The guinea fowl will start hollering and alert you to the presence of larger snakes. Many time this will scare the snake away, especially if the guineas all surround it, which they tend to do as they are screaming their heads off.

5) For Bug control  , They also like to eat bugs like fire ants, earwigs, grasshoppers, Japanese beetles and yes, guinea fowl eat stink bugs. They'll eat pretty much everything but ladybugs and adult tent worms. They are kinder to your garden then chickens are.  They don't scratch as deeply as chickens and are usually more interested in searching for bugs then snacking on your zinnias. Usually.

6) For eggs,  Their tasty little eggs are triangular shaped and very hard shelled. They break like porcelain when you crack them. Backpackers like to pack Guinea eggs since they're so much harder to crack then chicken eggs. Plus, guinea eggs have twice as much protein than chicken eggs!

7) For Beautification! They leave those lovely spotted feathers everywhere! Plus, guineas come in about 30 different colors. Other than the white guinea fowl, many of the different colors of guineas sport feathers with the little white dots on them.
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8) Cold hardy  , For a bird that is originally from Africa, Guinea fowl are surprisingly cold hardy and can tolerate winter better then some chicken breeds. They have no problem going out in the snow and will even try to sleep in the trees in the winter if you let them!

9) Little money in raising them,  in summer Guinea fowl don't need much feed spring through fall. They would much rather eat the bugs they catch. This is good news for your feed bill which will dip every summer. I let my guinea fowl out in the morning and they don't return to the coop till evening. 

10) Highly resistance to Disease,  Guinea fowo get sick far less often than chickens. In my 4 years of raising guineas I've never had 1 case of illness other then the occasional mites dropped by a wild bird. They love dust bathing though and DE and wood ash in their dust tub solves a mite problem real quick! .

  Keeping guinea fowl is  less amount of money that you will use in rasing chickens . They require the same type of housing and care like chicken. They can also eat the same feed you feed your chicken . They consumed less feed and they don't sick often like chicken.

BENEFITS OF TURMERIC FOR YOUR CHICKEN

There are amazingly positive benefits of turmeric on human health, but have you ever considered turmeric for your hens as well? Turns out, many of those very same health benefits for you, are also good for your chickens.
Turmeric is a root (related to ginger) that contains the ingredient curcumin. Curcumin is a huge immune system booster in chickens (good for overall chicken health and well being). It also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent (which is helpful in treatiing problems such as bumblefoot or other inflamed injuries chickens might sustain). Those two things right there would be enough for me, but the list goes on:
Turmeric aids in digestion, eye and brain function, and respiratory issues. It can be used as an antibacterial medication. I’m all about natural health remedies. Especially ones that are real food. I drink turmeric tea. I use it in cooking. I’m all about getting the natural anti-inflammatory benefits out of that yellow spice. Why not try it on my hens? But how? How to Use Turmeric for Your Flock You can make a paste from turmeric by melting some coconut oil and adding black pepper and turmeric to it. (Coconut oil and black pepper help activate the beneficial properties of the turmeric).
  This paste can be placed as a free range option for your flock to eat as they wish. You could also add some honey to the paste and use it as a topical salve for healing wounds on your chickens. You can also mix up some of the above paste ingredients and add it to the chicken feed or to some other food.

You might need to experiment. My hens like it best when I add it to scrambled eggs. For this, I melt some coconut oil in a pan, add turmeric and fresh ground pepper and mix it all together, then add 1-2 eggs and scramble them into the mix. They gobble that up in a hot second and ask for more. Having done bumblefoot surgery on a hen before, though, I’m all for experimenting with new and improved ways of making sure my flock gets some turmeric at least once a week in their diet.
A little experimenting now could save a lot of pain for a hen in the future, How Much Can You Feed a Hen? The general consensus for turmeric use with hens is 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds of weight (so 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon for a backyard bird that typically weighs 4 to 7 pounds). You don’t want to over-do it, as turmeric also has blood thinning properties in large doses. While I’ve been using turmeric with my flock for about a year now, always keep in mind I am not a vet. If you have concerns certainly talk to your vet. And never do anything that doesn’t sit right with you for your flock. I’m not a veterinarian or other animal professional nor a doctor or other medical professional.  Please do your own research and talk to your own trusted medical personnel. And be safe. But I have been using turmeric for my chicken and it is a good experience using it.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU GO INTO LAYERS POULTRY ( EGGS PRODUCTION

Poultry

bussines is a lucrative bussines, as you have decided to start raising chickens for eggs production, if you’ve never had chickens before you can feel a bit overwhelmed at the thought of being responsible for the well-being of an animal you have no clue how to care for. 

There’s this common pattern I see happen among new poultry keeper, They usually purchase the animal first and then figure out how to house them, fence them and feed them, etc. I will advice you not to do that . Their experience in doing things that way was most likely not a good one. 

 The first thing you should think about before you welcome new animals. You should make sure you prepare a good and convenient coop before you brought the chickens home. We are currently working on getting everything in place for our next chicken. Especially when you are new to poultry , it’s a lot less stressful if you have what you need in place. So, today we are going to talk about all the things you are going to put in place before bringing in your chickens . Now, if you get baby chicks, which is not not the best for the BEGINNERS, it is better to start your poultry farm with 4 or 6 weeks chicks as a beginner. There is the argument that you don’t need to coop prepared right away as you can brood them indoors, in a garage, or in a barn, but it’s still nice to not have to worry about being under a deadline if you have everything in place already. But for those who don’t, have what you needed in place before you bring those chickens home. 

