Choosing Chicks for Your Poultry – Chicken Buying Tips
When it comes to your preferred chickens, there are many types than you can think of. We should answer these questions first: what is our purpose in rearing chickens on the first place? Is it for business or for pleasure?
One of the best things of this step is learning some of the poultry type names: Silkie, Showgirl, Silver-Laced Wyandotte, Rosecomb, Redcap, and Russian Orloff, to name a few.
Important things that you’ll have to consider include housing space and baby chick cage, the quantity and also the color of eggs produced, the breed’s temperament, its noise level, and its adaptability to the environment. If you are unable to let your chickens to roam freely, the environment factor is important for a happy, healthy flock. Noise level impacts matters if you do not reside in the suburbs. Some experts advise against mixing poultry ages, but I have never had trouble with the older birds picking on younger birds.
Different types need different condition. Most of the breeds thrive in all climates, although some have special demand: Phoenix and Minorcas need hot weather, for example, and Brahmas and Chanteclers prefer cold weather conditions. All of the breed produces eggs, even the so-called ornamental breeds, but egg size and production vary from breed to breed. Medium-production layers have plenty of demand for a family. Bantam eggs are more smaller to complement their yolks and you will need more whites than most angel food cake recipes call for.
Facts to Know Before Going to Buy Chicks for Poultry
- Need a coop or chicken cage. It has to hold a feeder and water containers and a nest box for every three hens. It should be large that you can stand in it to gather eggs and shovel manure.
- Chicken needs food and water regularly. Feeds is about $21 per 50-pound bag at my own coop, how long the bags lasts depends on the number of other chickens that you have. Automatic feeder setup can be used for make it more efficient.
- Hens lay through spring and summer and into the fall, as long as they have 12 to 14 hours of daylight. Expect to take eggs daily, or even twice a day if you have lots of hens.
- All year round, you have to shovel manure.
- If you go on vacation or holiday, you need a reliable chicken-sitter, and they are scarcer than hens’ teeth.
Types of Chicken for Poultry
Egg Layers
Meat Birds
- Brahma – Brown eggs
- Cochin – Brown eggs
- Dark Cornish – Brown eggs
- Jersey Giant – Brown eggs
Dual-Purpose Birds
- Araucana – Blue green eggs
- Black Sex-Link – Brown eggs
- Dominique – Brown eggs
- Faverolle – Brown or tinted eggs
- Houdan (crested) – White eggs
- New Hampshire – Brown eggs
- Orpington – Brown eggs
- Red Sex-Link – Brown eggs
- Rhode Island Red – Brown eggs
- Rock – Brown eggs
- Sussex – Brown eggs
- Wyandotte – Brown eggs
Conditions of Poultry
The Purpose
Why you want that chicken will dictate which breeds would be appropriate and narrow your list down considerably. If you need great layers, you will want to stick with production breeds and leghorns or other high-yield breeds. If you need chickens for meat, then the Cornish Cross or other meat breeds are the best. But also consider both purpose of breeds or heritage breeds. They are good for both meat and eggs. There are many people who rear chicken for meat and also egg which will keep the females as layers and use the roosters for meat – just same as old-time farmers used to.
Hens Only?
Some breeds don’t need a rooster for egg production. So that’s not a tough question to answer. Just because you are allowed a rooster, doesn’t mean you should have one. You don’t need the rooster for hens to lay down eggs – they’ll lay just as well without one, but the eggs won’t be fertile and don’t need to hatch. Roosters are hardly match for a predator like a coyote or fox, and despite common belief that roosters don’t just crow at sunrise – they crow all day long. Roosters are rough on other hens and tear them up ‘treading’ their backs while they mate. And if you have small chicks, consider what would happen if an aggressive rooster come to attack one of them? Roosters are best to rear if you want fighting cocks used for gambling in some countries like the Philippines.
The Climate
Most of the chicken are naturally cold-hardy, so in the northern states, you don’t think much about choosing the breed that couldn’t handle the cold, though the Mediterranean breeds, with larger combs and slight bodied, don’t do well in the cold weather. However, they are perfectly suited for the hot southern climates, since they expel their body heat through those combs in the summer to stay cool. By becoming familiar with some of the cold-hardy and heat-tolerant types is a good idea if you live in either of the extreme climates.
