Beginner's Guide To Keeping Chickens   by Mario Leal

in Family / Pets    (submitted 2011-02-11)

Our way to be self sufficient can lead one to put together an impressive organic garden. Following your vegetable garden, a consistent supply of meat is the next reasonable step. Soy beans are a fantastic source of protein, but chickens could be on the menu too. Chickens provide choices that make them perfect for the backyard. Chickens are ideal for meat, eggs or both. This article will focus on presenting information that may help you begin thinking about keeping chickens.

Chickens are a member of the genus Gallus. Gallus is Latin for "rooster." Chickens are actually fun to tend to. Chickens provide great food for the family with their eggs and meat. Chickens are very diverse and are available in many colors and sizes. This gives people the opportunity to pick their favorites. Also, keeping chickens is educational for everybody.

The expenses related to raising chickens can vary. All chickens must be housed in something. Housing is necessary. But, super lavish housing is not needed. Fencing in the chickens is a must because they will get into your garden. Other costs relate with how easy it is to buy your preferred breed in your town and their food. All of those costs can vary drastically.

Many people are allergic to chickens. Everyone ought to make sure family members are not allergic. You want to find out as quickly as possible. A good way to check is by visiting a few chickens. Chickens can be seen at zoos or poultry shows. Area chicken keepers can also be a fantastic place to test for allergic reactions. If one makes certain you and your family is not allergic, you will save so much cash.

You must also be familiar with the problems with keeping chickens. Chickens can create a lot of droppings. The droppings can smell and attract flies unless you manage them. Another bad thing is the scratching chickens do. Seedlings and fragile plantings have been in big trouble if chickens spend some time scratching in their home. It is advisable to give them their own area. The dust made by this scratching could cause an issue if they're kept in an outbuilding where equipment is stored.

Your neighbors should play an important element of your planning where to keep your chickens. Chickens make noise especially roosters. Roosters crow at dawn. But, they also crow at evening and when they want to alert the flock. A flock consisting of hens only will fix the noise problems. While hens do make noise, only a next door neighbor with a lot of time available will be annoyed. Rooster-less flocks are fine. One of many jobs of a rooster is to fertilize the eggs. With no rooster, you won't be able to hatch brand new chicks, but you can still get fantastic eggs.

There is a ton of various kinds of breeds. When you pick one, you need to know what your chickens will supply to you. Don't worry. This decision does not have to be a tough decision. Do you want meat, eggs or both? There are egg breeds and meat breeds. You could consider a hybrid breed. But beware, hybrids usually are not especially great at either. Lots of people keep two flocks. A single flock for eggs and a single flock for meat. The option is up to you.

All hens will lay eggs. Nonetheless, many breeds lay a lot more and superior eggs than other people. You expect 20 dozen eggs per year from the greatest of hens. The very best producers are known as egg or layer breeds. Layers are small compared to meat chickens and provide white-shelled eggs. There are several excellent brown-shelled layers too. There are several reports which state brown-shelled layers are generally calmer and easier. Examples of these breeds are Minorca, Ancona, and Leghorn.

Meat breeds are bigger than egg breeds. Egg breeds spend their time producing eggs. We use chicken meat classes to help determine when to butcher chickens. The classes are: Roaster, Broiler, Cornish Hen. The Cornish Hen is the youngest in the three. The oldest will be the Roaster. Whenever thinking about the age or which class one chicken needs to be in, ensure you keep the feeding costs in mind. As those expenses grow, your price per pound also rises. Keeping chickens entails planning before you even begin. Australorp, Orpington, and Cornish are all great meat breeds.

Hybrid breeds are not good at laying or producing meat. Having said that, you will find some very good cross breeds. Don't expect your hybrid breed to produce as many eggs. Also, you will have to wait longer for them to be big enough to butcher. Keep an eye on your feeding costs. Also, if you choose to make use of a cross breed, you will not have the ability to raise your own chicks. You will have to be a steady customer with a hatchery. The top examples of this breed are New Hampshire, Plymouth Rock, and Wyandottes.

Young chickens or pullets start laying around 20 weeks old. The first eggs are always smaller and hens lay one just about every four days. Whenever a hen becomes 30 weeks old, she's going to begin laying 2 eggs every 3 days and the eggs will be a regular size. The poor performers of the flock should turn into candidates for slaughter. This will ensure your flock is running effectively and costs are kept within bounds.

Keep an eye on the body weight for your meet breeds and remember the meat class you're using. When butchering time arrives, you will need to prepare yourself for butchering. There are fantastic resources for understanding how to do this. Another choice is to locate a local butcher. It doesn't matter what you choose to do, you will find your flock provides the best food ever.

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