 THESE ARE WHAT YOU NEED WHEN RAISING CHICKENS 

 1. Chicken Coop ( House).

 Your chickens are going to need some place to live, aka, a coop. This coop can be built from scratch, you can renovate an existing building on your property, or you can buy an already built coop .

 2. How many chickens you want. This will affect your decision on the type of coop you need. The biggest thing you want to make sure is that your chicken house is predator proof, as well that it has good ventilation and air flow, but not too drafty for the cold winter days. Your coop can be a walk-in style, or a smaller one that you can just make outside egg doors from the opposite of the nesting boxes to collect eggs from. This is a great feature to have, but be sure to make these extra doors predator proof if you add them. 

 3. A place to run. The chickens need a place to run around outside. Some people free-range their chickens, some pasture raise, and some in a smaller pen. Where you live will help you make some of these choices. We free ranged our chickens but had a high coyote population and unfortunately learned the hard way that without a guard dog in our yard we couldn’t free range safely. Ours are currently in a pen, but we are building a larger fenced in pasture for them so they can graze. When chickens graze in the grass you’ll notice the yolks so much brighter. 

 4 A place to roost. chickens like to roost. We found that a couple roosts worked well as sometimes one chicken needs some space away from the rest of the chickens and can roost away from the others. You want to make sure your roosts are above your nesting boxes or they may try to sleep in the nesting boxes and you want to try and avoid that. You want your roosts to be flat as opposed to rounded, especially if you live where it is colder. This way they can keep their feet warm in colder weather.

 5. A place to lay eggs. Nesting boxes. The best part. The place where your chickens are going to lay all those beautiful farm fresh eggs. Nesting boxes can be made out of multiple items. You can make them from scratch, or you can use milk crates or another kind of container, or you can buy some nesting boxes. Generally speaking a good rule of thumb is to make them 12 inches high, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches deep. Ours are a little smaller, mostly by accident. I was concerned it would be an issue but it hasn’t as the chickens have had no problem laying in our nesting boxes. We just used plywood we had lying around. 

6..Drinkers Most people like the one gallon plastic waterer, but another kind that is growing in popularity is a waterer with nipple spouts coming out of the sides. It really is just a matter of preference. Something to eat out of. All you need is a simple hanging feeder, nothing too fancy. 7. Feeds, Something to eat. The kind of food you need for your chicken will depend on their age. When they are babies you use chick starter feed, and as they get older you will give them a different kind of food. This will also change if you are raising meat birds. I found the easiest way to make sure I have the right stuff is to ask the clerk at the store when I buy it. They’re usually pretty knowledgeable with those things and will give me exactly what I need. When they are chicks especially you have the option to get medicated or un-medicated feed. Medicated chick feed can help prevent coccidiosis, a disease that is fatal if the chicks contract it. We always get the first bag of chick feed medicated, and then feed them un-medicated after that. Whether you decide to use medicated feed or not is a personal choice, however, the one instance you should definitely not use medicated feed is if your chicks are vaccinated. 

7. Something to light up their space. While you will definitely need a heat lamp when you have baby chicks, when your chickens are all feathered out and grown, lighting in your coop is entirely optional. Many people add artificial lighting to their coops in the winter to help with laying, as many breeds will decrease their egg production. Lighting is very in eggs production .

 8. Cleaning. The coop and the nesting boxes need some kind of bedding. We mostly use wood shavings, but in the winter we add some straw to the mix to help keep them warm. We prefer to not use straw in the summer as you can have mildew issues with it. When it comes to wood shavings be sure to never use cedar, as cedar can cause respiratory issues in chickens. 

9.Management of the Coop. 

 When it comes to managing your coop, there are two main methods people use. You can put a light layer of wood shavings down, and then clean it out every few days, much like you would if you were keeping an animal like a hamster in the house. Or, you can do the deep litter method, which is what we do around here. I’m not going to lie, we chose this method because it’s perfect for people like me who will struggle with keeping up with cleaning the coop. So, what is the deep litter method? You start by filling your coop with about 6 inches of bedding that will compost such as wood shavings, straw, even dry leaves! Every week or so you will add a layer. The bedding breaks down and composts over time. This method is also great if you live in a cold area because the layers of bedding that are composting will literally produce some heat for your chickens. If you use this method and the coop has a strong smell of ammonia, it means there isn’t enough ventilation, or you aren’t adding enough layers of bedding. 1

10.When will my chickens start laying eggs? While this will vary from breed to breed, generally your chicken sould start laying eggs at around 6 months of age,

 11. How many nesting boxes will you need? You should have one nesting box for every 4 birds. However, chickens tend to all lay in the same nesting box they deem as their favorite. We have three nesting boxes and usually only one gets used! 

 12. What is molting in layers chicken? 

Molting is the process of chickens losing their feathers and then regrowing new ones. The first molt happens at about 18 months and will happen once a year after that. Many chickens stop laying while molting. The molting process can take up to 3-6 months to completed. Your layer will stop laying eggs during this period of molting. Thanks for reading. Don't forget to share if you learn and enjoy the post , so as to let others leran and enjoy it too.