The Temperament
Temperament in chicken does vary quick remarkably by breed. From the type of the super docile Faverolles, Buffs, Cochins and Australorps are more skittish Marans, Wyandottes, Ameraucanas and Leghorns, if you want a “lap chickens”, you’ll want to select your chicks carefully from the more docile types. If you have child bird especially, the docile breeds may become family pets, enjoying being petted and snuggled and even pushed around in doll carriages or pulled in wagons. However, casual tricks may be used to exhaust fan setup for maintaining a healthy and sound temperature and air at your poultry.
Color of Eggs
Eggs are in different colors such as white or pale cream to pink, light tan to brown or even it become dark chocolate brown, green and blue. Doing some research on it which types has laid which color of eggs will result in a colorful egg basket, if that become your goal.
The Appearance
The appearance of the chicken is another consideration. There are some people that love the Ameraucanas with their cheek muffs and others prefer a “cleaner” face. There are frizzle chicken who always looks like a stiff wind is blowing. There are some feather-legged breeds, such as Cochins and Brahmas, and those without feathers. Other breeds, like Faverolles and Marans, have feathered feet. There are both larger breeds and smaller. Hefty-bodied and more sleek-bodied have increased demand.
Once you’ve narrowed down some breeds based on your requirement, you’ll be more prepared to head out to choose some chicks to bring in your house with you. And have a better chance to end up with the perfect flock for your backyard.
ENHANCE THE COMPOSITION OF CHICKEN FEED INGREDIENTS WITH SUPPLEMENTS AND ADDITIVES
Poultry farmers should invest a substantial amount of time concentrated on chicken feed components which offer high quality nourishment to their flocks. Modern methods of farming have introduced the capability to boost the nutritional elements of poultry ingredients together with additives and supplements. This is fantastic for both the farmer and the feed maker or manufacturer. High-quality feed additives improve the general economics of feed for both producers and manufacturers.
A number of the most common additives comprise of pellet binders, moisture optimisers, and grain and feed conditioners. For farmers, the advantages of poultry feed additives are two-fold: (1) more shelf-life and preservation of feed, and (2) improved nutrition that boosts the value of poultry.
Chicken Feed Ingredients
The seven basic chicken feed ingredients
- Cereal grains
- Cereal byproducts
- Fats and oils
- Protein meals
- Miscellaneous raw ingredients, such as tubers and roots
- Minerals and vitamins
- Feed additives
Key nutrients which have to be provided to flocks through poultry feed components include amino acids that are included in proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Fats, oils, and protein foods include the remainder of a chicken’s nutritional energy requirements.
Cereal grains make up the most of chicken feed components. It is a cost-effective ingredient which can help fulfil energy requirements for chickens. Unfortunately, cereal grains are highly prone to mould, bacteria, and rot that can harbor mycotoxins which can affect development and the health of the chickens. Thanks to the preservation properties of feed additives, cereal grains can be utilised as components in chicken feed without even going bad during prolonged periods of storage.
Key components that require to be given to your birds’ chicken feed ingredients consist of amino acids that are included in minerals, vitamins and proteins. Fats, oils, as well as healthy protein meals make up the rest of a poultry’s nutritional energy needs.
How Supplements Improve Health and Performance
Supplements assist in increasing the efficiency and health of chicken by elevating the dietary output supplied by the feed itself. Supplements can conserve poultry farmers and feed producers significant expenses by extending and increasing yields shelf-life. These enable a simpler transport procedure and lead to less wear and tear on production equipment.
Common additives and supplements:
- Toxin binders
- Mold inhibitors
- Antioxidants
- Antimicrobials
- Direct fed microbials
- Flavors
- Organic minerals
- Feed conditioners
- Pellet binders
- Digestive enzymes
- Feeding effectors
- Anti-stress agents
- Acidifiers
Improving Chicken Feed Ingredient Value
Effective supplements will make feed processing more profitable for livestock feed manufacturers by boosting the overall value and nutritional qualities of the feed they produce and sell to farmers and bulk buyers. These nutrient-rich supplements can assist stressed-out and ill birds go back to optimum health. Another advantage of supplements is that they are simple to use and can restrict metal contamination through chicken’s fecal waste.
When Good Chicken Feed Goes Bad
Mold, bacteria, and rot all ruin chicken feed nutrition, rendering whole supplies useless. Mold is especially expensive to eradicate. As it develops, it absorbs the nutrients inside feed. Chickens that consume moldy feed will likely be exposed to mycotoxins that can cause significant health problems, based upon the portions consumed. When”best practices” are utilized, mold may still grow on the feed.
