When beginning out on our homesteading journey, one of many first issues we did was to buy some yard chickens. Not solely do chickens assist begin your self-sufficiency journey by offering you with eggs, additionally they assist with eliminating scraps, offering you with an all pure fertiliser and make nice companions. Although, earlier than getting began with yard chickens, there are some things it’s good to take into accounts.
Protecting Yard Chickens
For those who haven’t stored yard chickens earlier than, you will have some considerations that are fairly legitimate however, it’s truly rather a lot simpler than you might assume. In comparison with preserving different livestock, chickens will faithfully come dwelling each night time, lay healthful eggs for you and are great at consuming a various vary of meals.
Many of the onerous work with chickens goes into the preparation. After securing a spot for them to stay, they may solely want minimal care from then on.
Proudly owning chickens can be an effective way to show kids necessary and sensible classes about possession and life. Kids will study duty when feeding chickens and offering water for them in addition to when they’re amassing eggs every day. When the assistance with cleansing the coop and preserving it sale, they’re additionally enhancing their abilities.
Earlier than Getting Chickens
Earlier than you head off to buy some chickens, there’s one necessary step you have to do first. Examine to just remember to are legally allowed to maintain chickens the place you reside. Right here in Australia, all councils have laws with reference to restrictions and limitations of preserving chickens. In lots of residential areas, there could also be circumstances on what number of chickens you’re allowed and restrictions on preserving roosters.
What number of Chickens?
What number of chickens you’ll be able to hold will depend on a number of issues.
Eggs
What number of chickens you will want will depend on your necessities. Most egg laying chickens lay round 300+ eggs a 12 months, or 4-6 eggs per week. Throughout the cooler months, chickens could take a few months off laying. They will even have a relaxation when they’re moulting which is often simply earlier than winter. Completely happy chickens lay extra eggs as do chickens which have house to roam and scratch round.
To work out what number of chickens you want, work out what number of eggs you utilize in per week and divide that by seven. This could offer you a great provide of eggs, particularly in the course of the hotter months.
Although, for those who haven’t had chickens earlier than, you might need to begin small, with a flock of round 4 to 6 hens.
House
Chickens do want house. If they’re put up in cramped circumstances, this could make them get burdened. Harassed chickens lay fewer eggs and they’re additionally extra susceptible to sickness and harm. Chickens which are capable of be pastured or have entry to an outdoor space to roam, will solely want a coop that’s giant sufficient for them to roost in and lay eggs.
For those who don’t have lots of room, you could possibly strive getting a number of bantam chickens. These chickens are good for smaller areas as they’re round one-half to two-thirds the dimensions of a daily rooster. The standard necessities for housing are the identical, although may be barely smaller as a result of their dimension.
Rooster
As talked about beforehand, in some areas you might not be legally allowed to maintain a rooster. If you’re allowed, are you going to maintain a rooster?
Not solely do roosters mean you can breed your chickens, however additionally they shield their hens.
The one draw back is the crowing. They will begin crowing an hour or so earlier than daybreak, so the situation of the coop could must be far from your own home.
To keep away from over-breeding and stressing out hens, strive having at the very least six, although ideally ten to 12 hens for every rooster.
Selecting Breeds
There are such a lot of breeds obtainable, however not all of them might be appropriate to your circumstances. There are chickens specifically bred to put eggs, some hens are twin goal after which there are meat chickens as nicely.
What are you hoping for along with your chickens? Are you on the lookout for fairly hens, vibrant eggs, calm, peaceable hens that can work together with your loved ones?
Good egg-laying hens embody breeds akin to Hy-Traces, Bond Layers or Isa Browns. These breeds are often pleasant and placid. These hens have been commercially bred to put eggs and may solely be bought as chicks or point-of-lay hens from particular locations. They’re extraordinarily good layers, although they will have a brief life-span of round 3 – 4 years, with some well being points as they age. These breeds of chickens often lay medium brown colored eggs.
Heritage breeds akin to Australorps, Leghorns, Rhode Island Pink lay round 3 – 6 eggs per week, relying on the breed. They do have an extended life-span of as much as 12 years as nicely.
With heritage breeds, you may get a spread of colored eggs. Marans lay darkish brown or olive eggs, whereas leghorns lay white eggs. Cream legbars and araucanas lay blue eggs whereas welsummers can lay darkish brown eggs generally with speckles.
Twin goal chickens are ones which are raised for each meat and eggs. They’re the perfect breeds to decide on in case you are breeding your individual chickens. The plan then is to make use of the surplus roosters for meat.
Meat chickens are raised specifically for his or her meat. They’re often bigger breeds with extra muscle content material that develop quick. Despite the fact that they lay eggs, it’s a lot much less typically than laying hen breeds. They’re used whereas nonetheless younger for meat.
Defending Chickens
Relying on the realm that you just stay in, you’ll have to be careful for undesirable visitors. To guard your hens from predators akin to foxes, a great high quality coop with sturdy, galvanised wire mesh is required. Wire mesh flooring, an auto door, and even predator sensor lights can assist deter predators.
Rooster additionally must be protected against the weather. A dry place to roost at night time, and someplace they will relaxation out of the warmth, and rain can be wanted. An space that they will use to mud tub in is sort of useful. If not equipped, they may create a gap within the floor and use this as their mud tub.
Will Getting Chickens Trigger Issues?
Chickens are peaceable animals which have the power to get together with numerous different animals together with canines, geese, cats and guinea fowl. So long as you’re there to assist with the negotiating their new housemates, more often than not the animals will work on turning into pals and resolving any points which will come up.
For those who can considerations about chickens inflicting issues in your backyard, why not strive having a rooster tractor that allows you to transfer your flock round with out them destroying any of your crops.
We’ve got the older mannequin of this chicken tractor which is nice for shifting chickens round, and has a fox proof flooring.
Extra Rooster Sources
Each day Duties when Protecting Chickens
Despite the fact that chickens are simple to maintain, there are a number of minimal jobs that might be wanted to be checked each day.
- Guarantee they’ve loads of meals and water, cleansing out the containers if wanted
- Examine the coop, spot clear if wanted
- Acquire the eggs
- If you’re permitting them to free-range, allow them to out after which be certain all of them are again within the coop at night time
- Observe the flock for normal well being and wellbeing
Weekly Duties when Protecting Chickens
- Totally clear out the nesting containers and ensure they’re topped up prepared for the week
- Examine all perimeters akin to fencing to verify all is nice
- Clear up any uneaten meals scraps as they will appeal to undesirable vermin.
- Examine litter, clear and prime up if vital
- Examine and prime up the availability of shell grit
- Different issues which may be wanted when vital embody: deep cleansing the coop, bathing chickens, attending to mite or lice infestations or issues akin to bumble foot.
Having yard chickens is a simple method to create a wholesome and sustainable yard. These pleasant creatures, with their unpredictable pleasure will turn out to be a part of the household earlier than you recognize it!
Getting began with yard chickens is a enjoyable journey that every one the household is bound to take pleasure in!