Using additives or supplements as a mold inhibitor is highly recommended. This may minimize the risk of mycotoxin production in feeds and grains and protect against degradation of the nutrient content of the feed. There’s no set formula for which ingredients have to be utilised in poultry feed, the general guideline is that nutritional necessities need to be met. To provide optimum levels of nutrition, supplements should be considered. Additives and supplements play an important role in the value of poultry feed components. They have the ability to not only inhibit the growth of harmful organisms in chicken feed, but to improve the nutrients consumed by chickens .
How To Know When Chickens Start To Lay Eggs
One of the most exciting times for a first time chicken owner is that glorious moment once the hens lay their eggs! Often this moment is going to be a joyous surprise, even while for some owners, the more it takes the more nervous they become –“is something wrong with the chicken”,”are they sick”,”do they need to spend more time in the nesting boxes”,”am I feeding them the wrong food”? The majority of the time these queries only cause unnecessary nerves and frustration, even if what your flock needs most is support and patience. As you await your chickens to lay their egg you need to be composed, calm and caring, not anxious and overbearing. Here are some of the greatest things you can do to help your hens as they get ready to lay their first eggs.
When do hens normally start laying?
Generally speaking most hens will begin laying between 18 to 24 weeks. This having been said, some breeds who are not renowned for being productive layers can endure as long as the year to create their very first tasty egg. Finding out the age and breed of your pullets is a really practical way to keep track of your expectations during these first few months, since you will be able to track their progress and see whether anything is out of the ordinary.
How do you produce the right setting conditions to your flock?
There are a whole lot of variables that affect your flock’s likelihood of becoming energetic and productive little layers. Ensuring you meet all your chickens’ fundamental needs, concerning food, shelter and water, as well as creating a serene and tranquil environment, will ultimately result in your chickens feeling relaxed and healthy enough to lay.
Humans have been caring for chickens for thousands of years. As somebody who cares for chickens it is your obligation to make sure that your hens have a great safe place to lay which will keep them protected from the elements and whatever predators might be lurking on them.
Nesting Boxes
The general guideline is that each nesting box can accommodate 3 to 4 chickens — not in precisely the exact same time of course! Nesting boxes also need to be warm, comfy and quiet, which will aid your hens feel safe and secure, while they attempt to stay focused and lay their initial few eggs.
Daylight
One of the most important factors is daylight. Chickens need at least 10-14 hours of daylight to get their bodies to create any eggs. This is the reason why the majority of chickens stop laying during chilly and winter months. But if your pullets are not let out of the coop, then they will also cease laying, even if it’s sunny and warm outside. That’s why coop accessories like the Automatic Door are so important, particularly if you’re the type of chicken owner that finds it hard to get out of bed early in the morning.
Great Nutrition
Pullets need additional protein in their diet, as their bodies aren’t only getting ready to lay eggs, they’re also still doing heaps of growing! Diversifying their diet with some healthy treats is a smart way to make certain they are getting some variety.
It all basically boils down to making your flock feel secure, protected and loved. If your hens are worried about predators or unsure of where their next meal is going to come from, then they are not as likely to feel compelled to lay.
What are a few of the signs of a chicken getting ready to lay?
Though many (not all) chicken owners are unable to speak their flocks”buk-buk” speech, your hens will still offer you a lot of hints that their egg making instinct is about ready and they are gearing up to lay their first egg. Below are a few of the top signs that your hens are preparing to lay an egg for the first time…
Red Combs & Wattles
Look closely in the combs and wattles of your pullets around the time they’re 18 weeks old. Generally speaking your hens’ wattles and combs will turn red and swell as their bodies ready to lay eggs. It may seem somewhat odd but think all of these weird and unusual things that the human body does as it moves through puberty.
Checking From The Nesting Boxes
Some hens will start to inspect the nesting boxes all the time they’re getting ready to lay. They’ll wander around, rummage the hemp bedding and stick their beak in and out. Some might also practice sitting in the nesting box, which may cause any chicken lover an excellent deal of excitement! This being said, even if your girls are checking out the nesting boxes, then they may still be a couple of days or weeks off from laying.
Every time a chickens body is nicely ready to lay, you will see your hen doing a strange little squat at the backyard. This bizarre gesture is a subtle and flirtatious indication to a rooster they are fully matured and ready for some funny business. You might discover that your hens will nevertheless do this funky little squat if there are no roosters around. It is likewise a tell-tale sign that your pullet are going to put an egg at any moment! As soon as you see your pullets doing their squats you may be certain that you will find eggs in route!
These are the very typical signs that a chicken is preparing to lay however most poultry owners possess a profound connection with their flock and therefore are able of intuitively feel when their hens are ready to produce their first eggs.